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2
Chronicles Chapter Fourteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 14
This
chapter relates the death of Abijah
and the succession of Asa in his stead
2 Chronicles 14:1
gives a good character of the latter for his reformation in religion
and for
the care he took for the safety and protection of his subjects
2 Chronicles 14:2
and an account is given of a large army of Ethiopians that came against him
over whom he crying to the Lord
and trusting in him
by his help obtained a
complete victory
2 Chronicles 14:9.
2 Chronicles
14:1 So Abijah
rested with his fathers
and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his
son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for ten years.
YLT
1And Abijah lieth with his
fathers
and they bury him in the city of David
and reign doth Asa his son in
his stead: in his days was the land quiet ten years.
So Abijah slept with his fathers
1 Kings 15:8.
and Asa his son reigned in his stead; in his days the land was
quiet ten years; the Targum is
the land of Israel; but much better the
Septuagint
the land of Judah; these ten years
in which it had rest from war
were the first three years of Asa's reign
and the first seven of Baasha's
according to Jarchi
and which seems right; after which there was war between
them all their days
see 1 Kings 15:32.
2 Chronicles 14:2 2 Asa did what was
good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God
YLT
2And Asa doth that which is
good
and that which is right
in the eyes of Jehovah his God
And Asa did that which was good and right
.... See 1 Kings 15:11.
2 Chronicles 14:3 3 for he removed the altars
of the foreign gods and the high places
and broke down the sacred
pillars and cut down the wooden images.
YLT
3and turneth aside the
altars of the stranger
and the high places
and breaketh the standing-pillars
and cutteth down the shrines
For he took away the altars of the strange gods
.... Or of a
strange people
of the Zidonians
Ammonites
and Moabites
which had remained
from the times of Solomon
and which he built for his wives
1 Kings 11:7.
and the high places; built for idols; for as
for those on which the true God was worshipped
they were not removed in his
days
1 Kings 15:14.
and brake down the images: or statues
or pillars
erected to the honour of idols
and on which the images of them were placed:
and cut down the groves; in the midst of which
they stood.
2 Chronicles 14:4 4 He commanded Judah to seek
the Lord
God of their fathers
and to observe the law and the commandment.
YLT
4and saith to Judah to seek
Jehovah
God of their fathers
and to do the law and the command;
And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers
.... To pray
to him
and him only
and attend his worship and service; this he did by a
public edict:
and to do the law and the commandment: to observe
all the laws of God
moral
ceremonial
and civil.
2 Chronicles 14:5 5 He also removed the high
places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah
and the kingdom was
quiet under him.
YLT
5and he turneth aside out of
all cities of Judah the high places and the images
and the kingdom is quiet
before him.
Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places
and the images
.... Perhaps the high places in 2 Chronicles 14:3
design only the high places and altars in Jerusalem
and near it; these in all
the rest of the cities of the land; the "images were"
as the word
signifies
"sun images"
either made in the form of the sun
or
dedicated to it
or temples for it; See Gill on Leviticus 26:30
and the kingdom was quiet before him; he had no
foreign enemy to molest him
and so took that opportunity to reform divine
worship
and in that he met with no opposition from his people.
2 Chronicles 14:6 6 And he built fortified
cities in Judah
for the land had rest; he had no war in those years
because
the Lord
had given him rest.
YLT
6And he buildeth cities of
bulwarks in Judah
for the land hath quiet
and there is no war with him in
these years
because Jehovah hath given rest to him.
And he built fenced cities in Judah
.... For his defence
against the kingdom of Israel and other nations
as Rehoboam had done before
him; and which might have been demolished by Shishak king of Egypt
when he
took them
2 Chronicles 11:5.
for the land had rest; according to the Targum
the land of Israel rested
and gave no disturbance to the kingdom of Judah
not
having recovered the blow given them by Abijah; but it is rather to be
understood of the land of Judah
which
as it did not attempt the reduction of
the ten tribes
so it was neither attacked by them
nor any other enemy: and he
had no war in those years; in the ten years mentioned
2 Chronicles 14:1
neither with Israel nor any other nation: because the Lord had given him rest;
that he might be at leisure to do the above things; all rest is from the Lord
civil
spiritual
and eternal.
2 Chronicles 14:7 7 Therefore he said to
Judah
“Let us build these cities and make walls around them
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 has given us rest on every side.” So
they built and prospered.
YLT
7And he saith to Judah
`Let
us build these cities
and compass [them] with wall
and towers
two-leaved
doors
and bars
while the land [is] before us
because we have sought Jehovah
our God
we have sought
and He giveth rest to us round about;' and they build
and prosper.
