And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.
Hanani the seer came to Asa ... and said. His object was to show the king his error in forming his recent league with Ben-hadad. The prophet represented the appropriation of the temple treasures to purchase the services of the Syrian mercenaries as indicating a distrust in God, most blameable with the king's experience, and he added, that in consequence of this want of faith, Asa had lost the opportunity of gaining a victory over the united forces of Baasha and Ben-hadad, more splendid than that obtained over the Ethiopians-a victory which, by destroying their armies, would have deprived them of all power to molest him in future; whereas by his foolish and worldly policy, so unworthy of God's vicegerent, to misapply the temple treasures, and corrupt the fidelity of an ally of the king of Israel, he had tempted the cupidity of the one and increased the hostility of the other, and rendered himself liable to renewed troubles (1 Kings 15:32). This rebuke was pungent, and, from its truth and justness, ought to have penetrated and afflicted the heart of such a man as Asa. But his pride was offended at the freedom taken By the honest reprover of royalty and in a burst of passionate resentment he ordered Hanani to be thrown into prison.