2 Cronici 14
1 Abia a adormit cu părinţii lui, şi a fost îngropat în cetatea lui David. Şi, în locul lui, a domnit fiul său Asa. Pe vremea lui, ţara a avut odihnă zece ani.
2 Asa a făcut ce este bine şi plăcut înaintea Domnului, Dumnezeului său.
3 A îndepărtat altarele dumnezeilor străini şi înălţimile, a sfărâmat stâlpii idoleşti şi a tăiat Astarteele.
4 A poruncit lui Iuda să caute pe Domnul, Dumnezeul părinţilor săi, şi să împlinească legea şi poruncile.
5 A îndepărtat din toate cetăţile lui Iuda înălţimile şi stâlpii închinaţi soarelui. Şi împărăţia a avut pace supt el.
6 A zidit cetăţi întărite în Iuda; căci ţara a fost liniştită, şi împotriva lui n-a fost război în anii aceia, pentrucă Domnul i-a dat odihnă.
7 El a zis lui Iuda: ,,Să zidim aceste cetăţi, şi să le înconjurăm cu ziduri, cu turnuri, cu porţi şi cu zăvoare; ţara este încă a noastră, căci am căutat pe Domnul, Dumnezeul nostru. L-am căutat, şi El ne-a dat odihnă de toate părţile.`` Au zidit dar, şi au izbutit.
8 Asa avea o oştire de trei sute de mii de oameni din Iuda, cari purtau scut şi suliţă, şi două sute optzeci de mii din Beniamin, cari purtau scut şi trăgeau cu arcul, toţi oameni viteji.
9 Zerah, Etiopianul, a ieşit împotriva lor cu o oştire de un milion de oameni şi trei sute de cară, şi a înaintat până la Mareşa.
10 Asa a mers înaintea lui, şi s-au înşiruit de bătaie în valea Ţefata, lângă Mareşa.
11 Asa a chemat pe Domnul, Dumnezeul lui, şi a zis: ,,Doamne, numai Tu poţi veni în ajutor celui slab ca şi celui tare: vino în ajutorul nostru, Doamne Dumnezeul nostru! Căci pe Tine ne sprijinim, şi în Numele Tău am venit împotriva acestei mulţimi. Doamne, Tu eşti Dumnezeul nostru: să nu iasă biruitor omul împotriva Ta!``
12 Domnul a lovit pe Etiopieni dinaintea lui Asa şi dinaintea lui Iuda, şi Etiopienii au luat-o la fugă.
13 Asa şi poporul care era cu el i-a urmărit până la Gherar, şi Etiopienii au căzut fără să-şi poată scăpa viaţa, căci au fost nimiciţi de Domnul şi de oştirea Lui. Asa şi poporul lui au făcut o pradă mare;
14 au bătut toate cetăţile din împrejurimile Gherarului, căci groaza Domnului căzuse peste ele, şi au jăfuit toate cetăţile, a căror pradă era mare.
15 Au lovit şi corturile turmelor, şi au luat cu ei o mare mulţime de oi şi de cămile. Apoi s-au întors la Ierusalim.
{"verseMap":{"1":[{"id":41706,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Asa","title_en":"Asa","content_ro":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","summary_ro":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","summary_en":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":69332,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Asa","title_en":"Asa","content_ro":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","summary_ro":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","summary_en":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":96958,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Asa","title_en":"Asa","content_ro":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","summary_ro":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","summary_en":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":124584,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Asa","title_en":"Asa","content_ro":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","summary_ro":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","summary_en":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":193,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Abijam","title_en":"Abijam","content_ro":"<h3>ABIJAM<\/h3>\n<p>Rehoboam’s son and successor as king of Judah, 913–910 <span>BC<\/span> (1 Chr 3:10; alternately called “Abijah” in 2 Chr 11:18-22; 12:16; 13:1-22; 14:1). A major focus of Abijam’s reign was his war with King Jeroboam I of Israel (2 Chr 13:1-3). Before a decisive battle, Abijam stood on Mt Zemaraim and shouted condemnation of Jeroboam’s political divisiveness and religious idolatry (2 Chr 13:4-12). Abijam and his army then prayed for God’s help in their precarious military position. Against two-to-one odds, they fought their way out of an ambush and won a stunning victory over Jeroboam (2 Chr 13:13-19). Abijam’s reign in the southern kingdom of Judah was summed up rather unfavorably in 1 Kings 15:1-8: “He committed the same sins as his father before him, and his heart was not right with the <span>Lord<\/span> his God, as the heart of his ancestor David had been” (v 3, <span>nlt<\/span>). But God had promised to keep David’s descendants on the throne in Jerusalem (1 Kgs 11:36), so Abijam’s son Asa succeeded him. Being of David’s line, Abijam was an ancestor of Jesus, the Christ (Mt 1:7, “Abijah”).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Chronology of the Bible (Old Testament); Genealogy of Jesus Christ.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>ABIJAM<\/h3>\n<p>Rehoboam’s son and successor as king of Judah, 913–910 <span>BC<\/span> (1 Chr 3:10; alternately called “Abijah” in 2 Chr 11:18-22; 12:16; 13:1-22; 14:1). A major focus of Abijam’s reign was his war with King Jeroboam I of Israel (2 Chr 13:1-3). Before a decisive battle, Abijam stood on Mt Zemaraim and shouted condemnation of Jeroboam’s political divisiveness and religious idolatry (2 Chr 13:4-12). Abijam and his army then prayed for God’s help in their precarious military position. Against two-to-one odds, they fought their way out of an ambush and won a stunning victory over Jeroboam (2 Chr 13:13-19). Abijam’s reign in the southern kingdom of Judah was summed up rather unfavorably in 1 Kings 15:1-8: “He committed the same sins as his father before him, and his heart was not right with the <span>Lord<\/span> his God, as the heart of his ancestor David had been” (v 3, <span>nlt<\/span>). But God had promised to keep David’s descendants on the throne in Jerusalem (1 Kgs 11:36), so Abijam’s son Asa succeeded him. Being of David’s line, Abijam was an ancestor of Jesus, the Christ (Mt 1:7, “Abijah”).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Chronology of the Bible (Old Testament); Genealogy of Jesus Christ.<\/p>","summary_ro":"ABIJAM Rehoboam’s son and successor as king of Judah, 913–910 BC (1 Chr 3:10; alternately called “Abijah” in 2 Chr 11:18-22; 12:16; 13:1-22; 14:1). A major focus of Abijam’s reign was his war with King Jeroboam I of Israel (2 Chr 13:1-3). Before a decisive battle, Abijam stood on Mt Zemaraim and shouted condemnation of Jeroboam’s political divisiveness and religious idolatry (2 Chr 13:4-12). Abijam and his army then prayed for God’s help in their precarious military position. Against two-to-o...","summary_en":"ABIJAM Rehoboam’s son and successor as king of Judah, 913–910 BC (1 Chr 3:10; alternately called “Abijah” in 2 Chr 11:18-22; 12:16; 13:1-22; 14:1). A major focus of Abijam’s reign was his war with King Jeroboam I of Israel (2 Chr 13:1-3). Before a decisive battle, Abijam stood on Mt Zemaraim and shouted condemnation of Jeroboam’s political divisiveness and religious idolatry (2 Chr 13:4-12). Abijam and his army then prayed for God’s help in their precarious military position. Against two-to-o...","source":"Articles\/A.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":2812,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Asa","title_en":"Asa","content_ro":"<h3>ASA<\/h3>\n<li>1. Third king of the southern kingdom of Judah (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>) after the split of Solomon’s Empire into independent kingdoms. Solomon’s son Rehoboam, Asa’s grandfather, had neither Solomon’s wisdom nor his tact. Rehoboam failed to use diplomacy to avoid an approaching explosion of popular resentment against Solomon’s oppressive policies; in fact, Rehoboam actively precipitated the explosion. Asa came to the throne just after his father, Abijam (or Abijah), who reigned only briefly (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>). Asa thus inherited a shrunken, vulnerable kingdom. Moreover, he was thrust into a suddenly unstable political arena shaken by collapse of the great world empires of old Babylonia to the north and east in Mesopotamia, and of Egypt to the southwest. Hence until the emerging might of Assyria was firmly established (mid-ninth century <span>BC<\/span>), the small Palestinian states (Israel, Judah, Syria, the Arameans, and Phoenicians, and to some degree the peoples of Moab and Edom) were free to push and shove among themselves.<\/li>\n<p>The rival states had superficial similarities, especially Judah and Israel, but were divided by deep differences and intense self-interest. Borders were in perpetual dispute—never fully settled but seldom contested in all-out bloody conflict. Threats, expedience, bribes, payment of tribute, marriages purchased for power, and other cunning arts in the catalog of political kingcraft were employed to shift alliances. Since all were playing the same game, a kind of fluid balance resulted.<\/p>\n<p>At the beginning of King Asa’s reign there was an initial decade of peace and prosperity. Then, however, he was called upon to face enemy threats and invasion. In those crises he trusted God and forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Further, he cleansed the land of pagan shrines and places of worship and even took away the royal prerogatives and standing of Maacah, his mother. She had erected an image of the fertility goddess Asherah (1 Kgs 15:10; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, later in his reign Asa abruptly abandoned his trust in God. By means of a huge gift that stripped the temple treasures, he entered an alliance with Ben-hadad, king of Damascus (Syria) in order to force Baasha, ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel, to withdraw from newly conquered territory in Judah. Asa had become heedless of God’s faithful protection when Israel, Judah’s mortal enemy, stood triumphant and strategically poised to strike, only five miles (8 kilometers) from Jerusalem. Asa’s power play worked. Israel had to retire from the field in the south to meet Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. When Hanani spoke plainly to Asa about his disbelief in God, Asa was infuriated and had Hanani thrown into prison (2 Chr 16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the last years of his long 41-year reign, Asa was ill: “Even when the disease became life threatening, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but sought help only from his physicians” (2 Chr 16:12, <span>nlt<\/span>). He died and was buried with honor in the royal tombs (1 Kgs 15:24; 2 Chr 16:14).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Chronicles, Books of First and Second; Chronology of the Bible (Old Testament); King.<\/p>\n<li>2. A Levite and Berechiah’s father. Berechiah lived in one of the villages of the Netophathites after the exile (1 Chr 9:16).<\/li>","content_en":"<h3>ASA<\/h3>\n<li>1. Third king of the southern kingdom of Judah (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>) after the split of Solomon’s Empire into independent kingdoms. Solomon’s son Rehoboam, Asa’s grandfather, had neither Solomon’s wisdom nor his tact. Rehoboam failed to use diplomacy to avoid an approaching explosion of popular resentment against Solomon’s oppressive policies; in fact, Rehoboam actively precipitated the explosion. Asa came to the throne just after his father, Abijam (or Abijah), who reigned only briefly (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>). Asa thus inherited a shrunken, vulnerable kingdom. Moreover, he was thrust into a suddenly unstable political arena shaken by collapse of the great world empires of old Babylonia to the north and east in Mesopotamia, and of Egypt to the southwest. Hence until the emerging might of Assyria was firmly established (mid-ninth century <span>BC<\/span>), the small Palestinian states (Israel, Judah, Syria, the Arameans, and Phoenicians, and to some degree the peoples of Moab and Edom) were free to push and shove among themselves.<\/li>\n<p>The rival states had superficial similarities, especially Judah and Israel, but were divided by deep differences and intense self-interest. Borders were in perpetual dispute—never fully settled but seldom contested in all-out bloody conflict. Threats, expedience, bribes, payment of tribute, marriages purchased for power, and other cunning arts in the catalog of political kingcraft were employed to shift alliances. Since all were playing the same game, a kind of fluid balance resulted.<\/p>\n<p>At the beginning of King Asa’s reign there was an initial decade of peace and prosperity. Then, however, he was called upon to face enemy threats and invasion. In those crises he trusted God and forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Further, he cleansed the land of pagan shrines and places of worship and even took away the royal prerogatives and standing of Maacah, his mother. She had erected an image of the fertility goddess Asherah (1 Kgs 15:10; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, later in his reign Asa abruptly abandoned his trust in God. By means of a huge gift that stripped the temple treasures, he entered an alliance with Ben-hadad, king of Damascus (Syria) in order to force Baasha, ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel, to withdraw from newly conquered territory in Judah. Asa had become heedless of God’s faithful protection when Israel, Judah’s mortal enemy, stood triumphant and strategically poised to strike, only five miles (8 kilometers) from Jerusalem. Asa’s power play worked. Israel had to retire from the field in the south to meet Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. When Hanani spoke plainly to Asa about his disbelief in God, Asa was infuriated and had Hanani thrown into prison (2 Chr 16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the last years of his long 41-year reign, Asa was ill: “Even when the disease became life threatening, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but sought help only from his physicians” (2 Chr 16:12, <span>nlt<\/span>). He died and was buried with honor in the royal tombs (1 Kgs 15:24; 2 Chr 16:14).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Chronicles, Books of First and Second; Chronology of the Bible (Old Testament); King.<\/p>\n<li>2. A Levite and Berechiah’s father. Berechiah lived in one of the villages of the Netophathites after the exile (1 Chr 9:16).<\/li>","summary_ro":"ASA 1. Third king of the southern kingdom of Judah (910–869 BC) after the split of Solomon’s Empire into independent kingdoms. Solomon’s son Rehoboam, Asa’s grandfather, had neither Solomon’s wisdom nor his tact. Rehoboam failed to use diplomacy to avoid an approaching explosion of popular resentment against Solomon’s oppressive policies; in fact, Rehoboam actively precipitated the explosion. Asa came to the throne just after his father, Abijam (or Abijah), who reigned only briefly (913–910 B...","summary_en":"ASA 1. Third king of the southern kingdom of Judah (910–869 BC) after the split of Solomon’s Empire into independent kingdoms. Solomon’s son Rehoboam, Asa’s grandfather, had neither Solomon’s wisdom nor his tact. Rehoboam failed to use diplomacy to avoid an approaching explosion of popular resentment against Solomon’s oppressive policies; in fact, Rehoboam actively precipitated the explosion. Asa came to the throne just after his father, Abijam (or Abijah), who reigned only briefly (913–910 B...","source":"Articles\/A.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":47813,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:1","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:1<\/strong> <em>Asa<\/em> reigned from 910 to 869 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:1<\/strong> <em>Asa<\/em> reigned from 910 to 869 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:1 Asa reigned from 910 to 869 BC.","summary_en":"14:1 Asa reigned from 910 to 869 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":75439,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:1","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:1<\/strong> <em>Asa<\/em> reigned from 910 to 869 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:1<\/strong> <em>Asa<\/em> reigned from 910 to 869 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:1 Asa reigned from 910 to 869 BC.","summary_en":"14:1 Asa reigned from 910 to 869 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":103065,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:1","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:1<\/strong> <em>Asa<\/em> reigned from 910 to 869 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:1<\/strong> <em>Asa<\/em> reigned from 910 to 869 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:1 Asa reigned from 910 to 869 BC.","summary_en":"14:1 Asa reigned from 910 to 869 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":130691,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:1","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:1<\/strong> <em>Asa<\/em> reigned from 910 to 869 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:1<\/strong> <em>Asa<\/em> reigned from 910 to 869 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:1 Asa reigned from 910 to 869 BC.","summary_en":"14:1 Asa reigned from 910 to 869 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":61968,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"God’s Plan to Restore","title_en":"God’s Plan to Restore","content_ro":"<h3>God’s Plan to Restore<\/h3>\n<p>One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences the consequences for obedience or failure within his or her own lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>The vocabulary of this verse (humble, pray, turn, seek, heal) appears repeatedly in the Chronicler’s writing as he shows this principle operating in the lives of the kings of Judah. The celebration of Passover during Hezekiah’s reign provides one of the most prominent examples. In the very first month of his reign, Hezekiah began to restore the Temple (29:3). He extended an invitation to all Israel (including the people of the northern kingdom) to attend the Passover festival at Jerusalem (30:1). When Hezekiah’s messengers urged the people to turn to the Lord (30:6), many from the north humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem (30:11). So many people arrived that the Judeans could not accommodate them, and those from the north were not ready (ritually) to observe the Passover. Hezekiah prayed for the people as they resolved to seek the Lord (30:18-19). The Lord indeed healed the people (30:20), and they all were able to participate. The festival was going so well that it was extended another seven days (30:23). Hezekiah followed the very principles that Solomon had enunciated in his prayer. Manasseh provides another encouraging example of God’s redemption at work (33:11-23).