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2 Chronicles 14

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Asa's Righteous Reign and Reforms 1–8

1
So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years. ​
2
And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of Jehovah his God: ​
3
for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and brake down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, ​
4
and commanded Judah to seek Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. ​
5
Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun-images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
6
And he built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because Jehovah had given him rest. ​
7
For he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars; the land is yet before us, because we have sought Jehovah our God; we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered. ​
8
And Asa had an army that bare bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valor. ​

Zerah the Ethiopian Invades Judah 9–15

9
And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came unto Mareshah. ​
10
Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11
And Asa cried unto Jehovah his God, and said, Jehovah, there is none besides thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength: help us, O Jehovah our God; for we rely on thee, and in thy name are we come against this multitude. O Jehovah, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. ​
12
So Jehovah smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. ​
13
And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and there fell of the Ethiopians so many that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before Jehovah, and before his host; and they carried away very much booty. ​
14
And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of Jehovah came upon them: and they despoiled all the cities; for there was much spoil in them. ​
15
They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Chronicles 14

Verse 1

the land was quiet ten years — Shaqat, to be undisturbed, is the verb of 'the land had rest' in v.6. The burial 'in the city of David' follows the formula of 1 Kings 15:8. The quiet lasts ten years, and 15:19 adds that 'there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa'.

Verse 2

good and right in the eyes of the LORD — Tov and yashar, 'good and right', are the pair of Deut 12:28, 'that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God'. Kings gives the comparison: he 'did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father' (1 Kings 15:11). The same words describe Hezekiah in 31:20.

Verse 3

the altars of the strange gods — The acts follow the commands of Deut 7:5 and Ex 34:13: 'destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves'. 'Strange' is nekar, foreign. 'Images' are matstsebah, standing pillars, and 'groves' translates asherah, the name of a goddess and of her image.

Verse 4

to seek the LORD God of their fathers — Darash, to inquire after and resort to, is the verb of 12:14, where Rehoboam 'prepared not his heart to seek the LORD'. The command joins seeking to doing 'the law and the commandment' (torah and mitzvah). In 15:12 Judah enters 'into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers'.

Verse 6

the LORD had given him rest — Nuach, to give rest, is the verb of 1 Chr 22:9, where the LORD promises Solomon 'rest from all his enemies round about'. Asa builds 'fenced cities' (metsurah), the word used of Rehoboam's cities in 11:10 and 11:23, and the stated condition is that 'he had no war in those years'.

Verse 7

we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him — Darash is said twice, and it is named as the reason for the rest 'on every side'. 'Prospered' is tsalach, the verb of 13:12, 'ye shall not prosper'. The walls, towers, gates and bars are the fittings of the fenced cities of v.6, built 'while the land is yet before us'.

Verse 8

targets and spears… shields and drew bows — Judah's three hundred thousand carry the tsinnah, the large shield, with the spear. Benjamin's two hundred and fourscore thousand carry the magen, the smaller shield, and draw the bow. That makes 580,000 men, 'mighty men of valour' (gibbor chayil), the phrase used of Jeroboam's army in 13:3.

Verse 9

Zerah the Ethiopian — He comes with 'a thousand thousand' and three hundred chariots to Mareshah, a city of Judah (Josh 15:44) that Rehoboam had fortified (11:8). Against Asa's 580,000 (v.8) that is nearly twice the number. Hanani later recalls it as 'a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen' (16:8).

Verse 11

we rest on thee — Sha'an, to lean upon, is the verb of 13:18, 'they relied upon the LORD'. The plea 'it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power' is the thought of Jonathan's 'there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few' (1 Sam 14:6). 'Man' is enosh, mortal man.

Verse 12

the LORD smote the Ethiopians — The verb is nagaph, as in 13:15, 'God smote Jeroboam and all Israel', and the blow again falls 'before Asa, and before Judah'. Asa had asked, 'let not man prevail'; the answer is that the Ethiopians 'fled' (nus). The victory is given to the LORD, not to the 580,000 of v.8.

Verse 13

unto Gerar — Gerar is the Philistine city where Abraham sojourned (Gen 20:1) and Isaac went to Abimelech (Gen 26:1). 'Recover themselves' is michyah, preservation of life, the word for what keeps a person alive. They were 'destroyed' (shabar, broken) 'before the LORD, and before his host', and Judah carried off 'very much spoil'.

Verse 14

the fear of the LORD came upon them — Pachad, dread or terror, is the word of 17:10, 'the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah', and of 20:29. Here it falls on the cities round about Gerar, and the men of Judah 'smote' and 'spoiled' them.