Table of Contents
2 Chronicles 14
2 Chronicles 14
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 the Lord his God:
3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:
4 And commanded Judah to seek the Lord 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 images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
6 And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the Lord had given him rest.
7 Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord 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 of men that bare targets 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 valour.
9 And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.
10 Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11 And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee.
12 So the Lord 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 the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.
14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the Lord came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.
15 They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.
Notes
Cross Reference
Concordance
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 3
<html><b>And he commanded Judah to seek</b> unlike the Ten Tribes, who sought other, new Gods, which came up of late, and did not seek the God of their fathers.</html>
Verse 6
<html><b>as long as the land is before us</b> As long as the kingdom is established before us, so that if we need them, they will be a refuge for us. And all this happened in the ten years about which it is written (above 13:23): “in his time the land was tranquil.” But after those ten years, there was a war between him and Baasha all their lives, for in the third year of Asa, Baasha reigned, and seven years there was peace between them, and so it is proven here as well (verse 5): “and there was no war with him in these years.” But in the other years there was war with him, and below (15:19) it is written: “And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.” We can, however, explain that the war that he had with the Cushites was not until the thirty-fifth year of his reign, but this is difficult to me, for it is written below (16:1): “In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha…advanced,” until (verse 9): “you have dealt foolishly concerning this, for from now on there will be wars with you.” It appears from here that prior to this, he did not have wars, and he lived after that only five years, and in I Kings 15:32, it is written: “And there was war between Asa and Baasha, etc. all their lives.” In <i>Seder Olam</i> (ch. 16) it is explained clearly. <b>for we sought the Lord our God; we sought [Him]</b> Since we sought Him, He gave us peace from round about. <b>So they built</b> cities. <b>and prospered</b> And a similar instance is (above 12:7): “And when the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, etc.”</html>
Verse 10
<html><b>it makes no difference to You to aid</b> i.e., even though we are few and they are as numerous as the sand by the sea, and we have no strength before them, You can help both the great and the powerless; it is known that You have strength to aid; therefore, help us, O Lord our God, for we have relied on You. <b>let no man rule against You</b> Let not our enemies - man - have human strength to rule (עִמְּךָ) with You, i.e., against You, to be victorious, so that they should not say, “We have defeated their God.” Another explanation from the Rabbi: Let not the weak one (אֱנוֹשׁ) be held back (יַעְצר), for we are weak, deprived of strength, keeping us back (עוֹצְרֵי יָד) from defeating them. And an example is (Deut. 11:17): “and He will hold back (וְעָצַר) the heaven”; (Gen. 20:18): “For the Lord had held back (וְעָצר עָצַר),” and like (Jud. 13:16): “If you take me in (תַּעְצְרֵנִי).”</html>