2 Chronicles 15:7
“Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Second Chronicles 15 records the prophet Azariah meeting King Asa as he returns from a great victory. Azariah delivers a message that Israel's blessing depends on seeking the Lord. Verse 7 caps that message with a call to courage and perseverance. Stirred by the prophecy, Asa removes idols, repairs the altar, and leads a national covenant renewal, showing how a word of encouragement can spark genuine reform.
What Does 2 Chronicles 15:7 Mean?
This is a bracing word of encouragement for anyone tempted to give up: be strong, do not let your hands fall slack, because your work will be rewarded. The prophet Azariah speaks it to King Asa and the people of Judah after reminding them that God is with them when they seek Him. The phrase "let not your hands be weak" is a vivid picture -- in Hebrew, drooping hands are a sign of discouragement and surrender. The call is to keep working, keep serving, keep pressing on rather than letting weariness win.
The reason given is a promise: "your work shall be rewarded." God sees faithful labor and does not let it go unnoticed or unrewarded. This is not a guarantee of immediate results, but an assurance that effort spent in obedience to God is never wasted. Asa heard these words and was moved to act courageously, leading the nation in renewing their covenant with the Lord. The encouragement landed because it connected strength to a hope -- they were not laboring for nothing. The same truth steadies us today. When the work of faith feels slow or thankless, this verse reminds us to lift up our drooping hands and keep going, trusting the God who keeps account of every faithful effort and rewards it in His time.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew "chazaq" (be strong) means to be firm, courageous, and resolute. "Raphah" (weak) means to sink, droop, or grow slack, and "sakar" (reward) means wages or recompense for labor.
Cross References
“be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:58
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
- Galatians 6:9
“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
- Joshua 1:9
Application
When discouragement makes you want to quit, take this as a personal charge: be strong and keep your hands at the work. Trust that labor offered to God is never wasted, even when results are slow. Let the promise of reward renew your resolve to persevere in faithful service.