<\/p>\n<p>Those familiar with Chronicles would have understood well the preaching of John the Baptist as he called for repentance and healing (Matt 3:5-12). Failure to repent will result in judgment. But there is no situation beyond the reach of redemption for those willing to humble themselves before God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2 Chr 7:13-15; 12:5-12; 14:1-7; 15:1-19; 25:14-28; 26:5, 16; 29:3–31:21; 32:24-26; 33:10-17; 34:3-33; Matt 3:5-12; Rom 5:8-11, 19-21<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>God’s Plan to Restore<\/h3>\n<p>One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences the consequences for obedience or failure within his or her own lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>The vocabulary of this verse (humble, pray, turn, seek, heal) appears repeatedly in the Chronicler’s writing as he shows this principle operating in the lives of the kings of Judah. The celebration of Passover during Hezekiah’s reign provides one of the most prominent examples. In the very first month of his reign, Hezekiah began to restore the Temple (29:3). He extended an invitation to all Israel (including the people of the northern kingdom) to attend the Passover festival at Jerusalem (30:1). When Hezekiah’s messengers urged the people to turn to the Lord (30:6), many from the north humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem (30:11). So many people arrived that the Judeans could not accommodate them, and those from the north were not ready (ritually) to observe the Passover. Hezekiah prayed for the people as they resolved to seek the Lord (30:18-19). The Lord indeed healed the people (30:20), and they all were able to participate. The festival was going so well that it was extended another seven days (30:23). Hezekiah followed the very principles that Solomon had enunciated in his prayer. Manasseh provides another encouraging example of God’s redemption at work (33:11-23).<\/p>\n<p>Those familiar with Chronicles would have understood well the preaching of John the Baptist as he called for repentance and healing (Matt 3:5-12). Failure to repent will result in judgment. But there is no situation beyond the reach of redemption for those willing to humble themselves before God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2 Chr 7:13-15; 12:5-12; 14:1-7; 15:1-19; 25:14-28; 26:5, 16; 29:3–31:21; 32:24-26; 33:10-17; 34:3-33; Matt 3:5-12; Rom 5:8-11, 19-21<\/p>","summary_ro":"God’s Plan to Restore One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences ...","summary_en":"God’s Plan to Restore One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":62002,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Trusting in Human Strength","title_en":"Trusting in Human Strength","content_ro":"<h3>Trusting in Human Strength<\/h3>\n<p>God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the people of Israel demonstrated a lack of trust in the Lord, instead opting to trust in human strength.<\/p>\n<p>On one occasion, Asa, king of Judah, sought help from the king of Aram—a perennial enemy of God’s people—giving him the treasures of the Temple and palace so he would attack Baasha, king of Israel (2 Chr 16:1-6). The prophet Hanani chastised Asa, seeing in Aram a human foe who would continue to be a nemesis to the kingdom of Judah. Previous battles demonstrated that God was the only ally Asa needed (16:8).<\/p>\n<p>Asa’s reliance on the king of Aram revealed a much deeper spiritual problem. Asa forgot that “the eyes of the <span>Lord<\/span> search the whole earth” (16:9; see also Zech 4:10). So when Hanani confronted Asa with the error of his ways, Asa summarily threw the prophet into confinement, and the angry king arbitrarily inflicted cruelties on the people (2 Chr 16:10).<\/p>\n<p>Asa provides a sad example of the human propensity to rely on one’s own tangible resources (see Prov 11:7; Isa 31:1; Jer 17:5-6) and to become angry when corrected. Even those who experience the power of the Lord in a very tangible fashion often have this leaning; this was quite true of the generation of Israelites who had been rescued by God from slavery in Egypt. It is much better to rely on the Lord and welcome his direction (cp. Pss 33:18; 37:7; Isa 50:10; Jer 17:7-8; Acts 13:43). Life is a long lesson in trusting God; we might begin by doing what is good and right (2 Chr 14:1-6), but our legacy is not settled until the last deed is done (see Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5). Faithfulness to the Kingdom of God must not be compromised by personal ambitions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Deut 13:4; 2 Kgs 6:15-18; 2 Chr 16:1-10; 32:7-8; Pss 20:6-8; 37:3-7; 60:11-12; Prov 11:7-8; 18:10-12; Eccl 3:14; Isa 31:1-5; Jer 17:5-8; Matt 10:26-31; Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5; Rev 2:8-11<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Trusting in Human Strength<\/h3>\n<p>God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the people of Israel demonstrated a lack of trust in the Lord, instead opting to trust in human strength.<\/p>\n<p>On one occasion, Asa, king of Judah, sought help from the king of Aram—a perennial enemy of God’s people—giving him the treasures of the Temple and palace so he would attack Baasha, king of Israel (2 Chr 16:1-6). The prophet Hanani chastised Asa, seeing in Aram a human foe who would continue to be a nemesis to the kingdom of Judah. Previous battles demonstrated that God was the only ally Asa needed (16:8).<\/p>\n<p>Asa’s reliance on the king of Aram revealed a much deeper spiritual problem. Asa forgot that “the eyes of the <span>Lord<\/span> search the whole earth” (16:9; see also Zech 4:10). So when Hanani confronted Asa with the error of his ways, Asa summarily threw the prophet into confinement, and the angry king arbitrarily inflicted cruelties on the people (2 Chr 16:10).<\/p>\n<p>Asa provides a sad example of the human propensity to rely on one’s own tangible resources (see Prov 11:7; Isa 31:1; Jer 17:5-6) and to become angry when corrected. Even those who experience the power of the Lord in a very tangible fashion often have this leaning; this was quite true of the generation of Israelites who had been rescued by God from slavery in Egypt. It is much better to rely on the Lord and welcome his direction (cp. Pss 33:18; 37:7; Isa 50:10; Jer 17:7-8; Acts 13:43). Life is a long lesson in trusting God; we might begin by doing what is good and right (2 Chr 14:1-6), but our legacy is not settled until the last deed is done (see Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5). Faithfulness to the Kingdom of God must not be compromised by personal ambitions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Deut 13:4; 2 Kgs 6:15-18; 2 Chr 16:1-10; 32:7-8; Pss 20:6-8; 37:3-7; 60:11-12; Prov 11:7-8; 18:10-12; Eccl 3:14; Isa 31:1-5; Jer 17:5-8; Matt 10:26-31; Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5; Rev 2:8-11<\/p>","summary_ro":"Trusting in Human Strength God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the pe...","summary_en":"Trusting in Human Strength God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the pe...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":89594,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"God’s Plan to Restore","title_en":"God’s Plan to Restore","content_ro":"<h3>God’s Plan to Restore<\/h3>\n<p>One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences the consequences for obedience or failure within his or her own lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>The vocabulary of this verse (humble, pray, turn, seek, heal) appears repeatedly in the Chronicler’s writing as he shows this principle operating in the lives of the kings of Judah. The celebration of Passover during Hezekiah’s reign provides one of the most prominent examples. In the very first month of his reign, Hezekiah began to restore the Temple (29:3). He extended an invitation to all Israel (including the people of the northern kingdom) to attend the Passover festival at Jerusalem (30:1). When Hezekiah’s messengers urged the people to turn to the Lord (30:6), many from the north humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem (30:11). So many people arrived that the Judeans could not accommodate them, and those from the north were not ready (ritually) to observe the Passover. Hezekiah prayed for the people as they resolved to seek the Lord (30:18-19). The Lord indeed healed the people (30:20), and they all were able to participate. The festival was going so well that it was extended another seven days (30:23). Hezekiah followed the very principles that Solomon had enunciated in his prayer. Manasseh provides another encouraging example of God’s redemption at work (33:11-23).<\/p>\n<p>Those familiar with Chronicles would have understood well the preaching of John the Baptist as he called for repentance and healing (Matt 3:5-12). Failure to repent will result in judgment. But there is no situation beyond the reach of redemption for those willing to humble themselves before God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2 Chr 7:13-15; 12:5-12; 14:1-7; 15:1-19; 25:14-28; 26:5, 16; 29:3–31:21; 32:24-26; 33:10-17; 34:3-33; Matt 3:5-12; Rom 5:8-11, 19-21<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>God’s Plan to Restore<\/h3>\n<p>One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences the consequences for obedience or failure within his or her own lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>The vocabulary of this verse (humble, pray, turn, seek, heal) appears repeatedly in the Chronicler’s writing as he shows this principle operating in the lives of the kings of Judah. The celebration of Passover during Hezekiah’s reign provides one of the most prominent examples. In the very first month of his reign, Hezekiah began to restore the Temple (29:3). He extended an invitation to all Israel (including the people of the northern kingdom) to attend the Passover festival at Jerusalem (30:1). When Hezekiah’s messengers urged the people to turn to the Lord (30:6), many from the north humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem (30:11). So many people arrived that the Judeans could not accommodate them, and those from the north were not ready (ritually) to observe the Passover. Hezekiah prayed for the people as they resolved to seek the Lord (30:18-19). The Lord indeed healed the people (30:20), and they all were able to participate. The festival was going so well that it was extended another seven days (30:23). Hezekiah followed the very principles that Solomon had enunciated in his prayer. Manasseh provides another encouraging example of God’s redemption at work (33:11-23).<\/p>\n<p>Those familiar with Chronicles would have understood well the preaching of John the Baptist as he called for repentance and healing (Matt 3:5-12). Failure to repent will result in judgment. But there is no situation beyond the reach of redemption for those willing to humble themselves before God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2 Chr 7:13-15; 12:5-12; 14:1-7; 15:1-19; 25:14-28; 26:5, 16; 29:3–31:21; 32:24-26; 33:10-17; 34:3-33; Matt 3:5-12; Rom 5:8-11, 19-21<\/p>","summary_ro":"God’s Plan to Restore One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences ...","summary_en":"God’s Plan to Restore One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":89628,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Trusting in Human Strength","title_en":"Trusting in Human Strength","content_ro":"<h3>Trusting in Human Strength<\/h3>\n<p>God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the people of Israel demonstrated a lack of trust in the Lord, instead opting to trust in human strength.<\/p>\n<p>On one occasion, Asa, king of Judah, sought help from the king of Aram—a perennial enemy of God’s people—giving him the treasures of the Temple and palace so he would attack Baasha, king of Israel (2 Chr 16:1-6). The prophet Hanani chastised Asa, seeing in Aram a human foe who would continue to be a nemesis to the kingdom of Judah. Previous battles demonstrated that God was the only ally Asa needed (16:8).<\/p>\n<p>Asa’s reliance on the king of Aram revealed a much deeper spiritual problem. Asa forgot that “the eyes of the <span>Lord<\/span> search the whole earth” (16:9; see also Zech 4:10). So when Hanani confronted Asa with the error of his ways, Asa summarily threw the prophet into confinement, and the angry king arbitrarily inflicted cruelties on the people (2 Chr 16:10).<\/p>\n<p>Asa provides a sad example of the human propensity to rely on one’s own tangible resources (see Prov 11:7; Isa 31:1; Jer 17:5-6) and to become angry when corrected. Even those who experience the power of the Lord in a very tangible fashion often have this leaning; this was quite true of the generation of Israelites who had been rescued by God from slavery in Egypt. It is much better to rely on the Lord and welcome his direction (cp. Pss 33:18; 37:7; Isa 50:10; Jer 17:7-8; Acts 13:43). Life is a long lesson in trusting God; we might begin by doing what is good and right (2 Chr 14:1-6), but our legacy is not settled until the last deed is done (see Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5). Faithfulness to the Kingdom of God must not be compromised by personal ambitions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Deut 13:4; 2 Kgs 6:15-18; 2 Chr 16:1-10; 32:7-8; Pss 20:6-8; 37:3-7; 60:11-12; Prov 11:7-8; 18:10-12; Eccl 3:14; Isa 31:1-5; Jer 17:5-8; Matt 10:26-31; Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5; Rev 2:8-11<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Trusting in Human Strength<\/h3>\n<p>God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the people of Israel demonstrated a lack of trust in the Lord, instead opting to trust in human strength.<\/p>\n<p>On one occasion, Asa, king of Judah, sought help from the king of Aram—a perennial enemy of God’s people—giving him the treasures of the Temple and palace so he would attack Baasha, king of Israel (2 Chr 16:1-6). The prophet Hanani chastised Asa, seeing in Aram a human foe who would continue to be a nemesis to the kingdom of Judah. Previous battles demonstrated that God was the only ally Asa needed (16:8).<\/p>\n<p>Asa’s reliance on the king of Aram revealed a much deeper spiritual problem. Asa forgot that “the eyes of the <span>Lord<\/span> search the whole earth” (16:9; see also Zech 4:10). So when Hanani confronted Asa with the error of his ways, Asa summarily threw the prophet into confinement, and the angry king arbitrarily inflicted cruelties on the people (2 Chr 16:10).<\/p>\n<p>Asa provides a sad example of the human propensity to rely on one’s own tangible resources (see Prov 11:7; Isa 31:1; Jer 17:5-6) and to become angry when corrected. Even those who experience the power of the Lord in a very tangible fashion often have this leaning; this was quite true of the generation of Israelites who had been rescued by God from slavery in Egypt. It is much better to rely on the Lord and welcome his direction (cp. Pss 33:18; 37:7; Isa 50:10; Jer 17:7-8; Acts 13:43). Life is a long lesson in trusting God; we might begin by doing what is good and right (2 Chr 14:1-6), but our legacy is not settled until the last deed is done (see Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5). Faithfulness to the Kingdom of God must not be compromised by personal ambitions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Deut 13:4; 2 Kgs 6:15-18; 2 Chr 16:1-10; 32:7-8; Pss 20:6-8; 37:3-7; 60:11-12; Prov 11:7-8; 18:10-12; Eccl 3:14; Isa 31:1-5; Jer 17:5-8; Matt 10:26-31; Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5; Rev 2:8-11<\/p>","summary_ro":"Trusting in Human Strength God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the pe...","summary_en":"Trusting in Human Strength God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the pe...