2. Chronik 15:19

Ch2 15:19 is different from Kg1 15:16. In the latter passage it is said: war was between Asa and Baasha the king of Israel כּל־ימיהם, i.e., so long as both reigned contemporaneously; while in the Chronicle it is said: war was not until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign. This discrepancy is partly got rid of by taking מלחמה in the book of Kings to denote the latent hostility or inimical attitude of the two kingdoms towards each other, and in the Chronicle to denote a war openly declared. The date, until the thirty-fifth year, causes a greater difficulty; but this has been explained in Ch2 16:1 by the supposition that in the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign war broke out between Asa and Baasha, when the meaning of our 16th verse would be: It did not come to war with Baasha until the thirty-sixth year of Asa's rule. For further remarks on this, see on Ch2 16:1.

Asa and his army were now returning in triumph from the battle, laden with spoils and adorned with the trophies of victory, the pious prince, we may now suppose, studying what he should render to God for this great favour. He knew that the work of reformation, which he had begun in his kingdom, was not perfected; his enemies abroad were subdued, but there were more dangerous enemies at home that were yet unconquered - idols in Judah and Benjamin: his victory over the former emboldened him vigorously to renew his attack upon the latter. Now here we have, I. The message which God sent to him, by a prophet, to engage him to, and encourage him in, the prosecution of his reformation (Ch2 15:1-7). II. The life which this message put into that good cause, and their proceedings in pursuance of it. Idols removed (Ch2 15:8). The spoil dedicated to God (Ch2 15:9-11). A covenant made with God, and a law for the punishing of idolaters (Ch2 15:12-15). A reformation at court (Ch2 15:16). Dedicated things brought into the house of God (Ch2 15:18). All well, but that the high places were permitted (Ch2 15:17). And the effect of this was great peace (Ch2 15:19).

15:19 no more war: Literally no war. Most translations, including the NLT, add “more” to assist in conveying the probable meaning. But if “no war” is in fact the better reading, the thirty-fifth year might refer to the thirty-fifth year since the division of the northern and southern kingdoms. That would have been around the time when Zerah the Ethiopian invaded Judah and was defeated by Asa (14:9-15). But see the study note on 16:1. • The Chronicler inserts chronological notes into his account to divide Asa’s reign into periods that show the consequences of his decisions (see 14:1; 15:10; 16:1, 12, 13). The early battles with the north were seen as inconsequential for that period, though the Chronicler was fully aware of them (see 15:8). The first years of Asa’s reign were characterized by divine favor to an obedient king.