2 Chronicles 15
2 Chronicles 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the Second Book of Chronicles the Old Testament in the Christian Bible or of the second part of the Books of Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible. The book is compiled from older sources by an unknown person or group, designated by modern scholars as "the Chronicler", and had the final shape established in late fifth or fourth century BCE. This chapter belongs to the section focusing on the kingdom of Judah until its destruction by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar and the beginning of restoration under Cyrus the Great of  Persia (2 Chronicles 10 to 36). The focus of this chapter is the reign of Asa, king of Judah. Text. This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language and is divided into 19 verses. Textual witnesses. Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008). There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; formula_1; 4th century), and Codex  Alexandrinus (A; formula_1; 5th century). The prophecy of Azariah (15:1–7). The section records Azariah's speech, which can be divided into three parts (after the introduction): The speech's introduction addresses a broad audience: king Asa, people of Judah, and of Benjamin (excluding the Israelites from the northern kingdom). Verse 2 speaks of the reciprocity principles in divine-human relations "The Lord is with you, while you are with him", corollary of the 'measure-for-measure' principle spoken by Shemaiah in 2 Chronicles 12:5. The historical parts could refer to the judges period (cf. e.g. Judges 2:11-14; 17:6) or  to a midrash-like reworking of Hosea 3:4. Azariah's speech concluded with a 'call for courageous deeds', patterned after Jeremiah 31:16: 'For your work shall be rewarded'. Asa’s reforms (15:8–19). Asa responded immediately to Azariah's sermon by carrying out religious reforms, and then initiated a great assembly (modelled on 2 Kings 23) to establish a covenant renewal (cf. Exodus 19:3–8), accompanied with a joyful and enthusiastic sacrificial ceremony. The general assembly (verse 9) not only included the people of Judah and Benjamin, but also those from the northern kingdom who were regarded as 'strangers' from the Chronicler 's perspective, from the tribes Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon (cf. 2 Chronicles 34:6). The "third month" points to the date of "the Sinai theophany" and the "Feast of Weeks" ("Shavuot" or "Pentecost") with sacrifices based on the number "seven" (seven hundred...seven thousand) to link with that particular feast (seven times seven). the vicinity of the mountains of Ephraim; cf 2 Chronicles 16:6), which Asa built after his war with Baasha or even to his father Abijah's conquest (2 Chronicles 13:19). *"Renewed the altar of the Lord': is a measure marking the resumption of ordered worship life (cf. Ezra  3:2–3).