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":117220,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"God’s Plan to Restore","title_en":"God’s Plan to Restore","content_ro":"<h3>God’s Plan to Restore<\/h3>\n<p>One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences the consequences for obedience or failure within his or her own lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>The vocabulary of this verse (humble, pray, turn, seek, heal) appears repeatedly in the Chronicler’s writing as he shows this principle operating in the lives of the kings of Judah. The celebration of Passover during Hezekiah’s reign provides one of the most prominent examples. In the very first month of his reign, Hezekiah began to restore the Temple (29:3). He extended an invitation to all Israel (including the people of the northern kingdom) to attend the Passover festival at Jerusalem (30:1). When Hezekiah’s messengers urged the people to turn to the Lord (30:6), many from the north humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem (30:11). So many people arrived that the Judeans could not accommodate them, and those from the north were not ready (ritually) to observe the Passover. Hezekiah prayed for the people as they resolved to seek the Lord (30:18-19). The Lord indeed healed the people (30:20), and they all were able to participate. The festival was going so well that it was extended another seven days (30:23). Hezekiah followed the very principles that Solomon had enunciated in his prayer. Manasseh provides another encouraging example of God’s redemption at work (33:11-23).<\/p>\n<p>Those familiar with Chronicles would have understood well the preaching of John the Baptist as he called for repentance and healing (Matt 3:5-12). Failure to repent will result in judgment. But there is no situation beyond the reach of redemption for those willing to humble themselves before God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2 Chr 7:13-15; 12:5-12; 14:1-7; 15:1-19; 25:14-28; 26:5, 16; 29:3–31:21; 32:24-26; 33:10-17; 34:3-33; Matt 3:5-12; Rom 5:8-11, 19-21<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>God’s Plan to Restore<\/h3>\n<p>One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences the consequences for obedience or failure within his or her own lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>The vocabulary of this verse (humble, pray, turn, seek, heal) appears repeatedly in the Chronicler’s writing as he shows this principle operating in the lives of the kings of Judah. The celebration of Passover during Hezekiah’s reign provides one of the most prominent examples. In the very first month of his reign, Hezekiah began to restore the Temple (29:3). He extended an invitation to all Israel (including the people of the northern kingdom) to attend the Passover festival at Jerusalem (30:1). When Hezekiah’s messengers urged the people to turn to the Lord (30:6), many from the north humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem (30:11). So many people arrived that the Judeans could not accommodate them, and those from the north were not ready (ritually) to observe the Passover. Hezekiah prayed for the people as they resolved to seek the Lord (30:18-19). The Lord indeed healed the people (30:20), and they all were able to participate. The festival was going so well that it was extended another seven days (30:23). Hezekiah followed the very principles that Solomon had enunciated in his prayer. Manasseh provides another encouraging example of God’s redemption at work (33:11-23).<\/p>\n<p>Those familiar with Chronicles would have understood well the preaching of John the Baptist as he called for repentance and healing (Matt 3:5-12). Failure to repent will result in judgment. But there is no situation beyond the reach of redemption for those willing to humble themselves before God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2 Chr 7:13-15; 12:5-12; 14:1-7; 15:1-19; 25:14-28; 26:5, 16; 29:3–31:21; 32:24-26; 33:10-17; 34:3-33; Matt 3:5-12; Rom 5:8-11, 19-21<\/p>","summary_ro":"God’s Plan to Restore One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences ...","summary_en":"God’s Plan to Restore One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":117254,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Trusting in Human Strength","title_en":"Trusting in Human Strength","content_ro":"<h3>Trusting in Human Strength<\/h3>\n<p>God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the people of Israel demonstrated a lack of trust in the Lord, instead opting to trust in human strength.<\/p>\n<p>On one occasion, Asa, king of Judah, sought help from the king of Aram—a perennial enemy of God’s people—giving him the treasures of the Temple and palace so he would attack Baasha, king of Israel (2 Chr 16:1-6). The prophet Hanani chastised Asa, seeing in Aram a human foe who would continue to be a nemesis to the kingdom of Judah. Previous battles demonstrated that God was the only ally Asa needed (16:8).<\/p>\n<p>Asa’s reliance on the king of Aram revealed a much deeper spiritual problem. Asa forgot that “the eyes of the <span>Lord<\/span> search the whole earth” (16:9; see also Zech 4:10). So when Hanani confronted Asa with the error of his ways, Asa summarily threw the prophet into confinement, and the angry king arbitrarily inflicted cruelties on the people (2 Chr 16:10).<\/p>\n<p>Asa provides a sad example of the human propensity to rely on one’s own tangible resources (see Prov 11:7; Isa 31:1; Jer 17:5-6) and to become angry when corrected. Even those who experience the power of the Lord in a very tangible fashion often have this leaning; this was quite true of the generation of Israelites who had been rescued by God from slavery in Egypt. It is much better to rely on the Lord and welcome his direction (cp. Pss 33:18; 37:7; Isa 50:10; Jer 17:7-8; Acts 13:43). Life is a long lesson in trusting God; we might begin by doing what is good and right (2 Chr 14:1-6), but our legacy is not settled until the last deed is done (see Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5). Faithfulness to the Kingdom of God must not be compromised by personal ambitions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Deut 13:4; 2 Kgs 6:15-18; 2 Chr 16:1-10; 32:7-8; Pss 20:6-8; 37:3-7; 60:11-12; Prov 11:7-8; 18:10-12; Eccl 3:14; Isa 31:1-5; Jer 17:5-8; Matt 10:26-31; Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5; Rev 2:8-11<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Trusting in Human Strength<\/h3>\n<p>God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the people of Israel demonstrated a lack of trust in the Lord, instead opting to trust in human strength.<\/p>\n<p>On one occasion, Asa, king of Judah, sought help from the king of Aram—a perennial enemy of God’s people—giving him the treasures of the Temple and palace so he would attack Baasha, king of Israel (2 Chr 16:1-6). The prophet Hanani chastised Asa, seeing in Aram a human foe who would continue to be a nemesis to the kingdom of Judah. Previous battles demonstrated that God was the only ally Asa needed (16:8).<\/p>\n<p>Asa’s reliance on the king of Aram revealed a much deeper spiritual problem. Asa forgot that “the eyes of the <span>Lord<\/span> search the whole earth” (16:9; see also Zech 4:10). So when Hanani confronted Asa with the error of his ways, Asa summarily threw the prophet into confinement, and the angry king arbitrarily inflicted cruelties on the people (2 Chr 16:10).<\/p>\n<p>Asa provides a sad example of the human propensity to rely on one’s own tangible resources (see Prov 11:7; Isa 31:1; Jer 17:5-6) and to become angry when corrected. Even those who experience the power of the Lord in a very tangible fashion often have this leaning; this was quite true of the generation of Israelites who had been rescued by God from slavery in Egypt. It is much better to rely on the Lord and welcome his direction (cp. Pss 33:18; 37:7; Isa 50:10; Jer 17:7-8; Acts 13:43). Life is a long lesson in trusting God; we might begin by doing what is good and right (2 Chr 14:1-6), but our legacy is not settled until the last deed is done (see Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5). Faithfulness to the Kingdom of God must not be compromised by personal ambitions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Deut 13:4; 2 Kgs 6:15-18; 2 Chr 16:1-10; 32:7-8; Pss 20:6-8; 37:3-7; 60:11-12; Prov 11:7-8; 18:10-12; Eccl 3:14; Isa 31:1-5; Jer 17:5-8; Matt 10:26-31; Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5; Rev 2:8-11<\/p>","summary_ro":"Trusting in Human Strength God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the pe...","summary_en":"Trusting in Human Strength God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the pe...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":144846,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"God’s Plan to Restore","title_en":"God’s Plan to Restore","content_ro":"<h3>God’s Plan to Restore<\/h3>\n<p>One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences the consequences for obedience or failure within his or her own lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>The vocabulary of this verse (humble, pray, turn, seek, heal) appears repeatedly in the Chronicler’s writing as he shows this principle operating in the lives of the kings of Judah. The celebration of Passover during Hezekiah’s reign provides one of the most prominent examples. In the very first month of his reign, Hezekiah began to restore the Temple (29:3). He extended an invitation to all Israel (including the people of the northern kingdom) to attend the Passover festival at Jerusalem (30:1). When Hezekiah’s messengers urged the people to turn to the Lord (30:6), many from the north humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem (30:11). So many people arrived that the Judeans could not accommodate them, and those from the north were not ready (ritually) to observe the Passover. Hezekiah prayed for the people as they resolved to seek the Lord (30:18-19). The Lord indeed healed the people (30:20), and they all were able to participate. The festival was going so well that it was extended another seven days (30:23). Hezekiah followed the very principles that Solomon had enunciated in his prayer. Manasseh provides another encouraging example of God’s redemption at work (33:11-23).<\/p>\n<p>Those familiar with Chronicles would have understood well the preaching of John the Baptist as he called for repentance and healing (Matt 3:5-12). Failure to repent will result in judgment. But there is no situation beyond the reach of redemption for those willing to humble themselves before God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2 Chr 7:13-15; 12:5-12; 14:1-7; 15:1-19; 25:14-28; 26:5, 16; 29:3–31:21; 32:24-26; 33:10-17; 34:3-33; Matt 3:5-12; Rom 5:8-11, 19-21<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>God’s Plan to Restore<\/h3>\n<p>One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences the consequences for obedience or failure within his or her own lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>The vocabulary of this verse (humble, pray, turn, seek, heal) appears repeatedly in the Chronicler’s writing as he shows this principle operating in the lives of the kings of Judah. The celebration of Passover during Hezekiah’s reign provides one of the most prominent examples. In the very first month of his reign, Hezekiah began to restore the Temple (29:3). He extended an invitation to all Israel (including the people of the northern kingdom) to attend the Passover festival at Jerusalem (30:1). When Hezekiah’s messengers urged the people to turn to the Lord (30:6), many from the north humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem (30:11). So many people arrived that the Judeans could not accommodate them, and those from the north were not ready (ritually) to observe the Passover. Hezekiah prayed for the people as they resolved to seek the Lord (30:18-19). The Lord indeed healed the people (30:20), and they all were able to participate. The festival was going so well that it was extended another seven days (30:23). Hezekiah followed the very principles that Solomon had enunciated in his prayer. Manasseh provides another encouraging example of God’s redemption at work (33:11-23).<\/p>\n<p>Those familiar with Chronicles would have understood well the preaching of John the Baptist as he called for repentance and healing (Matt 3:5-12). Failure to repent will result in judgment. But there is no situation beyond the reach of redemption for those willing to humble themselves before God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2 Chr 7:13-15; 12:5-12; 14:1-7; 15:1-19; 25:14-28; 26:5, 16; 29:3–31:21; 32:24-26; 33:10-17; 34:3-33; Matt 3:5-12; Rom 5:8-11, 19-21<\/p>","summary_ro":"God’s Plan to Restore One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences ...","summary_en":"God’s Plan to Restore One of the best known verses in Chronicles lays out God’s plan for Israel: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chr 7:14). This verse expresses the Chronicler’s understanding of how God works with his people. The concept has been described as a “theology of immediate retribution”: Each person experiences ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":144880,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Trusting in Human Strength","title_en":"Trusting in Human Strength","content_ro":"<h3>Trusting in Human Strength<\/h3>\n<p>God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the people of Israel demonstrated a lack of trust in the Lord, instead opting to trust in human strength.<\/p>\n<p>On one occasion, Asa, king of Judah, sought help from the king of Aram—a perennial enemy of God’s people—giving him the treasures of the Temple and palace so he would attack Baasha, king of Israel (2 Chr 16:1-6). The prophet Hanani chastised Asa, seeing in Aram a human foe who would continue to be a nemesis to the kingdom of Judah. Previous battles demonstrated that God was the only ally Asa needed (16:8).<\/p>\n<p>Asa’s reliance on the king of Aram revealed a much deeper spiritual problem. Asa forgot that “the eyes of the <span>Lord<\/span> search the whole earth” (16:9; see also Zech 4:10). So when Hanani confronted Asa with the error of his ways, Asa summarily threw the prophet into confinement, and the angry king arbitrarily inflicted cruelties on the people (2 Chr 16:10).<\/p>\n<p>Asa provides a sad example of the human propensity to rely on one’s own tangible resources (see Prov 11:7; Isa 31:1; Jer 17:5-6) and to become angry when corrected. Even those who experience the power of the Lord in a very tangible fashion often have this leaning; this was quite true of the generation of Israelites who had been rescued by God from slavery in Egypt. It is much better to rely on the Lord and welcome his direction (cp. Pss 33:18; 37:7; Isa 50:10; Jer 17:7-8; Acts 13:43). Life is a long lesson in trusting God; we might begin by doing what is good and right (2 Chr 14:1-6), but our legacy is not settled until the last deed is done (see Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5). Faithfulness to the Kingdom of God must not be compromised by personal ambitions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Deut 13:4; 2 Kgs 6:15-18; 2 Chr 16:1-10; 32:7-8; Pss 20:6-8; 37:3-7; 60:11-12; Prov 11:7-8; 18:10-12; Eccl 3:14; Isa 31:1-5; Jer 17:5-8; Matt 10:26-31; Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5; Rev 2:8-11<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Trusting in Human Strength<\/h3>\n<p>God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the people of Israel demonstrated a lack of trust in the Lord, instead opting to trust in human strength.<\/p>\n<p>On one occasion, Asa, king of Judah, sought help from the king of Aram—a perennial enemy of God’s people—giving him the treasures of the Temple and palace so he would attack Baasha, king of Israel (2 Chr 16:1-6). The prophet Hanani chastised Asa, seeing in Aram a human foe who would continue to be a nemesis to the kingdom of Judah. Previous battles demonstrated that God was the only ally Asa needed (16:8).<\/p>\n<p>Asa’s reliance on the king of Aram revealed a much deeper spiritual problem. Asa forgot that “the eyes of the <span>Lord<\/span> search the whole earth” (16:9; see also Zech 4:10). So when Hanani confronted Asa with the error of his ways, Asa summarily threw the prophet into confinement, and the angry king arbitrarily inflicted cruelties on the people (2 Chr 16:10).<\/p>\n<p>Asa provides a sad example of the human propensity to rely on one’s own tangible resources (see Prov 11:7; Isa 31:1; Jer 17:5-6) and to become angry when corrected. Even those who experience the power of the Lord in a very tangible fashion often have this leaning; this was quite true of the generation of Israelites who had been rescued by God from slavery in Egypt. It is much better to rely on the Lord and welcome his direction (cp. Pss 33:18; 37:7; Isa 50:10; Jer 17:7-8; Acts 13:43). Life is a long lesson in trusting God; we might begin by doing what is good and right (2 Chr 14:1-6), but our legacy is not settled until the last deed is done (see Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5). Faithfulness to the Kingdom of God must not be compromised by personal ambitions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Deut 13:4; 2 Kgs 6:15-18; 2 Chr 16:1-10; 32:7-8; Pss 20:6-8; 37:3-7; 60:11-12; Prov 11:7-8; 18:10-12; Eccl 3:14; Isa 31:1-5; Jer 17:5-8; Matt 10:26-31; Rom 2:6-11; 1 Cor 4:1-5; Rev 2:8-11<\/p>","summary_ro":"Trusting in Human Strength God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the pe...","summary_en":"Trusting in Human Strength God had repeatedly displayed his power to his people throughout their history. He took a barren elderly couple and made them the progenitors of a great nation. He rescued this nation from the clutches of the powerful tyrant, Egypt. He performed numerous miracles in preserving them in the wilderness. And he had secured victory over their enemies many times during the conquest, the period of the judges, and the monarchical period. Yet, throughout their history, the pe...