And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David.This phrase refers to King Asa of Judah, who reigned from approximately 911 to 870 BC. The City of David is a term used for Jerusalem, specifically the oldest settled part of the city. The practice of preparing one's own tomb was common among the wealthy and powerful, indicating Asa's status and foresight. The City of David holds significant historical and archaeological importance as the original nucleus of Jerusalem, where many kings of Judah were buried. This burial practice reflects the honor and respect given to Asa, despite his later years of faltering faith.
They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes;
The use of spices and perfumes in burial was a sign of great honor and respect, often reserved for royalty and the wealthy. This practice was meant to mask the odor of decay and was a common custom in ancient Near Eastern cultures. The mention of a bier, a platform for carrying the body, indicates a formal and ceremonial aspect to the burial. The use of spices and perfumes is reminiscent of the burial of Jesus Christ, as described in the Gospels, where myrrh and aloes were used (John 19:39-40), drawing a typological connection between Asa and Christ.
then they made a great fire in his honor.
The great fire likely refers to a large burning of spices and perfumes, a practice that signified mourning and respect. This was not a cremation, as cremation was not a common practice among the Israelites. Instead, it was a ceremonial act to honor the deceased. The fire symbolizes the high regard in which Asa was held by his people, despite his failures in the latter part of his reign. This act of honor reflects the cultural importance of memorializing leaders and the deep respect for the office of the king, even when the individual may have had personal shortcomings.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
AsaAsa was the king of Judah who reigned for 41 years. He is known for his initial faithfulness to God and his reforms to rid Judah of idolatry, but later in his reign, he relied on human alliances rather than God.
2.
City of DavidThis is a term often used to refer to Jerusalem, specifically the oldest settled part of the city. It is significant as the burial place of many of Judah's kings.
3.
TombAsa had prepared a tomb for himself, indicating his foresight and the honor he expected in death.
4.
Spices and PerfumesThese were used in the burial process to honor the deceased and to mask the odor of decay, signifying respect and reverence.
5.
Great FireThis was a customary practice to honor a king, symbolizing the burning of incense and the offering of respect to the deceased.
Teaching Points
The Importance of a Godly LegacyAsa's burial with honor reflects the respect he earned through his early faithfulness. Our actions today can impact how we are remembered.
Preparation for the FutureAsa prepared his tomb in advance, reminding us of the importance of planning for our future, both physically and spiritually.
The Role of Tradition in Honoring LeadersThe use of spices and a great fire shows the cultural practices of honoring leaders. We should consider how we honor those who have led us in faith.
The Danger of Relying on Human StrengthAsa's later years were marked by reliance on human alliances rather than God, serving as a warning to maintain our trust in God throughout our lives.
The Significance of Burial PracticesThe care taken in Asa's burial reflects the value placed on honoring the dead, encouraging us to consider how we show respect to those who have passed.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 16:14?
2.How does Asa's burial reflect his honor and legacy as a godly king?
3.What significance do "spices and various blended perfumes" hold in biblical burial customs?
4.How can we ensure our lives leave a godly legacy like Asa's?
5.Compare Asa's burial with other biblical figures; what insights can we gain?
6.What does 2 Chronicles 16:14 teach about honoring leaders who serve faithfully?
7.What significance does Asa's burial in 2 Chronicles 16:14 hold in biblical history and tradition?
8.How does the use of spices and perfumes in 2 Chronicles 16:14 reflect ancient burial customs?
9.Why was Asa buried in a tomb he had cut for himself, according to 2 Chronicles 16:14?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from 2 Chronicles 16?
11.Should one choose burial or cremation?
12.What does the Bible say about Christian burial?
13.What does the Bible say about burial practices?
14.1 Chronicles 14:2 - Why would God's favor be linked to David's increasing power and multiple wives, despite biblical warnings against polygamy elsewhere?What Does 2 Chronicles 16:14 Mean
Buried in the tomb he had cut out for himself in the City of David“And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David.” (2 Chronicles 16:14a)
• King Asa, though he finished poorly spiritually (16:7–12), still received the royal honor of burial among the Judean kings. This underscores God’s faithfulness to His covenant with David despite individual failures (2 Samuel 7:12–16;1 Kings 15:24).
