2 Chronicles 16:4Ben Hadad listened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.
The setting
Northern Israel, ~885 BC. Syrian mercenaries hired by Judah attack Israelite cities. Modern-day northern Israel/southern Lebanon border region.
The emotion here: chronicling the consequences of faithless politics
The original word
nākāh (נָכָה) — to strike down, defeat utterly in battle
Why it matters
Ben-Hadad I controlled the Damascus-based Aramean kingdom, Israel's northern neighbor
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Chronicles 16:4
These were STORAGE cities — Asa was targeting Israel's food supply, not just territory
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows smart military strategy, but the Chronicler includes this as evidence of Asa's faithlessness — he trusted Syria more than God.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Chronicles 16:4
Bible Genome reading
2 Chronicles 16:4 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Chronicles 16:4 comes from the book of 2 Chronicles, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include warfare, alliances, consequences. Notable phrases: Ben Hadad listened; sent the captains; struck.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does 2 Chronicles 16:4 mean to you, today?
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