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"2":[{"id":47814,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:2","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:2-5<\/strong> At the beginning of his reign, <em>Asa . . . removed the foreign altars<\/em> in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:2-5<\/strong> At the beginning of his reign, <em>Asa . . . removed the foreign altars<\/em> in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:2-5 At the beginning of his reign, Asa . . . removed the foreign altars in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.","summary_en":"14:2-5 At the beginning of his reign, Asa . . . removed the foreign altars in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":75440,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:2","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:2-5<\/strong> At the beginning of his reign, <em>Asa . . . removed the foreign altars<\/em> in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:2-5<\/strong> At the beginning of his reign, <em>Asa . . . removed the foreign altars<\/em> in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:2-5 At the beginning of his reign, Asa . . . removed the foreign altars in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.","summary_en":"14:2-5 At the beginning of his reign, Asa . . . removed the foreign altars in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":103066,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:2","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:2-5<\/strong> At the beginning of his reign, <em>Asa . . . removed the foreign altars<\/em> in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:2-5<\/strong> At the beginning of his reign, <em>Asa . . . removed the foreign altars<\/em> in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:2-5 At the beginning of his reign, Asa . . . removed the foreign altars in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.","summary_en":"14:2-5 At the beginning of his reign, Asa . . . removed the foreign altars in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":130692,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:2","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:2-5<\/strong> At the beginning of his reign, <em>Asa . . . removed the foreign altars<\/em> in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:2-5<\/strong> At the beginning of his reign, <em>Asa . . . removed the foreign altars<\/em> in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:2-5 At the beginning of his reign, Asa . . . removed the foreign altars in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.","summary_en":"14:2-5 At the beginning of his reign, Asa . . . removed the foreign altars in Judah (14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (15:17). These were probably in the cities of the northern kingdom that Asa had inherited from Abijah. Idolatry practiced by other peoples occupying the land plagued Judah throughout its history; this pagan activity might have revived toward the end of Asa’s reign more than thirty years later.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"4":[{"id":47815,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:4","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:4<\/strong> The phrase <em>seek the<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:4<\/strong> The phrase <em>seek the<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:4 The phrase seek the Lord is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).","summary_en":"14:4 The phrase seek the Lord is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":75441,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:4","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:4<\/strong> The phrase <em>seek the<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:4<\/strong> The phrase <em>seek the<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:4 The phrase seek the Lord is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).","summary_en":"14:4 The phrase seek the Lord is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":103067,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:4","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:4<\/strong> The phrase <em>seek the<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:4<\/strong> The phrase <em>seek the<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:4 The phrase seek the Lord is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).","summary_en":"14:4 The phrase seek the Lord is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":130693,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:4","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:4<\/strong> The phrase <em>seek the<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:4<\/strong> The phrase <em>seek the<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:4 The phrase seek the Lord is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).","summary_en":"14:4 The phrase seek the Lord is the Chronicler’s formula for restoration; it both highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 15:2, 12-13; 16:12).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"7":[{"id":47816,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:7","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:7-14<\/strong> Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against <em>Zerah<\/em><em>,<\/em> God responded to such a prayer. • <em>Ethiopian<\/em> (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Judah indicate that Zerah was an Egyptian; he is otherwise unknown. He might have been a Nubian general dispatched by Osorkon I, the Libyan pharaoh who ruled Egypt between the tenth and fourteenth years of Asa (900–897 <span>BC<\/span>). Another view is that Shishak established a buffer state around Gerar, supported by Nubian mercenaries that invaded Judah. The account, however, only says that Asa and his armies pursued the armies south to <em>Gerar<\/em> and took a <em>vast amount of plunder<\/em><em>,<\/em> particularly from the herdsmen living in tents around the cities.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:7-14<\/strong> Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against <em>Zerah<\/em><em>,<\/em> God responded to such a prayer. • <em>Ethiopian<\/em> (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Judah indicate that Zerah was an Egyptian; he is otherwise unknown. He might have been a Nubian general dispatched by Osorkon I, the Libyan pharaoh who ruled Egypt between the tenth and fourteenth years of Asa (900–897 <span>BC<\/span>). Another view is that Shishak established a buffer state around Gerar, supported by Nubian mercenaries that invaded Judah. The account, however, only says that Asa and his armies pursued the armies south to <em>Gerar<\/em> and took a <em>vast amount of plunder<\/em><em>,<\/em> particularly from the herdsmen living in tents around the cities.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:7-14 Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against Zerah, God responded to such a prayer. • Ethiopian (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Jud...","summary_en":"14:7-14 Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against Zerah, God responded to such a prayer. • Ethiopian (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Jud...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":75442,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:7","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:7-14<\/strong> Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against <em>Zerah<\/em><em>,<\/em> God responded to such a prayer. • <em>Ethiopian<\/em> (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Judah indicate that Zerah was an Egyptian; he is otherwise unknown. He might have been a Nubian general dispatched by Osorkon I, the Libyan pharaoh who ruled Egypt between the tenth and fourteenth years of Asa (900–897 <span>BC<\/span>). Another view is that Shishak established a buffer state around Gerar, supported by Nubian mercenaries that invaded Judah. The account, however, only says that Asa and his armies pursued the armies south to <em>Gerar<\/em> and took a <em>vast amount of plunder<\/em><em>,<\/em> particularly from the herdsmen living in tents around the cities.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:7-14<\/strong> Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against <em>Zerah<\/em><em>,<\/em> God responded to such a prayer. • <em>Ethiopian<\/em> (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Judah indicate that Zerah was an Egyptian; he is otherwise unknown. He might have been a Nubian general dispatched by Osorkon I, the Libyan pharaoh who ruled Egypt between the tenth and fourteenth years of Asa (900–897 <span>BC<\/span>). Another view is that Shishak established a buffer state around Gerar, supported by Nubian mercenaries that invaded Judah. The account, however, only says that Asa and his armies pursued the armies south to <em>Gerar<\/em> and took a <em>vast amount of plunder<\/em><em>,<\/em> particularly from the herdsmen living in tents around the cities.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:7-14 Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against Zerah, God responded to such a prayer. • Ethiopian (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Jud...","summary_en":"14:7-14 Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against Zerah, God responded to such a prayer. • Ethiopian (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Jud...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":103068,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:7","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:7-14<\/strong> Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against <em>Zerah<\/em><em>,<\/em> God responded to such a prayer. • <em>Ethiopian<\/em> (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Judah indicate that Zerah was an Egyptian; he is otherwise unknown. He might have been a Nubian general dispatched by Osorkon I, the Libyan pharaoh who ruled Egypt between the tenth and fourteenth years of Asa (900–897 <span>BC<\/span>). Another view is that Shishak established a buffer state around Gerar, supported by Nubian mercenaries that invaded Judah. The account, however, only says that Asa and his armies pursued the armies south to <em>Gerar<\/em> and took a <em>vast amount of plunder<\/em><em>,<\/em> particularly from the herdsmen living in tents around the cities.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:7-14<\/strong> Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against <em>Zerah<\/em><em>,<\/em> God responded to such a prayer. • <em>Ethiopian<\/em> (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Judah indicate that Zerah was an Egyptian; he is otherwise unknown. He might have been a Nubian general dispatched by Osorkon I, the Libyan pharaoh who ruled Egypt between the tenth and fourteenth years of Asa (900–897 <span>BC<\/span>). Another view is that Shishak established a buffer state around Gerar, supported by Nubian mercenaries that invaded Judah. The account, however, only says that Asa and his armies pursued the armies south to <em>Gerar<\/em> and took a <em>vast amount of plunder<\/em><em>,<\/em> particularly from the herdsmen living in tents around the cities.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:7-14 Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against Zerah, God responded to such a prayer. • Ethiopian (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Jud...","summary_en":"14:7-14 Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against Zerah, God responded to such a prayer. • Ethiopian (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Jud...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":130694,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 2 Cronici 14:7","title_en":"Study Note: 2 Cronici 14:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>14:7-14<\/strong> Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against <em>Zerah<\/em><em>,<\/em> God responded to such a prayer. • <em>Ethiopian<\/em> (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Judah indicate that Zerah was an Egyptian; he is otherwise unknown. He might have been a Nubian general dispatched by Osorkon I, the Libyan pharaoh who ruled Egypt between the tenth and fourteenth years of Asa (900–897 <span>BC<\/span>). Another view is that Shishak established a buffer state around Gerar, supported by Nubian mercenaries that invaded Judah. The account, however, only says that Asa and his armies pursued the armies south to <em>Gerar<\/em> and took a <em>vast amount of plunder<\/em><em>,<\/em> particularly from the herdsmen living in tents around the cities.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>14:7-14<\/strong> Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against <em>Zerah<\/em><em>,<\/em> God responded to such a prayer. • <em>Ethiopian<\/em> (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Judah indicate that Zerah was an Egyptian; he is otherwise unknown. He might have been a Nubian general dispatched by Osorkon I, the Libyan pharaoh who ruled Egypt between the tenth and fourteenth years of Asa (900–897 <span>BC<\/span>). Another view is that Shishak established a buffer state around Gerar, supported by Nubian mercenaries that invaded Judah. The account, however, only says that Asa and his armies pursued the armies south to <em>Gerar<\/em> and took a <em>vast amount of plunder<\/em><em>,<\/em> particularly from the herdsmen living in tents around the cities.<\/p>","summary_ro":"14:7-14 Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against Zerah, God responded to such a prayer. • Ethiopian (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Jud...","summary_en":"14:7-14 Solomon had prayed that the Lord would hear his people when they were led into battle (6:34). In the battle against Zerah, God responded to such a prayer. • Ethiopian (literally “Cushite”) might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite territory northeast of Aqabah (see Num 12:1; Hab 3:7). However, the mention of Libya in 2 Chr 16:8, the size of the battle (comparable to the attack of Shishak against Rehoboam in 12:3), and the location of Mareshah in the west of Jud...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"8":[{"id":2563,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"and the Bible*, Archaeology","title_en":"and the Bible*, Archaeology","content_ro":"<h3>ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE*<\/h3>\n<p>Simply defined, archaeology is the science that recovers and studies the relics of human antiquity. Biblical archaeology is concerned with the remains scattered across the Near East. Some lie buried at different levels in mounds; others survive as ruins or weathered monuments to past grandeur. Many of the artifacts bear inscriptions of sorts in a variety of ancient languages, some of which still need much study to be understood properly. Other artifacts comprise the material remains of everyday life; broken pottery bowls, charred timbers, trinkets, toys, ornaments, occasional fragments of cloth, rusted weapons, perhaps only the imprint of a woven mat. All must be interpreted carefully in the light of what is known about the period of history from which the objects have been recovered.<\/p>\n<p>Many outstanding archaeological discoveries have been entirely accidental. At Ras Shamra in Syria, a peasant’s plow struck a tomb that led to the discovery of the ancient site of Ugarit. A Bedouin in search of a lost goat discovered the cave at Qumran that contained the Dead Sea Scrolls. In 1887 an Egyptian woman found the Amarna tablets while seeking decomposed bricks for use as fertilizer. In 1945 Egyptians hunting bird manure in caves near Nag Hammadi discovered important Coptic Gnostic manuscripts. Such chance finds, however, are no substitute for systematic surveys.<\/p>\n<p>In modern archaeology potential sites are surveyed carefully, generally photographed from the air, and tested for metals and other underground anomalies by the use of complex electronic equipment. Recovered artifacts are dated according to the level where they occurred in the site and by other methods, including radiocarbon dating. The purpose is to present a chronologically accurate picture of the artifacts and also of the site itself.<\/p>\n<p>The archaeologist and the Near Eastern scholar look at this testimony to ancient life in the realization that they are dealing with factual, objective data. Although there is obviously room for some speculation or difference of opinion, the objects being handled are silent but nevertheless real witnesses to people and events of the past. The relics, therefore, need to be understood in their own right as evidence and must not be manipulated to suit the fancies of some speculative interpretation of history, culture, or religion. Near Eastern archaeology is able to help us understand Scripture by providing objective background data. If, for example, an artifact containing pictographic or other forms of writing can be dated to around 3000 <span>BC<\/span>, that alone tells us that written communications in the locality date back to at least that period. The antiquity of writing is now known to be such that all the early authors of OT material could easily have composed and written down all the narratives credited to them. Thus it is no longer necessary to suppose that Moses could not have written the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) on the ground that writing had not been invented in his day. In fact, archaeological discoveries have shown that Moses could, and probably did, write in Egyptian hieroglyphics, Babylonian cuneiform, and several Canaanite dialects (of which biblical Hebrew is one). Any theory of Pentateuchal composition that ignores such factual information is obviously wrong in a fundamentally important area.