2 Chronicles 16 · Verse 1

2 Chronicles 16:1

In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

2 Chronicles 16:1, King James Version

2 Chronicles 16:1 in other translations

BSB	In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
WEB	In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
ASV	In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
YLT	In the thirty and sixth year of the reign of Asa, come up hath Baasha king of Israel, against Judah, and buildeth Ramah, so as not to permit any going out and coming in to Asa king of Judah.
DARBY	In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, in order to let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
BBE	In the thirty-sixth year of the rule of Asa, Baasha, king of Israel, went up against Judah, building Ramah so that no one was able to go out or in to Asa, king of Judah.
Webster	In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

What does 2 Chronicles 16:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Chronicles 16:1-6

2Ch 16:1-14. Asa, by a League with the Syrians, Diverts Baasha from Building Ramah. 1-6. In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha ... came up against Judah--Baasha had died several years before this date (1Ki 15:33), and the best biblical critics are agreed in considering this date to be calculated from the separation of the kingdoms, and coincident with the sixteenth year of Asa's reign. This mode of reckoning was, in all likelihood, generally followed in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel, the public annals of the time (2Ch 16:11), the source from which the inspired historian drew his account. Baasha ... built Ramah--that is, fortified it. The blessing of God which manifestly rested at this time on the kingdom of Judah, the signal victory of Asa, the freedom and purity of religious worship, and the fame of the late national covenant, were regarded with great interest throughout Israel, and attracted a constantly increasing number of emigrants to Judah. Baasha, alarmed at this movement, determined to stem the tide; and as the high road to and from Jerusalem passed by Ramah, he made that frontier town, about six miles north of Asa's capital, a military station, where the vigilance of his sentinels would effectually prevent all passage across the boundary of the kingdom (see on 1Ki 15:16-22; also Jr 41:9).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Baasha, king of Israel, begins to build Ramah, to prevent his subjects from having any intercourse with the Jews, 2Chr 16:1. Asa hires Ben-hadad, king of Syria, against him; and obliges him to leave off building Ramah, 2Chr 16:2-5. Asa and his men carry the stones and timbers of Ramah away, and build therewith Geba and Mizpah, 2Chr 16:6. Asa is reproved by Hanani, the seer, for his union with the king of Syria: he is offended with the seer, and puts him in prison, 2Chr 16:7-10. Of his acts, 2Chr 16:11. He is diseased in his feet, and seeks to physicians and not to God, and dies, 2Chr 16:12, 2Chr 16:13. His sumptuous funeral, 2Chr 16:14. Verse 1 The six and thirtieth year - After the division of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah; according to Usher. This opinion is followed in our margin; see the note on 1Kgs 15:16, where this subject is farther considered. Concerning Baasha's building of Ramah, see the note on 1Kgs 15:17.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

Asa seeks the aid of the Syrians, His death. --A plain and faithful reproof was given to Asa by a prophet of the Lord, for making a league with Syria. God is displeased when he is distrusted, and when an arm of flesh is relied on, more than his power and goodness. It is foolish to lean on a broken reed, when we have the Rock of ages to rely upon. To convince Asa of his folly, the prophet shows that he, of all men, had no reason to distrust God, who had found him such a powerful Helper. The many experiences we have had of the goodness of God to us, aggravate our distrust of him. But see how deceitful our hearts are! we trust in God when we have nothing else to trust to, when need drives us to him; but when we have other things to stay on, we are apt to depend too much on them. Observe Asa's displeasure at this reproof. What is man, when God leaves him to himself! He that abused his power for persecuting God's prophet, was left to himself, to abuse it further for crushing his own subjects. Two years before he died, Asa was diseased in his feet. Making use of physicians was his duty; but trusting to them, and expecting that from them which was to be had from God only, were his sin and folly. In all conflicts and sufferings we need especially to look to our own hearts, that they may be perfect towards God, by faith, patience, and obedience.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

2 Chronicles 16:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בִּשְׁנַ֨תbish.Natin yearH8141

שְׁלֹשִׁ֤יםshe.lo.ShimthirtyH7970

וָשֵׁשׁ֙va.Sheshand sixH8337

לְמַלְכ֣וּתle.mal.Khutof [the] reign ofH4438

אָסָ֔א'a.Sa'AsaH609

עָלָ֞ה'a.Lahhe came upH5927

בַּעְשָׁ֤אba'.Sha'BaashaH1201

מֶֽלֶךְ\־Me.lekh-[the] king ofH4428

יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

עַל\־'al-onH5921

יְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.DahJudahH3063

וַיִּ֖בֶןvai.Yi.venand he builtH1129

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

הָרָמָ֑הha.ra.Mah<the> RamahH7414

לְבִלְתִּ֗יle.vil.Tito notH1115

תֵּ֚תtet[surely] permittingH5414

יוֹצֵ֣אyo.Tze'one going outH3318

וָבָ֔אva.Va'or one coming inH935

לְאָסָ֖אle.'a.Sa'to AsaH609

מֶ֥לֶךְMe.lekh[the] king ofH4428

יְהוּדָֽה\׃ye.hu.DahJudahH3063

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Chronicles 16:1

2 Chronicles 15:9
And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
1 Kings 12:27
If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
2 Chronicles 11:13-17
And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts. For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the Lord: And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers. …
1 Kings 15:16-22
And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Ben–hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. …
2 Chronicles 15:5
And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Asa, by the aid of the Syrians, diverts Baasha from building Ramah.
7 Being reproved thereof by Hanani, he puts him in prison.
11 Among his other acts in his disease he seeks not to God, but to the physicians.
13 His death and burial.

A.M. 3074. B.C. 930. In the six.See Note on 1 Ki 15:32. "From the rending of the ten tribes from Judah, over which Asa was now king."
1Ki 15:16-22
to the intent.
11:13-17; 15:5,9; 1Ki 12:27

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Chronicles 16:1
In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
2 Chronicles 16:2
Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben–hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

Read all of 2 Chronicles 16

2 Chronicles 16:1 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	EN el año treinta y seis del reinado de Asa, subió Baasa rey de Israel contra Judá, y edificó á Rama, para no dejar salir ni entrar á ninguno al rey Asa, rey de Judá.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	La trente-sixième année du règne d’Asa, Baësha, roi d’Israël, monta contre Juda; et il bâtit Rama, afin de ne permettre à personne de sortir de chez Asa, roi de Juda, ou d’entrer vers lui.
German Elberfelder 1871	Im 36. Jahre der Regierung Asas zog Baesa, der König von Israel, wider Juda herauf; und er baute Rama, um Asa, dem König von Juda, niemand aus- und eingehen zu lassen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Anno autem trigesimo sexto regni ejus, ascendit Baasa rex Israël in Judam, et muro circumdabat Rama, ut nullus tute posset egredi et ingredi de regno Asa.