• The City of David, Jerusalem’s ancient nucleus, symbolizes continuity with God’s redemptive plan—pointing forward to the “Son of David,” Jesus, whose tomb would be borrowed yet left empty (Matthew 27:57–60; 28:6).
• Asa’s preparation of his own tomb shows responsible stewardship and expectation of an honorable end, echoing Joseph of Arimathea’s provision centuries later (John 19:38–42).
Laid on a bier full of spices and various blended perfumes“They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes” (16:14b)
• Spices such as myrrh and frankincense signified respect, affection, and wealth (Genesis 50:2–3, 26;John 19:39–40).
• The lavish mixture communicated the value Judah still placed on Asa’s earlier reforms (14:2–5) even though his later years were flawed—illustrating that God remembers faithfulness (Hebrews 6:10) while still accounting for missteps (2 Corinthians 5:10).
• Perfumed burial imagery foreshadows Christ’s anointing at Bethany “for His burial” (Mark 14:8), reminding us that every Old Testament king, whether faithful or faltering, directs our eyes to the perfect King who would be prepared with spices yet rise in victory.
They made a great fire in his honor“then they made a great fire in his honor.” (16:14c)
• The ceremonial burning (likely of costly aromatics rather than Asa’s body) parallels the memorial fires for other kings of Judah (2 Chronicles 21:19;Jeremiah 34:5), expressing public mourning and acclaim.
• Such a conflagration resembles the fragrant smoke of temple offerings (Leviticus 1:9), hinting at worship. Even in death, the king’s remembrance was linked to sacrificial imagery—anticipating Christ’s ultimate offering “a fragrant aroma” to God (Ephesians 5:2).
• The “great fire” also marks the finality of Asa’s earthly reign while testifying that God alone reigns eternally; human greatness fades like smoke (Psalm 102:3;James 4:14), but the Lord’s throne is forever (Psalm 45:6).
summary2 Chronicles 16:14 records a three-fold tribute to King Asa—burial in the honored royal tombs, lavish spices of affection, and a commemorative fire. Each detail affirms God’s covenant faithfulness to David’s line, highlights Judah’s esteem for Asa’s earlier devotion, and ultimately points to Jesus, the perfect Davidic King whose burial and fragrant sacrifice secured everlasting life for His people.
(14)
And they buried him.--The particulars of this verse are also added by the chronicler.
In his own sepulchres.--Not therefore in the ordinary tombs of the Kings. The pluralsepulchres indicates a family tomb containing many cells.
Which he had made.--Digged, or hewn out of the rock. (Comp.Job 3:14;Isaiah 22:16.) Like the Pharaohs, Asa, who was a great and powerful sovereign, prepared his own last resting-place.
Which was filled.--Literally,which one had filled.
Sweet odours.--B?samim, "spices" (2Chronicles 9:1;2Chronicles 9:9).Kinds. Heb.,zenim, an Aramaic word common in the Targums, but in Old Testament Hebrew only found here and inPsalm 144:13. . . .
Verse 14. -
In his own sepulchres; Hebrew,
קִבְרֹתָין; fem. plur. of
קֶבֶר. The plural designates, of course, the range of burial compartments that formed the tomb of one person or family. So
Job 17:1, where the masc. plur. is used,
קְבָרִים לִי.
In the city of David (see note on 2 Chronicles 12:16).