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Archaeology and Daily Life<\/p>\n<p>• Archaeology and Religion<\/p>\n<p>• Archaeology and Warfare<\/p>\n<p>• Archaeology and Literature<\/p>\n<p>• Archaeology and Language<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ArchaeologyandDailyLife\">Archaeology and Daily Life<\/p>\n<p>The kind of housing in which the ancients lived has been revealed from excavations at many Near Eastern sites. Neolithic (late Stone Age) dwellings were often simple “wattle-huts” of interwoven sticks, though some showed evidence of artistic interior decoration. The elegant middle-class home at Ur in the time of Abram was attractive even by modern standards. The magnificence of ancient palaces at such sites as Knossos, Persepolis, Mari, and Qantir is abundantly evident even from the ruins. Weaving is now known to be one of the oldest human crafts; the two types of knots used today in making oriental rugs originated in Mesopotamia in the remote past. Of similar antiquity was the manufacture of pottery, glazed and unglazed, some plain and some decorated.<\/p>\n<p>Obscure social customs in Scripture have been illustrated by archaeological discoveries. Abram’s procreation of a child by Hagar, his wife’s servant, was in conformity with local customs at Nuzi and was not regarded as immoral. The adoption of Eliezer by Abram (Gn 15:2-4) is clarified by texts from Nuzi that permitted childless couples to adopt sons who, in return for certain duties to the parents, would inherit the family estate. Such children had the inheritance rights of the firstborn, but their rights could be modified if the adopting parents subsequently had their own children. Texts from Nuzi, Ugarit, and Alalakh show that heads of families could disregard the natural order and choose any one of the sons to inherit firstborn rights (cf. Gn 48:13-22; 49:3-4). Nuzi tablets indicate that such rights could be traded between various members of the family, which accounts for the transaction between Esau and Jacob (Gn 25:31-34).<\/p>\n<p>Work of all kinds in the biblical period has been illustrated from many sources. The Beni Hasan tableau (1900 <span>BC<\/span>) shows traveling Semites bringing goods to Egypt. On one of the animals is a set of portable bellows, suggesting that the travelers may have been metalworkers. Other trades and occupations illustrated from monuments and paintings include hunting, fishing, brick making, various types of agricultural work, pottery making, and other domestic crafts. Such sources also provide valuable information about the way the ancients dressed. Men pictured on the Beni Hasan tableau were bearded and wore short skirts and sandals. Women had long, multicolored dresses fastened at the shoulder with a clasp. They wore shoes and kept their flowing hair in place by means of bands. Another Egyptian painting, dated 500 years later and showing Semites bringing gifts to the pharaoh, indicates that clothing styles had barely changed at all. These illustrations come from lands other than Palestine; the Israelites were forbidden to make representations of human beings or God.<\/p>\n<p>The most common traces of everyday life are potsherds, broken pottery pieces that were discarded in great quantities in settled areas and that can still be found today. Such fragments were often used as materials on which short messages were written, as illustrated by an important group of letters dating from the time of the prophet Jeremiah. The “Lachish letters” were actually military dispatches written in 587 <span>BC<\/span> from an outpost north of Lachish to one of the officers defending Lachish itself. Centuries later in NT times potsherds were still popular as writing materials because they were more durable than Egyptian papyrus and more convenient than waxed writing boards. Rectangular wooden palettes with a slot for the rush pens and rounded hollows for the little tablets of red and black ink have been found in Egypt. Remains of some of the ink actually used in writing the Dead Sea Scrolls have been recovered from the settlement at Qumran.<\/p>\n<p>In antiquity, various games were played by children and adults alike. From a tomb at Beni Hasan (c. 2000 <span>BC<\/span>) came a painting of pigtailed Egyptian girls keeping several balls up in the air at once. A relief in a temple at Thebes showed Ramses III playing draughts (checkers) with a concubine. Egyptian children of a later period played a game using pebbles that was perhaps the ancestor of backgammon. From Megiddo came an ivory gaming board with holes, presumably for pegs (c. 1200 <span>BC<\/span>). Children’s toys recovered from Near Eastern sites include whistles, leather-covered balls, model chariots, and animals on wheels, showing that tastes have changed very little over the ages. Adult sports such as wrestling, archery, and running were depicted in Egyptian tomb paintings.<\/p>\n<p>The embalming of Jacob and Joseph (Gn 50:2-3, 26) represented a social custom of long standing in Egypt and is thoroughly consistent with the background of the narrative. Jacob was buried in the cave of Machpelah with Sarah, Abraham, and others; although the site is well known, it cannot be excavated because it is venerated by the Arabs as the sacred resting place of their ancestor Abraham.<\/p>\n<p>An inscription associated with an ancient Hebrew burial site was found in the Russian Museum on the Mt of Olives in 1931. At some point it had been removed from the grave site. It reads, “Hither were brought the bones of Uzziah king of Judah—do not open.” The inscription came from Christ’s time, suggesting that the original tomb of the great ruler had been found during excavations in Jerusalem and that the remains had been transferred to another site. Archaeologists have shown that the kind of stone door covering the entrance to Christ’s tomb was in fashion chiefly from about 100 <span>BC<\/span> to about <span>AD<\/span> 100, which is consistent with the Gospel records.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ArchaeologyandReligion\">Archaeology and Religion<\/p>\n<p>Archaeological excavations have done much to indicate the nature of biblical religion and worship. Long before Abram left Ur at the command of the one true God, pagan Mesopotamian peoples worshiped individual gods and recognized them as celestial deities or “sky gods.” There is thus nothing inherently impossible or improbable about the relationship of the Hebrew patriarchs to the God whom they served and venerated. The worship of heathen deities in portable shrines has been illustrated from a relief of Ramses II, which showed the divine tent in the middle of the Egyptian encampment. In addition, seventhcentury BC Phoenician writings referred to a portable shrine pulled by oxen. The Israelite wilderness tabernacle thus fits properly into that kind of background and is not of comparatively late origin, as was once supposed.<\/p>\n<p>The tradition of singers participating in preexilic worship has been verified by archaeological discoveries indicating that for centuries the Palestinians had been noted for their musical abilities. Tablets from Ras Shamra (Ugarit) are full of religious poetry, some of which contains phrases similar to expressions in the Hebrew psalms. Solomon’s temple was built by Phoenician (Canaanite) workmen according to a ground plan (cf. 1 Kgs 6) similar to that of the eighth-century <span>BC<\/span> chapel found at Tel Tainat in Syria. The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is thought to contain stones going back to Nehemiah’s time, but no traces of Solomon’s foundations have yet been uncovered in the city. Pieces of masonry from Herod’s temple, demolished in <span>AD<\/span> 70, have come to light and furnish interesting factual information about the appearance of contemporary pillars and supporting structures. Though there were supposedly many synagogues in Palestine in Christ’s time, few remains of any significance have survived.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ArchaeologyandWarfare\">Archaeology and Warfare<\/p>\n<p>Understanding of ancient warfare, a prominent biblical theme, has been assisted greatly by the work of archaeologists. Ancient Near Eastern peoples regarded war as conflict between the gods of the opposing nations. Military service was therefore regarded as a sacred calling, and soldiers were members of an honored profession. In his capacity as Lord of hosts, God was the commander in chief of the Hebrew army; he could order a city to be given up to the “ban,” that is, to complete destruction (cf. Jos 6:17, 24). War was waged according to well-understood rules. An enemy threatening the safety of a city would normally send its inhabitants a demand for surrender. If it was accepted, all lives were spared, though property would be plundered. If the demand was rejected, the besieged city dwellers knew that if their defenses were breached, they might all be killed. Frontal assaults, spies, ambushes, and armed patrols were all used in warfare. Sometimes battles were decided by the outcome of combat between champions (1 Sm 17:38-54).<\/p>\n<p>Ancient armor was pictured widely on reliefs and monuments, supplementing the artifacts that have been recovered. A magnificent golden helmet from Ur is an outstanding example of Sumerian military equipment, contrasting with the much smaller Hittite helmets depicted on a tomb wall at Karnak. Metal helmets (cf. 1 Sm 17:38) were worn initially only by leaders in the Israelite armies, but by Seleucid times all Hebrew soldiers were issued bronze helmets (1 Macc 6:35). Roman legionnaires commonly wore either leather or bronze helmets. The Hebrews used two kinds of shields: a large one protected the whole body and was designed for use by infantry; the other, smaller one was carried by archers (cf. 2 Chr 14:8). Such shields were generally of wood-and-leather construction, though occasionally made of bronze. Coats of scale armor (cf. Jer 46:4) were used in the Near East from at least the 15th century <span>BC<\/span>, as indicated by the recovery of such scales from Alalakh and Ugarit. Swords and spears, a normal part of Hebrew weaponry, came in a variety of shapes and sizes, as illustrated on monuments and bas-reliefs. Furnaces used for manufacturing swords were found at Gerar; Bronze Age daggers have been recovered from Lachish and Megiddo. The compound Asiatic bow, made of wood, horn, and tendons attached to iron limbs, was the successor of the Semitic weapon depicted on the Beni Hasan tableau. Discovery of names inscribed on arrowheads dating between 1300 and 900 <span>BC<\/span> seems to indicate the existence of companies of archers (cf. Is 21:17). Very little is said in the NT about contemporary military equipment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ArchaeologyandLiterature\">Archaeology and Literature<\/p>\n<p>Many types of biblical literature have been paralleled in counterparts discovered in the Near East. Excavators at Ras Shamra found poetic and prose tablets that contain grammatical and literary forms occurring in the Hebrew psalms. It is now incorrect to suppose that detailed law codes such as those in the Pentateuch were not compiled until after the time of Moses, because fragmentary Sumerian codes dating from about the 19th century <span>BC<\/span> exhibit the same legislative tendencies. The code of the Babylonian ruler Hammurabi (18th century <span>BC<\/span>), based on earlier Sumerian legislation, expanded the principles of justice into nearly 300 sections. Hammurabi’s code was an attempt to stabilize contemporary society on the basis of law and order. Its style is interesting; it commenced with a poetic prologue, followed by the prose legal section, and concluded with a prose epilogue. This three-part literary pattern also appears in the book of Job (prose-poetry-prose), as well as in more modern writings.<\/p>\n<p>The covenant structure of Exodus 20:1-17 and its fuller form in Deuteronomy have been examined in light of the literary structure of second-millennium <span>BC<\/span> Hittite vassal treaties from Boghazkôy. The treaties were drawn up according to a standard pattern, the elements of which occur wholly or in part in the various OT covenantal passages (Ex 20:1-17; Lv 18:1-30; Dt 1:1–31:30; Jer 31:31-37).<\/p>\n<p>What appear to be 11 Mesopotamian tablet forms in Genesis can be isolated by the recurrence of the phrase “these are the generations of” in the <span>kjv<\/span> and some modern versions. The phrase and its accompanying material correspond to the colophon (notation about a publication, often found on the very last page of modern books) of undamaged Mesopotamian tablets. Genealogical material such as occurs in Genesis was also found on clay tablets from Nuzi. The terse style of the earlier Genesis historical accounts is reminiscent of Sumerian history writing.<\/p>\n<p>Hebrew wisdom literature such as Proverbs has been paralleled from Egypt by the “Instruction of Amenemope,” where Proverbs 22:17–24:22 in particular is close in content to the Egyptian material. Scholars have yet to decide if one depended on the other, or if both went back to an even earlier source that has not survived.<\/p>\n<p>The epistolary (letter) form was a common feature of the ancient world (2 Sm 11; 1 Kgs 21; 2 Kgs 5:10, 20; Ezr 4:6-7; Neh 2:7). Many collections of Egyptian papyri, such as the Zenon documents, consisted of letters. Among the Greeks the letter form dated back to Plato. His <em>Seventh Letter<\/em> (c. 354 <span>BC<\/span>) is interesting because it attempted to rebut contemporary misunderstandings of his teaching and personal behavior. Certain of the apostle Paul’s letters (Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Thessalonians) also stand in that general tradition. Paul’s Letter to Philemon corresponds closely to papyrus letters from Egypt of a purely personal nature.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ArchaeologyandLanguage\">Archaeology and Language<\/p>\n<p>Recovery of many ancient Near Eastern languages has done much to clarify our understanding of the OT. Expressions now known to be Sumerian and Akkadian occur not only in Genesis but elsewhere in the Scriptures. Thus in Genesis 1:1 the phrase “the heavens and the earth” is a Sumerian expression <em>(an-ki)<\/em> meaning “universe”; the pair of antonyms (words opposite in meaning) expresses totality. Revelation 22:13 uses this literary device to express the same concept in three different ways.<\/p>\n<p>Ugaritic and Eblaic, both west Semitic dialects, are closely related to Hebrew and contain striking literary similarities. Reference to archaic Ugaritic expressions has made it possible to translate properly some obscure Hebrew poetic language that is now seen to have preserved genuine ancient Canaanite phraseology.<\/p>\n<p>Aramaic, another northwest Semitic language, was spoken in the third millennium <span>BC<\/span>, and is represented in the OT principally by chapters in Ezra and Daniel. These were written in imperial Aramaic, as are the Elephantine papyri of the fifth and fourth centuries <span>BC<\/span>. It is now known, on the basis of the Aramaic used, to be linguistically incorrect to assign a late date to either Ezra or Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>The NT was written in <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">koine<\/span><em>,<\/em> or “common” Greek, the language of the Near East and the Roman Empire. NT common Greek differs from other Greek dialects in containing underlying Semitic expressions, which are frequently unrecognized and therefore mistranslated by the unwary.<\/p>\n<p>From the foregoing it is evident that archaeological discoveries have done much to enlarge our knowledge of the ancient world. Even with the limited data at our disposal it is possible to see the men and women of Scripture as real persons, living mostly in times of stress and uncertainty but often enjoying a high degree of culture unmatched until modern times. We see such persons as they should be seen—not as mythical or legendary figures, but as true children of their age, grappling with life’s problems and catching periodically a vision of God as all powerful and all holy, guiding the destinies of individuals and nations and bringing his purposes to pass in history. Archaeology has shown that the Hebrews must never be studied separately from other ancient Near Eastern peoples but instead must be seen as one element of a vast cultural complex that included such diverse peoples as the Sumerians and the Aegeans.<\/p>\n<p>Such study must be pursued in a consistently objective fashion, arguing from relevant evidence to a proper understanding of biblical events and life. It is sometimes difficult to reconcile certain accepted interpretations of archaeological data and the evidence of Scripture. Such conflicts are few in number, however, and tend to diminish noticeably as new information is forthcoming. In principle the archaeologist has no particular interest in “proving the truth” of the Scriptures, and it is obviously impossible for a spade or a trowel to prove or disprove the spiritual revelations and assertions of Scripture. But it is fair to say that archaeology validates Hebrew history and explains many formerly obscure terms and traditions in both the OT and NT. It thus provides an authentic background for the prophecies culminating in Jesus Christ.