(b) THE REFORM OF WORSHIP, AND PUBLIC RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT
(2 Chronicles 15:8-15).
(8) And the prophecy of Oded the prophet. — Heb., And the prophecy Oded the prophet; without any connection. This is suspicious, and suggests the idea that “Oded the prophet” is a marginal gloss, which has crept into the text; especially as, according to 2 Chronicles 15:1, not Oded, but Azariah son of Oded, was the author of the prophecy. Possibly there is a lacuna, and the original text ran: “And the prophecy which Azariah son of Oded, the prophet, spake.” There is no variation in Heb. MSS., and the readings of the versions only show that the difficulty is ancient. (LXX., Vatic., “the prophecy of Adad the prophet; “but in 2 Chronicles 15:1 : “Azarias son of Oded;” Alex., “Azarias son of Adad the prophet;” Syr., “Azariah son of Azur;” Vulg., “Azariah son of Oded the prophet.”) these words and the prophecy, i.e., these words, even (or, that is) the prophecy. Epexegetical use of the conjunction.
He took courage. — Hithchazzaq, strengthened himself (2 Chronicles 12:13). The same verb as be strong chizqû), 2 Chronicles 15:7.
And put away. — Removed (1 Kings 15:12).
The abominable idols. — Abominations (shiqqûtsim): one of the many terms of contempt applied (to idols (Deuteronomy 29:17; 1 Kings 11:5; 1 Kings 11:7; Jeremiah 4:1).
The cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim. — The hill-country of Ephraim. In 2 Chronicles 17:2 we read again: “the cities of Ephraim, which Asa had taken.” It is generally assumed that in both passages there is a somewhat inaccurate reference to the conquests of Abijah recorded in 2 Chronicles 13:19; for hitherto Asa had had no wars with the northern kingdom (2 Chronicles 14:1; 2 Chronicles 14:6; 2 Chronicles 15:19). But Asa may have annexed some of the towns on his northern border without resistance, after his victory over Zerah. (Comp. the voluntary immigration into Judah described in 2 Chronicles 15:9.) Thenius, who fixes the date of Baasha’s attempt before the Cushite invasion, says that Asa seems to have assumed the offensive after Baasha’s retreat from Ramah.
And renewed the altar. — The context seems to imply that this “renewal” consisted in reconsecration, the altar having been defiled by an illegal cultus. So the LXX. and Vulg., ἐνκάινισε, dedicavit. The word, however, may only mean repaired, restored. The altar had now stood sixty years. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 24:4.)