In the bed; Hebrew,
מִשְׁכָּב. The use or associations of this word (found about fifty times) are almost entirely, if not entirely, those of the bed of nightly rest, even when not at the time speaking of nightly rest; and this is the first and only occasion that it is employed to link the grave in kindly analogy with the couch of bodily repose during lifetime. The fact might have suggested Bishop Ken's lines in the evening hymn -
"Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed." In the present instance, however, the writer, whoever he was (query, was he the compiler of our Chronicles, or his original?), is doubt-leas led to the analogy by considerations mere earthly than those enshrined in Ken's hymn, viz. by the somewhat "vain show" of attractiveness and fragrance (probably designed partly for preservative purposes) with which the place was filled, and which were among even patriarchal indications of faith in a future state.Sweet odours; Hebrew,כְּשָׂמִים. Of the twenty-nine times that this word occurs in Exodus, Kings, and Chronicles, Esther, Canticles, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, it is rendered in the Authorized Vermon "spices" twenty-four times, "sweet cinnamon" once, "sweet calamus" once, and "sweet odours" or "sweet smell" three times. The chief and determining references are those inExodus 25:6;Exodus 30:23;Exodus 35:8, 28. Anddivers kinds; Hebrew,וּזְנִים; plur. ofזַן; from the root,זָנַן; unused, but probably one with an Amble root, meaning "to shape;" hence our noun, meaning a kind or species, used here andPsalm 144:13 (where the margin renders literally, "from kind to kind"), and in the Chaldee ofDaniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15.Prepared; Hebrew,מְרֻקָּחִיס; solitary occurrence of pual conjugation of the rootרָקַח, "to spice,"i.e., to spice, season, or prepare oil for ointment purposes. This root occurs in kal future once (Exodus 30:33); in kal part. poel five times (Exodus 30:25, 35;Exodus 37:29;1 Chronicles 9:30;Ecclesiastes 10:1); and in hiph. infin. once (Ezekiel 24:10).By the apothecaries' art; Hebrew,בְמִרְקַחַת מַעֲשֲׂה. Translate the clause,and divers kinds compounded by the compounding of art, which means to say spices skilfully treated and wrought into ointments by professional hands.A very great burning; literally,and they burned for him a burning great even to an exceeding extent. Theburning is not the burning of1 Samuel 31:12, 13 (comp.2 Samuel 21:10-12;1 Chronicles 10:12), but the burning of spices, indicated by the language of our2 Chronicles 21:19 andJeremiah 34:5.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
And he was buriedוַיִּקְבְּרֻ֣הוּ(way·yiq·bə·ru·hū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6912:To interin the tombבְקִבְרֹתָ֗יו(ḇə·qiḇ·rō·ṯāw)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6913:A grave, sepulcherthatאֲשֶׁ֣ר(’ă·šer)Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834:Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order thathe had cut outכָּֽרָה־(kā·rāh-)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3738:To dig, to plot, to bore, openfor himselfלוֹ֮(lōw)Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrewin the Cityבְּעִ֣יר(bə·‘îr)Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5892:Excitementof David.דָּוִיד֒(dā·wîḏ)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732:David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of JesseThey laid himוַיַּשְׁכִּיבֻ֗הוּ(way·yaš·kî·ḇu·hū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7901:To lie downon a bierבַּמִּשְׁכָּב֙(bam·miš·kāḇ)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4904:Place of lying, a couch, act of lyingthatאֲשֶׁ֤ר(’ă·šer)Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834:Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order thatwas full ofמִלֵּא֙(mil·lê)Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4390:To fill, be full ofspicesבְּשָׂמִ֣ים(bə·śā·mîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1314:Fragrance, spicery, the balsam plantand variousוּזְנִ֔ים(ū·zə·nîm)Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2177:Nourished, a form, sortblendedמַעֲשֶׂ֑ה(ma·‘ă·śeh)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4639:An action, a transaction, activity, a product, propertyperfumes;מְרֻקָּחִ֖ים(mə·ruq·qā·ḥîm)Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 4842:An aromatic unguent, an unguent-potthen they made a greatגְּדוֹלָ֥ה(gə·ḏō·w·lāh)Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419:Great, older, insolentfireוַיִּשְׂרְפוּ־(way·yiś·rə·p̄ū-)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8313:To be, on firein his honor.שְׂרֵפָ֖ה(śə·rê·p̄āh)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8316:Cremation
Links
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OT History: 2 Chronicles 16:14 They buried him in his own tombs (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr) 