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE*<\/h3>\n<p>Simply defined, archaeology is the science that recovers and studies the relics of human antiquity. Biblical archaeology is concerned with the remains scattered across the Near East. Some lie buried at different levels in mounds; others survive as ruins or weathered monuments to past grandeur. Many of the artifacts bear inscriptions of sorts in a variety of ancient languages, some of which still need much study to be understood properly. Other artifacts comprise the material remains of everyday life; broken pottery bowls, charred timbers, trinkets, toys, ornaments, occasional fragments of cloth, rusted weapons, perhaps only the imprint of a woven mat. All must be interpreted carefully in the light of what is known about the period of history from which the objects have been recovered.<\/p>\n<p>Many outstanding archaeological discoveries have been entirely accidental. At Ras Shamra in Syria, a peasant’s plow struck a tomb that led to the discovery of the ancient site of Ugarit. A Bedouin in search of a lost goat discovered the cave at Qumran that contained the Dead Sea Scrolls. In 1887 an Egyptian woman found the Amarna tablets while seeking decomposed bricks for use as fertilizer. In 1945 Egyptians hunting bird manure in caves near Nag Hammadi discovered important Coptic Gnostic manuscripts. Such chance finds, however, are no substitute for systematic surveys.<\/p>\n<p>In modern archaeology potential sites are surveyed carefully, generally photographed from the air, and tested for metals and other underground anomalies by the use of complex electronic equipment. Recovered artifacts are dated according to the level where they occurred in the site and by other methods, including radiocarbon dating. The purpose is to present a chronologically accurate picture of the artifacts and also of the site itself.<\/p>\n<p>The archaeologist and the Near Eastern scholar look at this testimony to ancient life in the realization that they are dealing with factual, objective data. Although there is obviously room for some speculation or difference of opinion, the objects being handled are silent but nevertheless real witnesses to people and events of the past. The relics, therefore, need to be understood in their own right as evidence and must not be manipulated to suit the fancies of some speculative interpretation of history, culture, or religion. Near Eastern archaeology is able to help us understand Scripture by providing objective background data. If, for example, an artifact containing pictographic or other forms of writing can be dated to around 3000 <span>BC<\/span>, that alone tells us that written communications in the locality date back to at least that period. The antiquity of writing is now known to be such that all the early authors of OT material could easily have composed and written down all the narratives credited to them. Thus it is no longer necessary to suppose that Moses could not have written the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) on the ground that writing had not been invented in his day. In fact, archaeological discoveries have shown that Moses could, and probably did, write in Egyptian hieroglyphics, Babylonian cuneiform, and several Canaanite dialects (of which biblical Hebrew is one). Any theory of Pentateuchal composition that ignores such factual information is obviously wrong in a fundamentally important area.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Archaeology and Daily Life<\/p>\n<p>• Archaeology and Religion<\/p>\n<p>• Archaeology and Warfare<\/p>\n<p>• Archaeology and Literature<\/p>\n<p>• Archaeology and Language<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ArchaeologyandDailyLife\">Archaeology and Daily Life<\/p>\n<p>The kind of housing in which the ancients lived has been revealed from excavations at many Near Eastern sites. Neolithic (late Stone Age) dwellings were often simple “wattle-huts” of interwoven sticks, though some showed evidence of artistic interior decoration. The elegant middle-class home at Ur in the time of Abram was attractive even by modern standards. The magnificence of ancient palaces at such sites as Knossos, Persepolis, Mari, and Qantir is abundantly evident even from the ruins. Weaving is now known to be one of the oldest human crafts; the two types of knots used today in making oriental rugs originated in Mesopotamia in the remote past. Of similar antiquity was the manufacture of pottery, glazed and unglazed, some plain and some decorated.<\/p>\n<p>Obscure social customs in Scripture have been illustrated by archaeological discoveries. Abram’s procreation of a child by Hagar, his wife’s servant, was in conformity with local customs at Nuzi and was not regarded as immoral. The adoption of Eliezer by Abram (Gn 15:2-4) is clarified by texts from Nuzi that permitted childless couples to adopt sons who, in return for certain duties to the parents, would inherit the family estate. Such children had the inheritance rights of the firstborn, but their rights could be modified if the adopting parents subsequently had their own children. Texts from Nuzi, Ugarit, and Alalakh show that heads of families could disregard the natural order and choose any one of the sons to inherit firstborn rights (cf. Gn 48:13-22; 49:3-4). Nuzi tablets indicate that such rights could be traded between various members of the family, which accounts for the transaction between Esau and Jacob (Gn 25:31-34).<\/p>\n<p>Work of all kinds in the biblical period has been illustrated from many sources. The Beni Hasan tableau (1900 <span>BC<\/span>) shows traveling Semites bringing goods to Egypt. On one of the animals is a set of portable bellows, suggesting that the travelers may have been metalworkers. Other trades and occupations illustrated from monuments and paintings include hunting, fishing, brick making, various types of agricultural work, pottery making, and other domestic crafts. Such sources also provide valuable information about the way the ancients dressed. Men pictured on the Beni Hasan tableau were bearded and wore short skirts and sandals. Women had long, multicolored dresses fastened at the shoulder with a clasp. They wore shoes and kept their flowing hair in place by means of bands. Another Egyptian painting, dated 500 years later and showing Semites bringing gifts to the pharaoh, indicates that clothing styles had barely changed at all. These illustrations come from lands other than Palestine; the Israelites were forbidden to make representations of human beings or God.<\/p>\n<p>The most common traces of everyday life are potsherds, broken pottery pieces that were discarded in great quantities in settled areas and that can still be found today. Such fragments were often used as materials on which short messages were written, as illustrated by an important group of letters dating from the time of the prophet Jeremiah. The “Lachish letters” were actually military dispatches written in 587 <span>BC<\/span> from an outpost north of Lachish to one of the officers defending Lachish itself. Centuries later in NT times potsherds were still popular as writing materials because they were more durable than Egyptian papyrus and more convenient than waxed writing boards. Rectangular wooden palettes with a slot for the rush pens and rounded hollows for the little tablets of red and black ink have been found in Egypt. Remains of some of the ink actually used in writing the Dead Sea Scrolls have been recovered from the settlement at Qumran.<\/p>\n<p>In antiquity, various games were played by children and adults alike. From a tomb at Beni Hasan (c. 2000 <span>BC<\/span>) came a painting of pigtailed Egyptian girls keeping several balls up in the air at once. A relief in a temple at Thebes showed Ramses III playing draughts (checkers) with a concubine. Egyptian children of a later period played a game using pebbles that was perhaps the ancestor of backgammon. From Megiddo came an ivory gaming board with holes, presumably for pegs (c. 1200 <span>BC<\/span>). Children’s toys recovered from Near Eastern sites include whistles, leather-covered balls, model chariots, and animals on wheels, showing that tastes have changed very little over the ages. Adult sports such as wrestling, archery, and running were depicted in Egyptian tomb paintings.<\/p>\n<p>The embalming of Jacob and Joseph (Gn 50:2-3, 26) represented a social custom of long standing in Egypt and is thoroughly consistent with the background of the narrative. Jacob was buried in the cave of Machpelah with Sarah, Abraham, and others; although the site is well known, it cannot be excavated because it is venerated by the Arabs as the sacred resting place of their ancestor Abraham.<\/p>\n<p>An inscription associated with an ancient Hebrew burial site was found in the Russian Museum on the Mt of Olives in 1931. At some point it had been removed from the grave site. It reads, “Hither were brought the bones of Uzziah king of Judah—do not open.” The inscription came from Christ’s time, suggesting that the original tomb of the great ruler had been found during excavations in Jerusalem and that the remains had been transferred to another site. Archaeologists have shown that the kind of stone door covering the entrance to Christ’s tomb was in fashion chiefly from about 100 <span>BC<\/span> to about <span>AD<\/span> 100, which is consistent with the Gospel records.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ArchaeologyandReligion\">Archaeology and Religion<\/p>\n<p>Archaeological excavations have done much to indicate the nature of biblical religion and worship. Long before Abram left Ur at the command of the one true God, pagan Mesopotamian peoples worshiped individual gods and recognized them as celestial deities or “sky gods.” There is thus nothing inherently impossible or improbable about the relationship of the Hebrew patriarchs to the God whom they served and venerated. The worship of heathen deities in portable shrines has been illustrated from a relief of Ramses II, which showed the divine tent in the middle of the Egyptian encampment. In addition, seventhcentury BC Phoenician writings referred to a portable shrine pulled by oxen. The Israelite wilderness tabernacle thus fits properly into that kind of background and is not of comparatively late origin, as was once supposed.<\/p>\n<p>The tradition of singers participating in preexilic worship has been verified by archaeological discoveries indicating that for centuries the Palestinians had been noted for their musical abilities. Tablets from Ras Shamra (Ugarit) are full of religious poetry, some of which contains phrases similar to expressions in the Hebrew psalms. Solomon’s temple was built by Phoenician (Canaanite) workmen according to a ground plan (cf. 1 Kgs 6) similar to that of the eighth-century <span>BC<\/span> chapel found at Tel Tainat in Syria. The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is thought to contain stones going back to Nehemiah’s time, but no traces of Solomon’s foundations have yet been uncovered in the city. Pieces of masonry from Herod’s temple, demolished in <span>AD<\/span> 70, have come to light and furnish interesting factual information about the appearance of contemporary pillars and supporting structures. Though there were supposedly many synagogues in Palestine in Christ’s time, few remains of any significance have survived.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ArchaeologyandWarfare\">Archaeology and Warfare<\/p>\n<p>Understanding of ancient warfare, a prominent biblical theme, has been assisted greatly by the work of archaeologists. Ancient Near Eastern peoples regarded war as conflict between the gods of the opposing nations. Military service was therefore regarded as a sacred calling, and soldiers were members of an honored profession. In his capacity as Lord of hosts, God was the commander in chief of the Hebrew army; he could order a city to be given up to the “ban,” that is, to complete destruction (cf. Jos 6:17, 24). War was waged according to well-understood rules. An enemy threatening the safety of a city would normally send its inhabitants a demand for surrender. If it was accepted, all lives were spared, though property would be plundered. If the demand was rejected, the besieged city dwellers knew that if their defenses were breached, they might all be killed. Frontal assaults, spies, ambushes, and armed patrols were all used in warfare. Sometimes battles were decided by the outcome of combat between champions (1 Sm 17:38-54).<\/p>\n<p>Ancient armor was pictured widely on reliefs and monuments, supplementing the artifacts that have been recovered. A magnificent golden helmet from Ur is an outstanding example of Sumerian military equipment, contrasting with the much smaller Hittite helmets depicted on a tomb wall at Karnak. Metal helmets (cf. 1 Sm 17:38) were worn initially only by leaders in the Israelite armies, but by Seleucid times all Hebrew soldiers were issued bronze helmets (1 Macc 6:35). Roman legionnaires commonly wore either leather or bronze helmets. The Hebrews used two kinds of shields: a large one protected the whole body and was designed for use by infantry; the other, smaller one was carried by archers (cf. 2 Chr 14:8). Such shields were generally of wood-and-leather construction, though occasionally made of bronze. Coats of scale armor (cf. Jer 46:4) were used in the Near East from at least the 15th century <span>BC<\/span>, as indicated by the recovery of such scales from Alalakh and Ugarit. Swords and spears, a normal part of Hebrew weaponry, came in a variety of shapes and sizes, as illustrated on monuments and bas-reliefs. Furnaces used for manufacturing swords were found at Gerar; Bronze Age daggers have been recovered from Lachish and Megiddo. The compound Asiatic bow, made of wood, horn, and tendons attached to iron limbs, was the successor of the Semitic weapon depicted on the Beni Hasan tableau. Discovery of names inscribed on arrowheads dating between 1300 and 900 <span>BC<\/span> seems to indicate the existence of companies of archers (cf. Is 21:17). Very little is said in the NT about contemporary military equipment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ArchaeologyandLiterature\">Archaeology and Literature<\/p>\n<p>Many types of biblical literature have been paralleled in counterparts discovered in the Near East. Excavators at Ras Shamra found poetic and prose tablets that contain grammatical and literary forms occurring in the Hebrew psalms. It is now incorrect to suppose that detailed law codes such as those in the Pentateuch were not compiled until after the time of Moses, because fragmentary Sumerian codes dating from about the 19th century <span>BC<\/span> exhibit the same legislative tendencies. The code of the Babylonian ruler Hammurabi (18th century <span>BC<\/span>), based on earlier Sumerian legislation, expanded the principles of justice into nearly 300 sections. Hammurabi’s code was an attempt to stabilize contemporary society on the basis of law and order. Its style is interesting; it commenced with a poetic prologue, followed by the prose legal section, and concluded with a prose epilogue. This three-part literary pattern also appears in the book of Job (prose-poetry-prose), as well as in more modern writings.<\/p>\n<p>The covenant structure of Exodus 20:1-17 and its fuller form in Deuteronomy have been examined in light of the literary structure of second-millennium <span>BC<\/span> Hittite vassal treaties from Boghazkôy. The treaties were drawn up according to a standard pattern, the elements of which occur wholly or in part in the various OT covenantal passages (Ex 20:1-17; Lv 18:1-30; Dt 1:1–31:30; Jer 31:31-37).<\/p>\n<p>What appear to be 11 Mesopotamian tablet forms in Genesis can be isolated by the recurrence of the phrase “these are the generations of” in the <span>kjv<\/span> and some modern versions. The phrase and its accompanying material correspond to the colophon (notation about a publication, often found on the very last page of modern books) of undamaged Mesopotamian tablets. Genealogical material such as occurs in Genesis was also found on clay tablets from Nuzi. The terse style of the earlier Genesis historical accounts is reminiscent of Sumerian history writing.<\/p>\n<p>Hebrew wisdom literature such as Proverbs has been paralleled from Egypt by the “Instruction of Amenemope,” where Proverbs 22:17–24:22 in particular is close in content to the Egyptian material. Scholars have yet to decide if one depended on the other, or if both went back to an even earlier source that has not survived.<\/p>\n<p>The epistolary (letter) form was a common feature of the ancient world (2 Sm 11; 1 Kgs 21; 2 Kgs 5:10, 20; Ezr 4:6-7; Neh 2:7). Many collections of Egyptian papyri, such as the Zenon documents, consisted of letters. Among the Greeks the letter form dated back to Plato. His <em>Seventh Letter<\/em> (c. 354 <span>BC<\/span>) is interesting because it attempted to rebut contemporary misunderstandings of his teaching and personal behavior. Certain of the apostle Paul’s letters (Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Thessalonians) also stand in that general tradition. Paul’s Letter to Philemon corresponds closely to papyrus letters from Egypt of a purely personal nature.