2 Chronicles 16:4 (KJV)

Passage

And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

Nearby Context

2 Chronicles 16:2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king’s house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

2 Chronicles 16:3 There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

2 Chronicles 16:4 And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

2 Chronicles 16:5 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.

2 Chronicles 16:6 Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "benhadad", "hearkened", "king", "sent", "captains", "armies", "against", and "cities". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "benhadad" and "hearkened", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "There is a league between me and..." into verse 5's "And it came to pass when Baasha...", so "benhadad" and "hearkened" belong inside that flow. In 2 Chronicles context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "benhadad" and "hearkened" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.