And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease [was] exceeding [great]: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.
Ver. 12. Was diseased in his feet.] Laborabat podagrd, a saith Vatablus; he was troubled with the gout, with a swelling in his feet, say the Rabbins. As he had laid the good prophet by the heels in prison, so doth God lay him by the heels in his bed; to him therefore he should have sought for release; since natural means in this case could do him little good.
“ Una eademque manus, &c. ”
Until his disease was exceeding great.] Heb., Till it ascended upwards; till the humour and grief was gotten into his head, and so became more grievous and dangerous. Let no man look that God should lay down the bucklers first: he will have the better of us.
Yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord.] Which yet he had covenanted to do. 2Ch 14:7 That he repented of this and the rest of his misdoings ere he died, we doubt not. See 2 Chronicles 15:17; 2 Chronicles 20:32. Maximianus the persecutor, in a grievous fit of sickness, was convinced that God was angry with him for his cruelty to the Christians; whereupon he reversed his own edicts, and begged their prayers. b
But to the physicians.] Thus he fell into his former sin of creature confidence. See 2 Chronicles 16:2; 2 Chronicles 16:7. It is hard to say how oft a saint may fall into the same sin. A doctor is God's ordinance, and must be made use of in due time and manner. The Jews are to blame who detest all physicians: they have a proverb in their Talmud, Optimus inter medicos ad gehennam, The best physician will to hell. Farewell doctor, said old Chaucer; physicians have undone me, said Adrian the emperor; so might the Hemorrhoise have said, had she not touched at length the hem of Christ's garment. But Luke was "the beloved physician": and our Saviour saith, "The whole need not the physician, but the sick." Mat 9:12 Asa sinned not in using the physicians, but in trusting to them, as if they by their skill, without the divine influence, could have kept off death: whereas death suddenly snatcheth away physicians oft together with their patients; as it were in scorn and contempt of medicines.
a He did not ορθοποδειν, and was therefore podagrinus.
b Euseb.