2 Chronicles 14:8 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

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⁸ And Asa ^H609 had an army ^H2428 of men that bare ^H5375 targets ^H6793 and spears, ^H7420 out of Judah ^H3063 three ^H7969 hundred ^H3967 thousand; ^H505 and out of Benjamin, ^H1144 that bare ^H5375 shields ^H4043 and drew ^H1869 bows, ^H7198 two hundred ^H3967 and fourscore ^H8084 thousand: ^H505 all these were mighty men ^H1368 of valour. ^H2428

Cross Reference

2 Chronicles 17:14-19 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

And these are the numbers ^H6486 of them according to the house ^H1004 of their fathers: ^H1 Of Judah, ^H3063 the captains ^H8269 of thousands; ^H505 Adnah ^H5734 the chief, ^H8269 and with him mighty men ^H1368 of valour ^H2428 three ^H7969 hundred ^H3967 thousand. ^H505 And next ^H3027 to him was Jehohanan ^H3076 the captain, ^H8269 and with him two hundred ^H3967 and fourscore ^H8084 thousand. ^H505 And next ^H3027 him was Amasiah ^H6007 the son ^H1121 of Zichri, ^H2147 who willingly offered ^H5068 himself unto the LORD; ^H3068 and with him two hundred ^H3967 thousand ^H505 mighty men ^H1368 of valour. ^H2428 And of Benjamin; ^H1144 Eliada ^H450 a mighty man ^H1368 of valour, ^H2428 and with him armed men ^H5401 with bow ^H7198 and shield ^H4043 two hundred ^H3967 thousand. ^H505 And next ^H3027 him was Jehozabad, ^H3075 and with him an hundred ^H3967 and fourscore ^H8084 thousand ^H505 ready prepared ^H2502 for the war. ^H6635 These waited ^H8334 on the king, ^H4428 beside those whom the king ^H4428 put ^H5414 in the fenced ^H4013 cities ^H5892 throughout all Judah. ^H3063

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 14 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill Keil & Delitzsch Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Chapter 14

In this and the two following chapters we have the history of the reign of Asa, a good reign and a long one. In this chapter we have,

I. His piety (v. 1-5).
II. His policy (v. 6-8).
III. His prosperity, and particularly a glorious victory he obtained over a great army of Ethiopians that came out against him (v. 9-15).

2Ch 14:1-8

Here is,

I. Asa's general character (v. 2): He did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.
- 1. He aimed at pleasing God, studied to approve himself to him. Happy are those that walk by this rule, to do that which is right, not in their own eyes, or in the eye of the world, but in the eyes of God.
- 2. He saw God's eye always upon him, and that helped much to keep him to what was good and right.
- 3. God graciously accepted him in what he did, and approved his conduct as good and right.
II. A blessed work of reformation which he set on foot immediately upon his accession to the crown.
- 1. He removed and abolished idolatry. Since Solomon admitted idolatry, in the latter end of his reign, nothing had been done to suppress it, and so, we presume, it had got ground. Strange gods were worshipped and had their altars, images, and groves; and the temple service, though kept up by the priests (ch. 13:10), was neglected by many of the people. Asa, as soon as he had power in his hands, made it his business to destroy all those idolatrous altars and images (v. 3, 5), they being a great provocation to a jealous God and a great temptation to a careless unthinking people. He hoped by destroying the idols to reform the idolaters, which he aimed at, rather than to ruin them.
- 2. He revived and established the pure worship of God; and, since the priests did their part in attending God's altars, he obliged the people to do theirs (v. 4): He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and not the gods of the heathen, and to do the law and the commandments, that is, to observe all divine institutions, which many had utterly neglected. In doing this, the land was quiet before him, v. 5. Though they were much in love with their idols, and very loth to leave them, yet the convictions of their consciences sided with the commands of Asa, and they could not, for shame, refuse to comply with them. Note, Those that have power in their hands, and will use it vigorously for the suppression of profaneness and the reformation of manners, will not meet with so much difficulty and opposition therein as perhaps they feared. Vice is a sneaking thing, and virtue has reason enough on its side to make all iniquity stop her mouth, Ps. 107:42.
III. The tranquillity of his kingdom, after constant alarms of war during the last two reigns: In his days the land was quiet ten years (v. 1), no war with the kingdom of Israel, who did not recover the blow given them in the last reign for a great while. Abijah's victory, which was owing, under God, to his courage and bravery, laid a foundation for Asa's peace, which was the reward of his piety and reformation. Though Abijah had little religion himself, he was instrumental to prepare the way for one that had much. If Abijah had not done what he did to quiet the land, Asa could not have done what he did to reform it; for inter arma silent leges-amidst the din of arms the voice of law is unheard.
IV. The prudent improvement he made of that tranquillity: The land had rest, for the Lord had given him rest. Note, If God give quietness, who then can make trouble? Job 34:29. Those have rest indeed to whom God gives rest, peace indeed to whom Christ gives peace, not as the world giveth, Jn. 14:27. Now,
- 1. Asa takes notice of the rest they had as the gift of God (He hath given us rest on every side. Note, God must be acknowledged with thankfulness in the rest we are blessed with, of body and mind, family and country), and as the reward of the reformation begun: Because we have sought the Lord our God, he has given us rest. Note, As the frowns and rebukes of Providence should be observed for a check to us in an evil way, so the smiles of Providence should be taken notice of for our encouragement in that which is good. See Hag. 2:18, 19; Mal. 3:10. We find by experience that it is good to seek the Lord; it gives us rest. While we pursue the world we meet with nothing but vexation.
- 2. He consults with his people, by their representatives, how to make a good use of the present gleams of peace they enjoyed, and concludes with them,
  - (1.) That they must not be idle, but busy. Times of rest from war should be employed in work, for we must always find ourselves something to do. In the years when he had no war he said, "Let us build; still let us be doing.' When the churches had rest they were built up, Acts 9:31. When the sword is sheathed take up the trowel.
  - (2.) That they must not be secure, but prepare for wars. In times of peace we must be getting ready for trouble, expect it and lay up in store for it.
    - [1.] He fortified his principle cities with walls, towers, gates, and bars, v. 7. "This let us do,' says he, "while the land is yet before us,' that is, "while we have opportunity and advantage for it and have nothing to hinder us.' He speaks as if he expected that, some way or other, trouble would arise, when it would be too late to fortify, and when they would wish they had done it. So they built and prospered.
    - [2.] He had a good army ready to bring into the field (v. 8), not a standing army, but the militia or trained-bands of the country. Judah and Benjamin were mustered severally; and Benjamin (which not long ago was called little Benjamin, Ps. 68:27) had almost as many soldiers as Judah, came as near as 28 to 30, so strangely had that tribe increased of late. The blessing of God can make a little one to become a thousand. It should seem, these two tribes were differently armed, both offensively and defensively. The men of Judah guarded themselves with targets, the men of Benjamin with shields, the former of which were much larger than the latter, 1 Ki. 10:16, 17. The men of Judah fought with spears when they closed in with the enemy; the men of Benjamin drew bows, to reach the enemy at a distance. Both did good service, and neither could say to the other, I have no need of thee. Different gifts and employments are for the common good.

2Ch 14:9-15