The rebuke of Hanani and his imprisonment by Asa, omitted by the writer of Kings, are among the most important of the additions to Asa’s history for which we are indebted to the author of Chronicles.
Escaped out of thine hand - Hanani means, “Hadst thou been faithful, and opposed in arms the joint host of Israel and Syria, instead of bribing the Syrian king to desert to thy side, the entire host would have been delivered into thy hand, as was Zerah’s. But now it is escaped from thee. Thou hast lost a glorious opportunity.”
From henceforth thou shalt have wars - As peace had been the reward of Asa’s earlier faith 2Ch 14:5; 2 Chronicles 15:5, so his want of faith was now to be punished by a period of war and disturbance.
In a prison house - Or, “in the stocks.” Compare 1 Kings 22:26-27.