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ArchaeologyandLanguage\">Archaeology and Language<\/p>\n<p>Recovery of many ancient Near Eastern languages has done much to clarify our understanding of the OT. Expressions now known to be Sumerian and Akkadian occur not only in Genesis but elsewhere in the Scriptures. Thus in Genesis 1:1 the phrase “the heavens and the earth” is a Sumerian expression <em>(an-ki)<\/em> meaning “universe”; the pair of antonyms (words opposite in meaning) expresses totality. Revelation 22:13 uses this literary device to express the same concept in three different ways.<\/p>\n<p>Ugaritic and Eblaic, both west Semitic dialects, are closely related to Hebrew and contain striking literary similarities. Reference to archaic Ugaritic expressions has made it possible to translate properly some obscure Hebrew poetic language that is now seen to have preserved genuine ancient Canaanite phraseology.<\/p>\n<p>Aramaic, another northwest Semitic language, was spoken in the third millennium <span>BC<\/span>, and is represented in the OT principally by chapters in Ezra and Daniel. These were written in imperial Aramaic, as are the Elephantine papyri of the fifth and fourth centuries <span>BC<\/span>. It is now known, on the basis of the Aramaic used, to be linguistically incorrect to assign a late date to either Ezra or Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>The NT was written in <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">koine<\/span><em>,<\/em> or “common” Greek, the language of the Near East and the Roman Empire. NT common Greek differs from other Greek dialects in containing underlying Semitic expressions, which are frequently unrecognized and therefore mistranslated by the unwary.<\/p>\n<p>From the foregoing it is evident that archaeological discoveries have done much to enlarge our knowledge of the ancient world. Even with the limited data at our disposal it is possible to see the men and women of Scripture as real persons, living mostly in times of stress and uncertainty but often enjoying a high degree of culture unmatched until modern times. We see such persons as they should be seen—not as mythical or legendary figures, but as true children of their age, grappling with life’s problems and catching periodically a vision of God as all powerful and all holy, guiding the destinies of individuals and nations and bringing his purposes to pass in history. Archaeology has shown that the Hebrews must never be studied separately from other ancient Near Eastern peoples but instead must be seen as one element of a vast cultural complex that included such diverse peoples as the Sumerians and the Aegeans.<\/p>\n<p>Such study must be pursued in a consistently objective fashion, arguing from relevant evidence to a proper understanding of biblical events and life. It is sometimes difficult to reconcile certain accepted interpretations of archaeological data and the evidence of Scripture. Such conflicts are few in number, however, and tend to diminish noticeably as new information is forthcoming. In principle the archaeologist has no particular interest in “proving the truth” of the Scriptures, and it is obviously impossible for a spade or a trowel to prove or disprove the spiritual revelations and assertions of Scripture. But it is fair to say that archaeology validates Hebrew history and explains many formerly obscure terms and traditions in both the OT and NT. It thus provides an authentic background for the prophecies culminating in Jesus Christ.<\/p>","summary_ro":"ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE* Simply defined, archaeology is the science that recovers and studies the relics of human antiquity. Biblical archaeology is concerned with the remains scattered across the Near East. Some lie buried at different levels in mounds; others survive as ruins or weathered monuments to past grandeur. Many of the artifacts bear inscriptions of sorts in a variety of ancient languages, some of which still need much study to be understood properly. Other artifacts comprise the...","summary_en":"ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE* Simply defined, archaeology is the science that recovers and studies the relics of human antiquity. Biblical archaeology is concerned with the remains scattered across the Near East. Some lie buried at different levels in mounds; others survive as ruins or weathered monuments to past grandeur. Many of the artifacts bear inscriptions of sorts in a variety of ancient languages, some of which still need much study to be understood properly. Other artifacts comprise the...","source":"Articles\/A.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"9":[{"id":41707,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Asa","title_en":"Asa","content_ro":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","summary_ro":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","summary_en":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":69333,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Asa","title_en":"Asa","content_ro":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","summary_ro":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","summary_en":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":96959,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Asa","title_en":"Asa","content_ro":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","summary_ro":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","summary_en":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":124585,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Asa","title_en":"Asa","content_ro":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Asa<\/h3>\n<p>Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 <span>BC<\/span>) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16).<\/p>\n<p>In these early days, God blessed Asa’s reign with military victory and peace. Asa forced out or defeated all who attempted to conquer, divide, or destroy Judah (2 Chr 14:1-8). Asa’s most astounding conquest was over an Ethiopian leader named Zerah, who attacked Judah with more than a million troops. Because of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness, God gave him a tremendous victory (14:9-15).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Asa’s attitude changed toward the end of his life, and he abandoned his trust in God. Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom, attacked Judah with the support of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, and fortified the city of Ramah. Asa paid the king of Aram to change sides and support him rather than Baasha. This meant that Asa had more confidence in a foreign king than in the Lord. Worse, Asa paid Ben-hadad with gold and silver that he had earlier given to the Temple! Asa’s power play worked, and the northern kingdom of Israel had to leave Judah to stave off Ben-hadad’s threat from the north. But the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for his disbelief in God. Infuriated, Asa had Hanani thrown into prison (16:7-10).<\/p>\n<p>For the final years of his reign, Asa became ill with a serious foot disease. “Even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the <span>Lord<\/span>’s help but turned only to his physicians” (16:12). Even so, when Asa died he was buried with honor in the royal tombs (16:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Kgs 15:8-24; 2 Chr 14:1–16:14<\/p>","summary_ro":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","summary_en":"Asa Asa became the third king of Judah after the split of Solomon’s empire into independent kingdoms. Asa succeeded his father, Abijah, after Abijah’s brief kingship (913–910 BC) and reigned for 41 years (910–869 BC). In the beginning of his reign, Asa was a good king. He opposed the worship of false gods in the land, destroyed the Asherah pole that his grandmother Maacah had set up, and removed her remaining political influence (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). In these early days, God blessed Asa...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":24314,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Mareshah (Place)","title_en":"Mareshah (Place)","content_ro":"<h3>MARESHAH (P<span>lace<\/span>)<\/h3>\n<p>City (Greek <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">Marisa<\/span><em>;<\/em> Josephus, “Marissa”) on the road from the coastal plain of Judah toward Hebron and Jerusalem. Remains of Jewish pottery indicate occupation from at least 800 <span>BC<\/span>. The site is now called Tel Mareshah.<\/p>\n\n<p>At Israel’s occupation of Canaan, Mareshah was allotted by Joshua to Judah (Jos 15:44). Later, at the division of the kingdom, Rehoboam fortified it as a protective outpost covering Jerusalem from the southwest, from which many invaders were to approach (2 Chr 11:8). Zerah the Ethiopian, with a million men and three hundred chariots, penetrated as far as Mareshah and was defeated there by Asa (14:9). In the following reign, that of Jehoshaphat, the prophet Eliezer, born at Mareshah, foretold the destruction of the proud fleet the king had built (20:37).<\/p>\n<p>The prophet Micah, who was born at Moresheth-gath (a few miles to the north), uttered a moving elegy upon the fate of the regions he knew from boyhood, as the Assyrians approached (whether under Sennacherib, 701 <span>BC<\/span>, or Sargon, 711 <span>BC<\/span>). Punning upon each familiar place-name, he warned Mareshah of a coming “possessor” (Mi 1:15).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MARESHAH (P<span>lace<\/span>)<\/h3>\n<p>City (Greek <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">Marisa<\/span><em>;<\/em> Josephus, “Marissa”) on the road from the coastal plain of Judah toward Hebron and Jerusalem. Remains of Jewish pottery indicate occupation from at least 800 <span>BC<\/span>. The site is now called Tel Mareshah.<\/p>\n\n<p>At Israel’s occupation of Canaan, Mareshah was allotted by Joshua to Judah (Jos 15:44). Later, at the division of the kingdom, Rehoboam fortified it as a protective outpost covering Jerusalem from the southwest, from which many invaders were to approach (2 Chr 11:8). Zerah the Ethiopian, with a million men and three hundred chariots, penetrated as far as Mareshah and was defeated there by Asa (14:9). In the following reign, that of Jehoshaphat, the prophet Eliezer, born at Mareshah, foretold the destruction of the proud fleet the king had built (20:37).<\/p>\n<p>The prophet Micah, who was born at Moresheth-gath (a few miles to the north), uttered a moving elegy upon the fate of the regions he knew from boyhood, as the Assyrians approached (whether under Sennacherib, 701 <span>BC<\/span>, or Sargon, 711 <span>BC<\/span>). Punning upon each familiar place-name, he warned Mareshah of a coming “possessor” (Mi 1:15).<\/p>","summary_ro":"MARESHAH (Place) City (Greek Marisa; Josephus, “Marissa”) on the road from the coastal plain of Judah toward Hebron and Jerusalem. Remains of Jewish pottery indicate occupation from at least 800 BC. The site is now called Tel Mareshah. At Israel’s occupation of Canaan, Mareshah was allotted by Joshua to Judah (Jos 15:44). Later, at the division of the kingdom, Rehoboam fortified it as a protective outpost covering Jerusalem from the southwest, from which many invaders were to approach (2 Chr ...","summary_en":"MARESHAH (Place) City (Greek Marisa; Josephus, “Marissa”) on the road from the coastal plain of Judah toward Hebron and Jerusalem. Remains of Jewish pottery indicate occupation from at least 800 BC. The site is now called Tel Mareshah. At Israel’s occupation of Canaan, Mareshah was allotted by Joshua to Judah (Jos 15:44). Later, at the division of the kingdom, Rehoboam fortified it as a protective outpost covering Jerusalem from the southwest, from which many invaders were to approach (2 Chr ...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":39248,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Zerah","title_en":"Zerah","content_ro":"<h3>ZERAH<\/h3>\n<li>1. One of the chiefs of the Edomites (Gn 36:17; 1 Chr 1:37), listed as the son of Reuel, Esau’s son by his wife Basemath, and likely the ancestor of Jobab, who later assumed the position of king of the Edomites (Gn 36:13, 33).<\/li>\n<li>2. One of the twin sons of Judah by his daughter-in-law Tamar (Gn 38:30; 46:12; Mt 1:3). Although Zerah thrust out his hand first, he retracted it, allowing his brother, Perez, to be born first. The descendants of Zerah (the Zerahites) became one of the most influential clans of Judah (Nm 26:20; Jos 7:1, 18; 22:20; 1 Chr 2:4-6; 9:6). Because Ethan and Heman are listed as sons of Zerah in 1 Chronicles 2:6, the Ezrahites mentioned in 1 Kings 4:31 and the titles to Psalms 88 and 89 are also considered to be Zerahites. However, Ethan and Heman are listed as Levites in 1 Chronicles 15:17, thus making it more likely that the Ezrahites were a Levite clan.<\/li>\n<li>3. One of the sons of Simeon from whom the Zerahite clan descended (Nm 26:13; 1 Chr 4:24); alternately called Zohar in Genesis 46:10 and Exodus 6:15.<\/li>\n<li>4. One of the sons of Iddo, from the Gershonite branch of Levi’s tribe (1 Chr 6:21).<\/li>\n<li>5. One of the ancestors of Asaph from Levi’s tribe, listed as the son of Adaiah and the father of Ethni (1 Chr 6:41). Several believe him to be the same individual as #4 above.<\/li>\n<li>6. Commander of the Ethiopians (Cushites) who fought against Asa, king of Judah (2 Chr 14:9). It is difficult to identify this individual or the historical event with any certainty. The most common identification has been with Usarkon II of Egypt. The account of the battle agrees with the chronology of Usarkon’s reign in Egypt, as do the number and nationalities of the troops involved in the conflict.<\/li>","content_en":"<h3>ZERAH<\/h3>\n<li>1. One of the chiefs of the Edomites (Gn 36:17; 1 Chr 1:37), listed as the son of Reuel, Esau’s son by his wife Basemath, and likely the ancestor of Jobab, who later assumed the position of king of the Edomites (Gn 36:13, 33).<\/li>\n<li>2. One of the twin sons of Judah by his daughter-in-law Tamar (Gn 38:30; 46:12; Mt 1:3). Although Zerah thrust out his hand first, he retracted it, allowing his brother, Perez, to be born first. The descendants of Zerah (the Zerahites) became one of the most influential clans of Judah (Nm 26:20; Jos 7:1, 18; 22:20; 1 Chr 2:4-6; 9:6). Because Ethan and Heman are listed as sons of Zerah in 1 Chronicles 2:6, the Ezrahites mentioned in 1 Kings 4:31 and the titles to Psalms 88 and 89 are also considered to be Zerahites. However, Ethan and Heman are listed as Levites in 1 Chronicles 15:17, thus making it more likely that the Ezrahites were a Levite clan.<\/li>\n<li>3. One of the sons of Simeon from whom the Zerahite clan descended (Nm 26:13; 1 Chr 4:24); alternately called Zohar in Genesis 46:10 and Exodus 6:15.<\/li>\n<li>4. One of the sons of Iddo, from the Gershonite branch of Levi’s tribe (1 Chr 6:21).<\/li>\n<li>5. One of the ancestors of Asaph from Levi’s tribe, listed as the son of Adaiah and the father of Ethni (1 Chr 6:41). Several believe him to be the same individual as #4 above.<\/li>\n<li>6. Commander of the Ethiopians (Cushites) who fought against Asa, king of Judah (2 Chr 14:9). It is difficult to identify this individual or the historical event with any certainty. The most common identification has been with Usarkon II of Egypt. The account of the battle agrees with the chronology of Usarkon’s reign in Egypt, as do the number and nationalities of the troops involved in the conflict.<\/li>","summary_ro":"ZERAH 1. One of the chiefs of the Edomites (Gn 36:17; 1 Chr 1:37), listed as the son of Reuel, Esau’s son by his wife Basemath, and likely the ancestor of Jobab, who later assumed the position of king of the Edomites (Gn 36:13, 33). 2. One of the twin sons of Judah by his daughter-in-law Tamar (Gn 38:30; 46:12; Mt 1:3). Although Zerah thrust out his hand first, he retracted it, allowing his brother, Perez, to be born first. The descendants of Zerah (the Zerahites) became one of the most influ...","summary_en":"ZERAH 1. One of the chiefs of the Edomites (Gn 36:17; 1 Chr 1:37), listed as the son of Reuel, Esau’s son by his wife Basemath, and likely the ancestor of Jobab, who later assumed the position of king of the Edomites (Gn 36:13, 33). 2. One of the twin sons of Judah by his daughter-in-law Tamar (Gn 38:30; 46:12; Mt 1:3). Although Zerah thrust out his hand first, he retracted it, allowing his brother, Perez, to be born first. The descendants of Zerah (the Zerahites) became one of the most influ...","source":"Articles\/Z.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":40155,"type":"textbox","type_label":"Notă explicativă","type_icon":"💡","type_color":"#8b5cf6","title_ro":"Questioning the Authenticity of the Chronicles","title_en":"Questioning the Authenticity of the Chronicles","content_ro":"<h3>Questioning the Authenticity of the Chronicles<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p>The books of Chronicles, referred to as a single book in this article, have received considerable scholarly criticism about the nature of their content and about apparent discrepancies with material in Samuel and Kings. The differences can be classified as numerical, theological, and historical.