2 Chronicles 15:3 (KJV)

What does 2 Chronicles 15:3 mean?

2 Chronicles 15:3 describes a long period when Israel’s relationship with God had broken down. The people lacked both a priest to teach them and the guidance of God’s law. The verse presents these losses together, showing a community cut off from the direction that shaped its life.

Azariah speaks these words to King Asa and the people of Judah and Benjamin after Asa’s military victory. His description follows his warning in verse 2 about seeking or forsaking God. The missing teaching priest points to a loss of instruction, not simply the absence of a religious official.

The Hebrew behind 2 Chronicles 15:3

• “true” — אֱמֶת (ʾemet): The word can carry the sense of truth or faithfulness. Alongside “God,” it points to God as trustworthy, not merely to a claim that he exists.
• “law” — תּוֹרָה (torah): The word can mean instruction or teaching. In this verse, “law” includes the guidance the people were meant to receive, not only a list of rules.

Why 2 Chronicles 15:3 matters

• The verse connects teaching with the people’s knowledge of God. The phrase “a teaching priest” shows that instruction was part of a priest’s role.
• The surrounding passage gives the period a wider setting. Verses 5–6 describe unrest and conflict among nations and cities, showing the troubled conditions Azariah associates with that time.
• The passage also describes a return to God. In verse 4, the people seek God in their trouble, and he is found by them.