Asa in Smiths Bible Dictionary
(physician, or cure).
1. Son of Abijah and third king of Judah. (B.C. 956-
916.) (His long reign of 41 years was peaceful in its
earlier portion, and he undertook the reformation of all
abuses, especially of idolatry. He burnt the symbol of his
grandmother Maachah's religion and deposed her from the
dignity of "king's mother,") and renewed the great altar
which the idolatrous priests apparently had desecrated. 2Ch
15:8 Besides this he fortified cities on his frontiers, and
raised an army, amounting, according to 2Ch 14:8 to 580,000
men, a number probably exaggerated by an error of the
copyist. During Asa's reign, Zerah, at the head of an
enormous host, 2Ch 14:9 attacked Mareshah. There he was
utterly defeated, and driven back with immense loss to
Gerar. The peace which followed this victory was broken by
the attempt of Baasha of Israel to fortify Ramah. To stop
this Asa purchased the help of Benhadad I. king of Damascus,
by a large payment of treasure, forced Baasha to abandon his
purpose, and destroyed the works which he had begun at
Ramah. In his old age Asa suffered from gout, He died,
greatly loved and honored, in the 41st year of his reign.
2. Ancestor of Berechiah a Levite who resided in one
of the villages of the Netophathites after the return from
Babylon. 1Ch 9:16
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