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As an example of numerical differences, 1 Chronicles 11:11 says that one of David’s “mighty men” killed 300 men with his spear at one time, but the parallel account in 2 Samuel 23:8 says he killed 800 at one time. Again, 1 Chronicles 18:3-4 says that after defeating King Hadadezer of Zobah, David took from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers; a parallel account in 2 Samuel 8:3-4 says that David took 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. Although 2 Chronicles 22:2 says that Ahaziah was 42 years old when he began to reign, 2 Kings 8:26 says he was 22; and so on.<\/p>\n<p>Many numbers in Chronicles seem exceptionally high. In 1 Chronicles 21:5, Israel had just over a million men and Judah had 470,000. In another example of a remarkably high number, the temple’s vestibule is said to have been 120 cubits, or approximately 180 feet (54.8 meters), in height (2 Chr 3:4). In 2 Chronicles 13:3, Judah’s army had 400,000 men and Israel’s army 800,000. Some 500,000 of Israel’s army were slain (2 Chr 13:17). In 2 Chronicles 14:9, Zerah the Ethiopian had an army of a million men and 300 chariots.<\/p>\n<p>How should such problems with numbers in Chronicles be understood? First, some of the problems in the text as it now stands may have come about from faulty copying. Also, some excessively high numbers may have been used figuratively to indicate a very large army, or perhaps as estimates. Though not all questions have been answered, scholars have found credible solutions to some of the problems. In the meantime, such matters are seen by evangelical scholars as verifying the human side of the Scriptures without necessarily detracting from their divine origin.<\/p>\n<p>Chronicles also contains some different theological emphases from earlier materials. The best example can be seen by comparing 1 Chronicles 21:1 with 2 Samuel 24:1. In the Samuel account the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David to harm them by taking a national census. The Chronicler’s account is that “Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel.” In one account God moved David to take the census; in the other Satan was the prime mover.<\/p>\n<p>The authenticity of the Chronicler has also been questioned on historical grounds. Several incidents reported in Samuel-Kings are told in a different manner in Chronicles. In 2 Samuel 8:13 David is said to have slain 18,000 Edomites at the Valley of Salt, whereas the Chronicler reports that Abishai, David’s cousin, killed the Edomites (1 Chr 18:12). Again, according to 2 Samuel 21:19, Elhanan slew Goliath the Gittite, whereas the Chronicler says that Elhanan slew Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite (1 Chr 20:5; most OT scholars today believe that Chronicles preserves the true reading of the original text). A more difficult historical problem is seen by comparing 2 Chronicles 20:35-37 with 1 Kings 22:48-49. The Kings account says that the ships Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, built to bring gold from Ophir were wrecked at Ezion-geber, evidently before they ever left port. When Ahaziah, king of Israel, asked that his servants be allowed to go on the ships with Jehoshaphat’s servants, Jehoshaphat refused. The Chronicler’s version of what happened is different. There Jehoshaphat joined with the wicked Ahaziah in building ships at Ezion-geber to go to Tarshish, but a prophet prophesied that the Lord would destroy the ships because of the alliance with Ahaziah. Both accounts agree that Jehoshaphat built ships at Ezion-geber and that the ships were destroyed before they left port. On the basis of the present status of the texts, however, one cannot tell whether or not Jehoshaphat joined Ahaziah. Whatever happened, the ships were lost.<\/p>\n<p>In a comparison of Chronicles with Kings, a serious problem arises over the war between Asa of Judah and Baasha of Israel. In 2 Chronicles 16:1 one reads that in Asa’s 36th year of reign, Baasha challenged Judah by building a fortress at Ramah. But according to the chronology of 1 Kings 16, Baasha was not even alive in the 36th year of Asa’s reign. First Kings 16:6-8 says that Baasha died and his son Elah succeeded him as king in the 26th year of Asa’s reign.<\/p>\n<p>At one time scholars were quite skeptical about the authenticity of Chronicles. Now they tend to treat Chronicles with respect and appreciation. In some instances new archaeological evidence has tended to support the historicity of the Chronicler’s statement. In other instances reexamination of a discrepancy has shown it to be more apparent than real. If all the facts were known, other problems might also be cleared up to the satisfaction of impartial scholars.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Questioning the Authenticity of the Chronicles<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p>The books of Chronicles, referred to as a single book in this article, have received considerable scholarly criticism about the nature of their content and about apparent discrepancies with material in Samuel and Kings. The differences can be classified as numerical, theological, and historical.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As an example of numerical differences, 1 Chronicles 11:11 says that one of David’s “mighty men” killed 300 men with his spear at one time, but the parallel account in 2 Samuel 23:8 says he killed 800 at one time. Again, 1 Chronicles 18:3-4 says that after defeating King Hadadezer of Zobah, David took from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers; a parallel account in 2 Samuel 8:3-4 says that David took 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. Although 2 Chronicles 22:2 says that Ahaziah was 42 years old when he began to reign, 2 Kings 8:26 says he was 22; and so on.<\/p>\n<p>Many numbers in Chronicles seem exceptionally high. In 1 Chronicles 21:5, Israel had just over a million men and Judah had 470,000. In another example of a remarkably high number, the temple’s vestibule is said to have been 120 cubits, or approximately 180 feet (54.8 meters), in height (2 Chr 3:4). In 2 Chronicles 13:3, Judah’s army had 400,000 men and Israel’s army 800,000. Some 500,000 of Israel’s army were slain (2 Chr 13:17). In 2 Chronicles 14:9, Zerah the Ethiopian had an army of a million men and 300 chariots.<\/p>\n<p>How should such problems with numbers in Chronicles be understood? First, some of the problems in the text as it now stands may have come about from faulty copying. Also, some excessively high numbers may have been used figuratively to indicate a very large army, or perhaps as estimates. Though not all questions have been answered, scholars have found credible solutions to some of the problems. In the meantime, such matters are seen by evangelical scholars as verifying the human side of the Scriptures without necessarily detracting from their divine origin.<\/p>\n<p>Chronicles also contains some different theological emphases from earlier materials. The best example can be seen by comparing 1 Chronicles 21:1 with 2 Samuel 24:1. In the Samuel account the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David to harm them by taking a national census. The Chronicler’s account is that “Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel.” In one account God moved David to take the census; in the other Satan was the prime mover.<\/p>\n<p>The authenticity of the Chronicler has also been questioned on historical grounds. Several incidents reported in Samuel-Kings are told in a different manner in Chronicles. In 2 Samuel 8:13 David is said to have slain 18,000 Edomites at the Valley of Salt, whereas the Chronicler reports that Abishai, David’s cousin, killed the Edomites (1 Chr 18:12). Again, according to 2 Samuel 21:19, Elhanan slew Goliath the Gittite, whereas the Chronicler says that Elhanan slew Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite (1 Chr 20:5; most OT scholars today believe that Chronicles preserves the true reading of the original text). A more difficult historical problem is seen by comparing 2 Chronicles 20:35-37 with 1 Kings 22:48-49. The Kings account says that the ships Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, built to bring gold from Ophir were wrecked at Ezion-geber, evidently before they ever left port. When Ahaziah, king of Israel, asked that his servants be allowed to go on the ships with Jehoshaphat’s servants, Jehoshaphat refused. The Chronicler’s version of what happened is different. There Jehoshaphat joined with the wicked Ahaziah in building ships at Ezion-geber to go to Tarshish, but a prophet prophesied that the Lord would destroy the ships because of the alliance with Ahaziah. Both accounts agree that Jehoshaphat built ships at Ezion-geber and that the ships were destroyed before they left port. On the basis of the present status of the texts, however, one cannot tell whether or not Jehoshaphat joined Ahaziah. Whatever happened, the ships were lost.<\/p>\n<p>In a comparison of Chronicles with Kings, a serious problem arises over the war between Asa of Judah and Baasha of Israel. In 2 Chronicles 16:1 one reads that in Asa’s 36th year of reign, Baasha challenged Judah by building a fortress at Ramah. But according to the chronology of 1 Kings 16, Baasha was not even alive in the 36th year of Asa’s reign. First Kings 16:6-8 says that Baasha died and his son Elah succeeded him as king in the 26th year of Asa’s reign.<\/p>\n<p>At one time scholars were quite skeptical about the authenticity of Chronicles. Now they tend to treat Chronicles with respect and appreciation. In some instances new archaeological evidence has tended to support the historicity of the Chronicler’s statement. In other instances reexamination of a discrepancy has shown it to be more apparent than real. If all the facts were known, other problems might also be cleared up to the satisfaction of impartial scholars.<\/p>","summary_ro":"Questioning the Authenticity of the Chronicles The books of Chronicles, referred to as a single book in this article, have received considerable scholarly criticism about the nature of their content and about apparent discrepancies with material in Samuel and Kings. The differences can be classified as numerical, theological, and historical. As an example of numerical differences, 1 Chronicles 11:11 says that one of David’s “mighty men” killed 300 men with his spear at one time, but the paral...","summary_en":"Questioning the Authenticity of the Chronicles The books of Chronicles, referred to as a single book in this article, have received considerable scholarly criticism about the nature of their content and about apparent discrepancies with material in Samuel and Kings. The differences can be classified as numerical, theological, and historical. As an example of numerical differences, 1 Chronicles 11:11 says that one of David’s “mighty men” killed 300 men with his spear at one time, but the paral...","source":"Textboxes\/Textboxes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"10":[{"id":39220,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Zephathah*","title_en":"Zephathah*","content_ro":"<h3>ZEPHATHAH*<\/h3>\n<p>Valley where Asa defeated Zerah the Ethiopian (2 Chr 14:10). The valley of Zephathah is located in the vicinity of Mareshah and thus in southwestern Judah.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>ZEPHATHAH*<\/h3>\n<p>Valley where Asa defeated Zerah the Ethiopian (2 Chr 14:10). The valley of Zephathah is located in the vicinity of Mareshah and thus in southwestern Judah.<\/p>","summary_ro":"ZEPHATHAH* Valley where Asa defeated Zerah the Ethiopian (2 Chr 14:10). The valley of Zephathah is located in the vicinity of Mareshah and thus in southwestern Judah.","summary_en":"ZEPHATHAH* Valley where Asa defeated Zerah the Ethiopian (2 Chr 14:10). The valley of Zephathah is located in the vicinity of Mareshah and thus in southwestern Judah.","source":"Articles\/Z.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"13":[{"id":13654,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Gerar","title_en":"Gerar","content_ro":"<h3>GERAR<\/h3>\n<p>City located in the western Negev. It was used as a geographical landmark defining the western boundary of the Canaanite territory from Sidon to Gaza (Gn 10:19). Abraham resided temporarily in this city, at which time he deceived Abimelech the king by giving him the impression that Sarah was his sister (20:1-2). Later, Isaac settled in this city and also disguised his marriage to Rebekah for fear of reprisals from the men of the city. Isaac eventually left the town, moving to the nearby valley of Gerar on account of his conflicts with the Philistines. Here the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s servants over a newly dug well, and Abimelech, king of the Philistines, made a covenant with Isaac (26:1-26). It is doubtful that King Abimelech of Gerar (20:2) was the same person as Abimelech, king of the Philistines (26:8). Abimelech was probably a surname or an official title.<\/p>\n<p>During the patriarchal period, Gerar appeared as a dominant Canaanite city in the Negev; however, in Joshua’s recounting of the Conquest, this town was not named among the Philistine cities yet to be conquered (Jos 13:2-3) or in the list of cities already defeated (15:21-22). Later, in the period of the kings, Gerar was mentioned as the southernmost city to which the Ethiopian army fled before it was completely destroyed by King Asa of Judah (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>) and his army (2 Chr 14:13-14). Perhaps the fertile valley of Gedor (1 Chr 4:39; cf. Gn 26:17), formerly inhabited by the sons of Ham (cf. Gn 10:19), was identical with the valley of Gerar. Gedor was possibly a later scribal error where the copyist confused the Hebrew letter <em>r<\/em> for a <em>d.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The site of Gerar is identifiable with Tell Abu Hureireh along the northwestern bank of the Wadi esh-Sheri’ah, 15 miles (24.1 kilometers) northwest of Beersheba and 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) southeast of Gaza.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>GERAR<\/h3>\n<p>City located in the western Negev. It was used as a geographical landmark defining the western boundary of the Canaanite territory from Sidon to Gaza (Gn 10:19). Abraham resided temporarily in this city, at which time he deceived Abimelech the king by giving him the impression that Sarah was his sister (20:1-2). Later, Isaac settled in this city and also disguised his marriage to Rebekah for fear of reprisals from the men of the city. Isaac eventually left the town, moving to the nearby valley of Gerar on account of his conflicts with the Philistines. Here the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s servants over a newly dug well, and Abimelech, king of the Philistines, made a covenant with Isaac (26:1-26). It is doubtful that King Abimelech of Gerar (20:2) was the same person as Abimelech, king of the Philistines (26:8). Abimelech was probably a surname or an official title.<\/p>\n<p>During the patriarchal period, Gerar appeared as a dominant Canaanite city in the Negev; however, in Joshua’s recounting of the Conquest, this town was not named among the Philistine cities yet to be conquered (Jos 13:2-3) or in the list of cities already defeated (15:21-22). Later, in the period of the kings, Gerar was mentioned as the southernmost city to which the Ethiopian army fled before it was completely destroyed by King Asa of Judah (910–869 <span>BC<\/span>) and his army (2 Chr 14:13-14). Perhaps the fertile valley of Gedor (1 Chr 4:39; cf. Gn 26:17), formerly inhabited by the sons of Ham (cf. Gn 10:19), was identical with the valley of Gerar. Gedor was possibly a later scribal error where the copyist confused the Hebrew letter <em>r<\/em> for a <em>d.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The site of Gerar is identifiable with Tell Abu Hureireh along the northwestern bank of the Wadi esh-Sheri’ah, 15 miles (24.1 kilometers) northwest of Beersheba and 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) southeast of Gaza.<\/p>","summary_ro":"GERAR City located in the western Negev. It was used as a geographical landmark defining the western boundary of the Canaanite territory from Sidon to Gaza (Gn 10:19). Abraham resided temporarily in this city, at which time he deceived Abimelech the king by giving him the impression that Sarah was his sister (20:1-2). Later, Isaac settled in this city and also disguised his marriage to Rebekah for fear of reprisals from the men of the city. Isaac eventually left the town, moving to the nearby...","summary_en":"GERAR City located in the western Negev. It was used as a geographical landmark defining the western boundary of the Canaanite territory from Sidon to Gaza (Gn 10:19). Abraham resided temporarily in this city, at which time he deceived Abimelech the king by giving him the impression that Sarah was his sister (20:1-2). Later, Isaac settled in this city and also disguised his marriage to Rebekah for fear of reprisals from the men of the city. Isaac eventually left the town, moving to the nearby...","source":"Articles\/G.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}]},"labels":{"article":"Articol","map":"Hartă","chart":"Diagramă","textbox":"Notă explicativă","picture":"Imagine","profile":"Profil","study_note":"Notă de studiu","theme_note":"Temă biblică"},"icons":{"article":"📖","map":"🗺️","chart":"📊","textbox":"💡","picture":"🖼️","profile":"👤","study_note":"📝","theme_note":"🎯"},"typeColors":{"article":"#d4af37","map":"#2d7d46","chart":"#3b82f6","textbox":"#8b5cf6","picture":"#ec4899","profile":"#f59e0b","study_note":"#06b6d4","theme_note":"#ef4444"}}
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