And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.

2 CHRONICLES 16:7KJV
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2 Chronicles 16:7 (KJV)

What does 2 Chronicles 16:7 mean?

2 Chronicles 16:7 describes how Hanani the seer confronted King Asa of Judah, telling him that because Asa trusted the king of Syria instead of relying on the LORD his God, the Syrian army escaped from his control. The verse points out that Asa’s choice to depend on human help rather than on God led to a missed opportunity for victory.

Hanani, identified as a "seer" (a kind of prophet), came to King Asa after Asa had made an alliance with Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, to help against Israel. Instead of seeking God’s help, Asa turned to another nation for support. Hanani’s message is a direct rebuke, showing that Asa’s lack of trust in God had real consequences for his leadership and the nation.

The Hebrew behind 2 Chronicles 16:7

  • "relied" (שָׁעַן, sha'an): This word means to lean on or depend upon. Hanani uses it twice—first to describe Asa’s trust in Syria, and then to highlight that Asa did not "lean on" the LORD. The repetition draws a sharp contrast between trusting people and trusting God.
  • "seer" (רֹאֶה, ro'eh): This term refers to someone who sees visions or receives messages from God, emphasizing that Hanani speaks with divine authority.
  • "escaped" (מָלַט, malat): This word means to slip away or be delivered. Hanani says the Syrian army "escaped" from Asa’s hand, stressing that victory was lost because of misplaced trust.

Why 2 Chronicles 16:7 matters

  • This verse clarifies that trusting in political alliances or human strength, instead of God, can lead to unintended losses—even when those choices seem wise at the time.
  • The confrontation by Hanani connects to a larger theme in Chronicles: the importance of wholehearted reliance on God for deliverance and success.
  • The verse sets up the rest of Asa’s story, showing a turning point where his faith faltered, which helps explain later events in his reign and the consequences he faced.

Where else these words appear

“Hanani” Hebrew H2607 · used in 11 verses

  • 1 Kings 16:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
  • 1 Chronicles 25:25 The eighteenth to Hanani, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
  • Ezra 10:20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

“relied” Hebrew H8172 · used in 20 verses

  • Genesis 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
  • 2 Kings 7:17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
  • Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

“Asa” Hebrew H609 · used in 52 verses

  • 1 Kings 15:8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
  • 1 Kings 16:10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.
  • 2 Chronicles 15:8 And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.

“escaped” Hebrew H4422 · used in 85 verses

  • Genesis 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
  • Esther 4:13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.
  • Isaiah 46:2 They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.