2 Chronicles 16:4 (GNV)

Passage

And Benhadad hearkened vnto King Asa, and sent the captaines of the armies which hee had, against the cities of Israel. And they smote Iion, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

Nearby Context

2 Chronicles 16:2 Then Asa brought out siluer and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the Kings house, and sent to Benhadad King of Aram that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

2 Chronicles 16:3 There is a couenant betweene me and thee, and betweene my father and thy father: behold, I haue sent thee siluer and golde: come, breake thy league with Baasha King of Israel that hee may depart from me.

2 Chronicles 16:4 And Benhadad hearkened vnto King Asa, and sent the captaines of the armies which hee had, against the cities of Israel. And they smote Iion, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

2 Chronicles 16:5 And when Baasha heard it, he left building of Ramah, and let his worke cease.

2 Chronicles 16:6 Then Asa the King tooke all Iudah, and caryed away the stones of Ramah and the tymber thereof, wherewith Baasha did builde, and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "benhadad", "hearkened", "vnto", "king", "sent", "captaines", "armies", and "against". 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 couenant betweene me and..." into verse 5's "And when Baasha heard it he left...", 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.