Asa's Last Years: 16:1–6   This section about King Asa (16:1–10) introduces a new period in his history. In the very next year of Asa’s reign (the thirty-sixth year) things drastically changed: Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah (16:1). In self-defense, Asa immediately sought alliance with Ben-Hadad king of Aram (16:2), sending to Ben-Hadad as inducements silver and gold out of . . . the LORD’s temple and of his own palace. The turnaround for Asa is dramatic, at least initially. When Baasha learned of the alliance, he stopped building Ramah (16:5). Asa carried off timber and stones from there to build up nearby Geba and Mizpah (16:6).

16:7–10   The Deuteronomistic account of this battle (1 Kgs. 15:17–22) ends quite positively for Asa. However, unlike that source text, the Chronicle…