house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at [1]Damascus, saying, [2]3There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. 4And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim,· and all the [3]store cities of Naphtali. 5And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease. 6Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and he built therewith Geba and
Ben-hadad] At least three kings of Syria bore this name, the two others being severally (1) a contemporary of Ahab (1 Kin. xx. 1 ff.), (2) a contemporary of Jehoash the grandson of Jehu, 2 Kin. xiii. 25.
that dwelt at Damascus] The epithet distinguishes the king of Damascus from other kings of Syria, e.g. from the king of Hamath.
Damascus] Heb. "Darmesek"; see note on 1 Chr. xviii. 5.
4. and they smote] The places smitten were all in the extreme north of Israel.
Ijon] The city cannot be identified, but the name is preserved in Merj 'Iyūn, a table-land north of the Jordan valley. Bädeker, Pal.5, p. 291.
Abel-maim] In 1 Kin., "Abel-beth-maacah"; cp. 2 Sam. xx. 14, 15. No doubt the two names designate one place.
all the store cities] In 1 Kin., "all Chinneroth " (i.e. the district west of the Sea of Galilee). As this was a very fruitful district, the "store cities" of the Chronicler may be only another name for it.
5. and let his work cease] In 1 Kin. and dwelt in Tirzah (Heb.), and returned to Tirzah (LXX.). Baasha (like Jeroboam; 1 Kin. xiv. 17) fixed his seat of government at Tirzah in the centre of the Northern Kingdom in order to be able to watch Syria as well as Judah. The Chronicler takes no interest in the home of Baasha.
6. took all Judah] In 1 Kin. summoned all Judah (so translate); none was exempted.
Geba and Mizpah] The names signify, "the hill and the watch-tower." Geba is mentioned in 2 Kin. xxiii. 8, evidently as being on the northern boundary of Judah. Yet, be it noted, it was only 7 miles north of Jerusalem, whilst Mizpah was about 5 miles north-west of the capital. For Mizpah see Jer. xli. 1-9. See also note on xiv. 6-8.
