God’s Word Translation
2 Chronicles 16:9
9The Lord’s eyes scan the whole world to find those whose hearts are committed to him and to strengthen them. You acted foolishly in this matter. So from now on, you will have to fight wars.”
2 Chronicles 16:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
- New International Version (NIV)For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars."
- New King James Version (NKJV)For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”
Context of 2 Chronicles 16:9
7At that time the seer Hanani came to King Asa of Judah and said to him, “Because you depended on the king of Syria and did not depend on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped your grasp. 8Weren’t the Sudanese and Libyans a large army with many chariots and drivers? But when you depended on the Lord, he handed them over to you. The Lord’s eyes scan the whole world to find those whose hearts are committed to him and to strengthen them. You acted foolishly in this matter. So from now on, you will have to fight wars.” 10Asa was furious at the seer. He was so angry with Hanani that he put Hanani in prison. Asa also oppressed some of the people at that time in his reign. 11Everything about Asa from first to last is written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
Read all of 2 Chronicles 162 Chronicles 16:9 word by word
כִּ֣י יְהוָ֗ה עֵינָ֞יו מְשֹׁטְט֤וֹת בְּכָל־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לְ֠הִתְחַזֵּק עִם־לְבָבָ֥ם שָׁלֵ֛ם אֵלָ֖יו נִסְכַּ֣לְתָּ עַל־זֹ֑את כִּ֣י מֵעַ֔תָּה יֵ֥שׁ עִמְּךָ֖ מִלְחָמֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For the eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- run to and froשׁוּטshûţ · to roveH7751
- throughout the whole earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- to shew himself strongחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
- whose heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- perfectשָׁלֵםshâlêm · completeH8003
- toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishlyסָכַלsâkal · be foolishH5528
- therefore from henceforthעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
- thou shalt haveיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
- warsמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 16:9
- 2 Chronicles 6:20Day and night may your eyes be on this temple, the place about which you said your name will be there. Listen to me as I pray toward this place.
- Job 34:21God’s eyes are on a person’s ways. He sees all his steps.
- Psalms 34:15The Lord’s eyes are on righteous people. His ears hear their cry for help.
- Psalms 113:6He bends down to look at heaven and earth.
- Proverbs 5:21Each person’s ways are clearly seen by the Lord, and he surveys all his actions.
- Proverbs 15:3The eyes of the Lord are everywhere. They watch evil people and good people.
- Jeremiah 16:17I see everything that they do. They can’t hide anything from me. Their wickedness can’t be hidden; I can see it.
- Jeremiah 32:19You make wise plans and do mighty things. You see everything the descendants of Adam do. You reward them for the way they live and for what they do.
- Zechariah 4:10Who despised the day when little things began to happen? They will be delighted when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand. (These seven eyes of the Lord roam over all the earth.)”
- Hebrews 4:13No creature can hide from God. Everything is uncovered and exposed for him to see. We must answer to him.
- 1 Peter 3:12The Lord’s eyes are on those who do what he approves. His ears hear their prayer. The Lord confronts those who do evil.”
- 2 Chronicles 15:17Although the illegal worship sites in Israel were not taken down, Asa remained committed ⌞to the Lord⌟ his entire life.
- 2 Kings 20:3“Please, Lord, remember how I’ve lived faithfully and sincerely in your presence. I’ve done what you consider right.” And he cried bitterly.
- Psalms 37:37Notice the innocent person, and look at the decent person, because the peacemaker has a future.
- 1 Samuel 13:13“You did a foolish thing,” Samuel told Saul. “You didn’t follow the command of the Lord your God. ⌞If you had,⌟ the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel permanently.
- 2 Samuel 12:7“You are the man!” Nathan told David. “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I anointed you king over Israel and rescued you from Saul.
Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 16:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Therefore - thou shalt have wars - And so he had with Israel during the rest of his reign, 1 Kings 15:32.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7-10Verses 7-10 The rebuke of Hanani and his imprisonment by Asa, omitted by the writer of Kings, are among the most important of the additions to Asa‘s history for which we are indebted to the author of Chronicles. 2 Chronicles 16:7 Escaped out of thine hand - Hanani means, “Hadst thou been faithful, and opposed in arms the joint host of Israel and Syria, instead of bribing the Syrian king to desert to thy side, the entire host would have been delivered into…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-9Hanani the seer told Asa he would face war from then on because he disobeyed. This judgment contrasted with Asa’s earlier victory over Zerah, when he trusted in the Lord despite the odds (2 Chronicles 14:9–13). Asa's earlier trust in the Lord brought peace to the land (2 Chronicles 14:5), but now his reliance on military power would lead to ongoing warfare.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-107-10. Hanani the seer came to Asa ... and said--His object was to show the king his error in forming his recent league with Ben-hadad. The prophet represented the appropriation of the temple treasures to purchase the services of the Syrian mercenaries, as indicating a distrust in God most blameable with the king's experience. He added, that in consequence of this want of faith, Asa had lost the opportunity of gaining a victory over the united forces of…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Chronicles 16:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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