1 So Abijah H29 slept H7901 with his fathers, H1 and they buried H6912 him in the city H5892 of David: H1732 and Asa H609 his son H1121 reigned H4427 in his stead. In his days H3117 the land H776 was quiet H8252 ten H6235 years. H8141
And Abijam H38 slept H7901 with his fathers; H1 and they buried H6912 him in the city H5892 of David: H1732 and Asa H609 his son H1121 reigned H4427 in his stead. And in the twentieth H6242 year H8141 of Jeroboam H3379 king H4428 of Israel H3478 reigned H4427 Asa H609 over Judah. H3063 And forty H705 and one H259 years H8141 reigned H4427 he in Jerusalem. H3389 And his mother's H517 name H8034 was Maachah, H4601 the daughter H1323 of Abishalom. H53 And Asa H609 did H6213 that which was right H3477 in the eyes H5869 of the LORD, H3068 as did David H1732 his father. H1 And he took away H5674 the sodomites H6945 out of the land, H776 and removed H5493 all the idols H1544 that his fathers H1 had made. H6213 And also Maachah H4601 his mother, H517 even her he removed H5493 from being queen, H1377 because she had made H6213 an idol H4656 in a grove; H842 and Asa H609 destroyed H3772 her idol, H4656 and burnt H8313 it by the brook H5158 Kidron. H6939 But the high places H1116 were not removed: H5493 nevertheless Asa's H609 heart H3824 was perfect H8003 with the LORD H3068 all his days. H3117 And he brought H935 in the things H6944 which his father H1 had dedicated, H6944 and the things which himself had dedicated, H6944 into the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 silver, H3701 and gold, H2091 and vessels. H3627 And there was war H4421 between Asa H609 and Baasha H1201 king H4428 of Israel H3478 all their days. H3117 And Baasha H1201 king H4428 of Israel H3478 went up H5927 against Judah, H3063 and built H1129 Ramah, H7414 that he might not suffer H5414 any to go out H3318 or come in H935 to Asa H609 king H4428 of Judah. H3063 Then Asa H609 took H3947 all the silver H3701 and the gold H2091 that were left H3498 in the treasures H214 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and the treasures H214 of the king's H4428 house, H1004 and delivered H5414 them into the hand H3027 of his servants: H5650 and king H4428 Asa H609 sent H7971 them to Benhadad, H1130 the son H1121 of Tabrimon, H2886 the son H1121 of Hezion, H2383 king H4428 of Syria, H758 that dwelt H3427 at Damascus, H1834 saying, H559 There is a league H1285 between me and thee, and between my father H1 and thy father: H1 behold, I have sent H7971 unto thee a present H7810 of silver H3701 and gold; H2091 come H3212 and break H6565 thy league H1285 with Baasha H1201 king H4428 of Israel, H3478 that he may depart H5927 from me. So Benhadad H1130 hearkened H8085 unto king H4428 Asa, H609 and sent H7971 the captains H8269 of the hosts H2428 which he had against the cities H5892 of Israel, H3478 and smote H5221 Ijon, H5859 and Dan, H1835 and Abelbethmaachah, H62 and all Cinneroth, H3672 with all the land H776 of Naphtali. H5321 And it came to pass, when Baasha H1201 heard H8085 thereof, that he left off H2308 building H1129 of Ramah, H7414 and dwelt H3427 in Tirzah. H8656 Then king H4428 Asa H609 made a proclamation H8085 throughout all Judah; H3063 none was exempted: H5355 and they took H5375 away the stones H68 of Ramah, H7414 and the timber H6086 thereof, wherewith Baasha H1201 had builded; H1129 and king H4428 Asa H609 built H1129 with them Geba H1387 of Benjamin, H1144 and Mizpah. H4709 The rest H3499 of all the acts H1697 of Asa, H609 and all his might, H1369 and all that he did, H6213 and the cities H5892 which he built, H1129 are they not written H3789 in the book H5612 of the chronicles H1697 H3117 of the kings H4428 of Judah? H3063 Nevertheless in the time H6256 of his old age H2209 he was diseased H2470 in his feet. H7272 And Asa H609 slept H7901 with his fathers, H1 and was buried H6912 with his fathers H1 in the city H5892 of David H1732 his father: H1 and Jehoshaphat H3092 his son H1121 reigned H4427 in his stead.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 14
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 14 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 14
2Ch 14:1-5. Asa Destroys Idolatry.
1. In his days the land was quiet ten years—This long interval of peace was the continued effect of the great battle of Zemaraim (compare 1Ki 15:11-14).
2. Asa did that which was good and right—(compare 1Ki 15:14). Still his character and life were not free from faults (2Ch 16:7, 10, 12).
3. brake down the images—of Baal (see on 2Ch 34:4; Le 26:30).
cut down the groves—rather, "Asherim."
5. he took away … the high places—that is, those devoted to idolatrous rites.
took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images—All public objects and relics of idolatry in Jerusalem and other cities through his kingdom were destroyed; but those high places where God was worshipped under the figure of an ox, as at Beth-el, were allowed to remain (1Ki 15:14); so far the reformation was incomplete.
2Ch 14:6-8. Having Peace, He Strengthens His Kingdom with Forts and Armies.
6. he built fenced cities in Judah—(See on 1Ki 15:22).
7. while the land is yet before us—that is, while we have free and undisputed progress everywhere; no foe is near; but, as this happy time of peace may not last always and the kingdom is but small and weak, let us prepare suitable defenses in case of need. He had also an army of five hundred eighty thousand men. Judah furnished the heavily armed soldiers, and Benjamin the archers. This large number does not mean a body of professional soldiers, but all capable of bearing arms and liable to be called into service.
2Ch 14:9-15. He Overcomes Zerah, and Spoils the Ethiopians.
9. there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian—This could not have been from Ethiopia south of the cataracts of the Nile, for in the reign of Osorkon I, successor of Shishak, no foreign army would have been allowed a free passage through Egypt. Zerah must, therefore, have been chief of the Cushites, or Ethiopians of Arabia, as they were evidently a nomad horde who had a settlement of tents and cattle in the neighborhood of Gerar.
a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots—"Twenty camels employed to carry couriers upon them might have procured that number of men to meet in a short time. As Zerah was the aggressor, he had time to choose when he would summon these men and attack the enemy. Every one of these Cushite shepherds, carrying with them their own provisions of flour and water, as is their invariable custom, might have fought with Asa without eating a loaf of Zerah's bread or drinking a pint of his water" [Bruce, Travels].
10. Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array … at Mareshah—one of the towns which Rehoboam fortified (2Ch 11:8), near a great southern pass in the low country of Judah (Jos 15:44). The engagement between the armies took place in a plain near the town, called "the valley of Zephathah," supposed to be the broad way coming down Beit Jibrin towards Tell Es-Safren [Robinson].
11-13. Asa cried unto the Lord his God—Strong in the confidence that the power of God was able to give the victory equally with few as with many, the pious king marched with a comparatively small force to encounter the formidable host of marauders at his southern frontier. Committing his cause to God, he engaged in the conflict—completely routed the enemy, and succeeded in obtaining, as the reward of his victory, a rich booty in treasure and cattle from the tents of this pastoral horde.