📖 Biblical Definition
Third king of the divided southern kingdom of Judah (1 Kings 15:9-24; 2 Chronicles 14-16), reigning forty-one years (c. 911-870 BC). Son of Abijam, grandson of Rehoboam. Asa is one of the great reformer-kings of Judah: Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD his God (2 Chronicles 14:2). He removed the foreign altars and high places, broke down the images and cut down the groves, commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and reigned over a kingdom that experienced ten years of peace and ten years of rest because the LORD gave him quiet. When the Cushite Zerah came against him with a million-man army, Asa cried to the LORD (LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, 2 Chronicles 14:11) and the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa. The prophet Azariah further encouraged Asa to comprehensive reform, and Asa renewed the covenant with the LORD with a great oath. The tragic later episode is Asa's reliance on a Syrian alliance against Baasha king of Israel rather than upon the LORD (2 Chronicles 16:7-9, the prophet Hanani's rebuke), and Asa's imprisonment of the prophet for the rebuke. Asa's reign teaches both the reformer-king pattern and the warning against unbelieving political alliance even in a faithful king's later years.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Third king of Judah (c. 911-870 BC; 1 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 14-16); great reformer who removed idolatry; later compromised by Syrian alliance against the LORD's prophetic word.
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ASA, proper n. (third king of Judah) Son of Abijam, grandson of Rehoboam. Reigned forty-one years (c. 911-870 BC; 1 Kings 15:9-24; 2 Chronicles 14-16). Did right in the eyes of the LORD; removed foreign altars, high places, images, groves; commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers. Cried to the LORD against Zerah the Cushite and the Lord smote a million-man Ethiopian army. Encouraged by the prophet Azariah to comprehensive reform; renewed covenant with great oath. Tragic later episode: reliance on Syrian alliance against Baasha rather than on the LORD (2 Chronicles 16:7-9); imprisoned the prophet Hanani for the rebuke.
📖 Key Scripture
2 Chronicles 14:11 — "And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee."
1 Kings 15:11-14 — "And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made... But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days."
2 Chronicles 16:9 — "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars."
2 Chronicles 15:7 — "Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
No major postmodern redefinition. Asa is rightly remembered as a reformer-king; the principal pastoral lesson is the warning against unbelieving political alliance late in a faithful career.
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Asa as a proper name does not undergo lexical corruption. The principal pastoral lesson the contemporary reader frequently misses is the trajectory of Asa's career: thirty-plus years of faithful reformer-king reign, then the late-career failure of relying on a Syrian alliance against Baasha rather than on the LORD, and the further failure of imprisoning the prophet Hanani for the rebuke. The pattern is sobering: a man may serve the Lord faithfully for decades and yet stumble in his later years over the question of trust under pressure. Asa's late failures do not negate his earlier faithfulness (1 Kings 15:14, Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days), but they should warn the godly man against assuming his later years will be safer than his earlier ones.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Third king of Judah; 911-870 BC; reformer-king; 1 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 14-16.
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['Hebrew', 'H609', 'Asa', 'possibly healer or made by God']
['Hebrew', 'H3063', 'Yehudah', 'Judah; the southern kingdom']
['Hebrew', 'H2236', 'Zerach', "Zerah the Cushite, defeated by Asa's prayer (2 Chronicles 14)"]
Usage
"Third king of Judah; forty-one-year reign; great reformer."
"Cried to the LORD against the million-man Ethiopian army (2 Chronicles 14:11)."
"Late-career failure: Syrian alliance and imprisonment of the prophet (2 Chronicles 16)."