And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, Hear you me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while you be with him; and if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
to meet Asa [heb] before Asa
2 Chronicles 13:4 And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;
2 Chronicles 20:15,20 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's…
Judges 9:7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
The Lord
2 Chronicles 13:12 And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.
2 Chronicles 32:8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Deuteronomy 20:1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
if ye seek him
2 Chronicles 15:4,15 But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them…
2 Chronicles 33:12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
Isaiah 55:6,7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: …
if ye forsake
2 Chronicles 12:1-3 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him…
2 Chronicles 24:20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
2 Kings 21:14 And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;
“Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin.
Azariah addresses not only King Asa but also the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, which composed the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This indicates that the message is not just for the king but for the entire nation. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin were the primary constituents of the Southern Kingdom after the division of Israel following Solomon's reign. The call to "listen" emphasizes the importance and urgency of the message.
The LORD is with you when you are with Him.
This statement underscores the conditional nature of God's presence and favor. It reflects the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where obedience and faithfulness to God result in His presence and blessing. This principle is echoed throughout Scripture, such as in Deuteronomy 28, where blessings are promised for obedience and curses for disobedience. It highlights the reciprocal relationship expected between God and His people.
If you seek Him, He will be found by you,
This promise assures that God is accessible and willing to reveal Himself to those who earnestly seek Him. It aligns with other biblical passages, such as Jeremiah 29:13, which states, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." This reflects the idea that God desires a relationship with His people and is responsive to their pursuit of Him.
but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
This warning serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. It reflects the covenantal curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26, where disobedience leads to God's withdrawal and the nation's downfall. Historically, this principle is evident in the eventual exile of both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms due to their persistent idolatry and unfaithfulness. It also foreshadows the New Testament teaching of abiding in Christ, as seen in John 15:6, where separation from Him leads to spiritual barrenness.
Azariah the prophet leaves his own place of safety to confront King Asa on the road (2 Chron 15:1–2).
• God often sends His messengers “out” to intersect a leader’s life at a decisive moment—think of Nathan stepping into David’s palace (2 Samuel 12:1–7) or Samuel meeting Saul after the battle (1 Samuel 15:13–19).
• The initiative is divine; the prophet is moved by “the Spirit of God” (2 Chron 15:1), showing that God actively pursues His people when He has a word for them.
Azariah addresses both king and people.
• Responsibility before God is never limited to rulers; every tribe and household must hear (Deuteronomy 29:10–13).
• “Listen” is the same prophetic summons echoed by Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:21) and by Jehoshaphat’s seer Jahaziel (2 Chron 20:15). God’s word demands attentive hearts from the whole community.
Plain, covenant language: divine presence hinges on human allegiance.
• Joshua was told, “The LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9), yet that promise carried the condition “be careful to do according to all the law” (Joshua 1:7).
• New-Covenant believers hear the same pattern—Jesus assures, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20), while John reminds, “If we keep His commandments… God abides in us” (1 John 3:24).
• God’s companionship is not automatic; it rests on a living, obedient relationship.
A gracious guarantee that diligent pursuit ends in discovery.
• Moses taught, “You will seek the LORD your God and you will find Him if you search with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 4:29).
• Jeremiah echoes, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
• Jesus personalizes it: “Seek, and you will find” (Matthew 7:7–8).
• Faith’s pursuit is rewarded because God delights to reveal Himself (Hebrews 11:6).
A sober warning completing the covenant equation.
• Joshua made it unmistakable: “If you forsake the LORD… He will turn and bring disaster on you” (Joshua 24:20).
• Later in Chronicles, Zechariah delivers the same message to Joash, “Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you” (2 Chron 24:20).
• Romans 11:22 captures both sides for every age: “Behold then the kindness and severity of God.”
• God’s withdrawal is relational, not geographical; when hearts abandon Him, they forfeit the blessings of His nearness.
2 Chronicles 15:2 lays out the timeless covenant principle: God’s presence, blessing, and guidance are inseparably linked to our allegiance. Seek Him wholeheartedly and He guarantees to make Himself known; forsake Him and the privilege of His nearness is withdrawn. The verse therefore calls every generation—leaders and people alike—to active, faithful pursuit of the Lord, resting in His promise and heeding His warning with equal seriousness.
(2) And he went out to meet.--Literally, before. (1Chronicles 12:17; 2Chronicles 14:9.) Azariah met the king on his return from battle.Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah.--(Comp. Abijah's speech, 2Chronicles 13:4 : "Hear ye me, Jeroboam, and all Israel!")
The Lord is with you, while ye be with him.--Or, Jehovah was with you (in the battle), because ye were with him (i.e., clung to him for help; see 2Chronicles 14:11).
And if ye seek him . . . forsake you.--This generalises the preceding statement. It is a favourite formula with the chronicler. (See 1Chronicles 28:9; and for the last clause, 2Chronicles 12:5; 2Chronicles 24:20; comp. also Jeremiah 29:13-14.) . . .
Verse 2. - He went out to meet him; literally, into his presence; but the Authorized Version rendering is very correct, as well as happy in expression (see 1 Chronicles 14:8; also see the remarkable and interesting verse, 2 Chronicles 28:9). The prophet was the leader, the teacher, the suggester of the right and opportune thing to the people, but to the prophet the Lord himself was Leader, Teacher, Prompter, and it was exactly so now. To the very moment, the quickened moment of new thought and for new deed, divinest instruction and suggestion are ministered. The Lord is with you... will forsake you. The original occasion of the beautiful language and word of covenant in the heart of this second part of the verse is enshrined in Deuteronomy 4:29 (see also 1 Chronicles 28:9; 2 Chronicles 24:20; Jeremiah 29:11-14). It is just conceivable that these words by themselves are what are designated "the prophecy" (and "the prophecy") in ver. 8. They may be in the first place regarded as ancient quotations. They are also characterized by a certain self-containedness and weightiness of matter as compared with the historic illustrations of the following four verses. No corroborative external evidence of this conjecture, however, is forthcoming.