2 Chronicles 16:4 (DRB)

Passage

And when Benadad heard this, he sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel: and they took Ahion, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the walled cities of Nephtali.

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 treasures, and sent to Benadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:

2 Chronicles 16:3 There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father, wherefore I have sent thee silver and gold, that thou mayst break thy league with Baasa king of Israel, and make him depart from me.

2 Chronicles 16:4 And when Benadad heard this, he sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel: and they took Ahion, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the walled cities of Nephtali.

2 Chronicles 16:5 And when Baasa heard of it, he left off the building of Rama, and interrupted his work.

2 Chronicles 16:6 Then king Asa took all Juda, and they carried away from Rama the stones, and the timber that Baasa had prepared for the building: and he built with them Gabaa, and Maspha.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "benadad", "heard", "sent", "captains", "armies", "against", "cities", and "israel". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "benadad" and "heard", 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 when Baasa heard of it he...", so "benadad" and "heard" 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 "benadad" and "heard" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.