Therefore he said unto Judah
.... To the nobles and
principal men of the kingdom:
let us build these cities; which he
no doubt
particularly mentioned by name
and pointed at; that is
repair and fortify
them
and put them into a better condition of defence:
and make about them walls and towers
gates and bars; which are
always made to fortified places
to protect the inhabitants
and keep out an
enemy:
while the land is yet before us; in our power
no enemy
in it
nor any to hinder or molest:
because we have sought the Lord our God
we have sought him
and
he hath given us rest on every side; had set up his pure
worship
reformed abuses in it
and removed idolatry from it
and closely
attended to the service of the sanctuary
which was well pleasing to God; the
happy effect of which they experienced
rest from all their enemies round about
them:
so that they built
and prospered; they began
and went on
and finished
there being nothing to hinder them.
2 Chronicles 14:8 8 And Asa had an army of
three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears
and from
Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew bows;
all these were mighty men of valor.
YLT
8And there is to Asa a force
bearing target and spear
out of Judah three hundred thousand
and out of
Benjamin
bearing shield and treading bow
two hundred and eighty thousand: all
these [are] mighty of valour.
And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears
out of
Judah three hundred thousand
.... These were armed with a large sort of
shield
to protect them
and with spears
to push at an enemy when they came
near them
and to close quarters with them:
and out of Benjamin
that bare shields and drew bows
two hundred
and fourscore thousand; these had also a lesser sort of shields
to defend their bodies
and bows and arrows
to annoy an enemy at a distance:
all these were mighty men of valour; able bodied men
valiant
and courageous; perhaps Asa gathered these together
on hearing that the
Ethiopians were preparing to attack him
as follows.
2 Chronicles 14:9 9 Then Zerah the Ethiopian
came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots
and he came to Mareshah.
YLT
9And come out unto them doth
Zerah the Cushite with a force of a thousand thousand
and chariots three
hundred
and he cometh in unto Mareshah
And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian
with an host
of thousand thousand
and three hundred chariots
.... According to
JosephusF2Antiqu. l. 8. c. 12. sect. 1.
this army consisted of
900
000 foot
and 100
000 horsemen
and certain it is there were horsemen among
them
2 Chronicles 16:8
some say these were not the Ethiopians in Africa
beyond Egypt
being
as is
said
too far off for such an army to travel
and it would be hard to say what
should induce them to it; and besides it is urged
the king of Egypt would
never have suffered them to pass through his dominions
as they must to come to
Judea; but that they were the Cushite Arabs
that inhabited Midian
part of
Arabia Petraea
and Arabia Felix
near Judaea; see Gill on Numbers 12:1
but
since this great host consisted of Lubim or Libyans
inhabitants of Africa
as
well as of Ethiopians
2 Chronicles 16:8
these Ethiopians seem to be rather those in Africa
who were masters of Egypt
and Libya
as well as Ethiopia
quickly after the death of Shishak
or
Sesostris
see 2 Chronicles 12:2
which accounts for the size of this army
and their passage through Egypt: that
there were two sorts of Ethiopians
the western and eastern ones
the one that
dwelt in Africa
the other in Asia
appears clearly from HomerF3Odyss.
1. ver. 23
24.
HerodotusF4Polymnia
sive
l. 7. c. 69
70.
and
HeliodorusF5Ethiopic. l. 9. c. 6.
the former of which seem here
meant; nor need this army be thought incredible
especially since they were
joined by the Lubim or Libyans
and assisted by the Philistines
as appears by
what follows; besides
the two armies of Israel and Judah we read of in the
preceding chapter
when put together
exceed this; see also 2 Chronicles 17:14
so the armies of Tamerlane and Bajazet
that of the former being 1
600
000
and
that of the latter 1
400
000F6Laonic. Chalcocond. de rebus Turc. l.
3. p. 98
102. :
and came unto Mareshah; a city in the tribe of
Judah
on the borders of it
2 Chronicles 11:8.
2 Chronicles 14:10 10 So Asa went out against
him
and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at
Mareshah.
YLT
10and Asa goeth out before
him
and they set battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
Then Asa went out against him
.... Notwithstanding he
brought so great an army with him:
and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at
Mareshah; where the Ethiopians were; he did not stay till they got further
into his country
but marched against them when on the frontiers of it
and
chose the valley to pitch in
as being more to the advantage of his smaller
army; see Judges 1:17.
2 Chronicles 14:11 11 And Asa cried out to the Lord his God
and
said
“Lord
it is nothing for You to help
whether with many or with those who have
no power; help us
O Lord
our God
for we rest on You
and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord
You are
our God; do not let man prevail against You!”
YLT
11And Asa calleth unto
Jehovah his God
and saith
`Jehovah! it is nothing with Thee to help
between
the mighty and those who have no power; help us
O Jehovah
our God
for on
Thee we have leant
and in Thy name we have come against this multitude; O
Jehovah
our God thou [art]; let him not prevail with Thee -- mortal man!
And Asa cried unto the Lord his God
.... Or prayed
as the
Targum
with vehemence
being in distress; this he did before the battle began
at the head of his army
and for the encouragement of it:
and said
Lord
it is nothing with thee to help; nothing can
hinder from helping
his power being superior to all others
and even infinite
and none besides him could:
whether with many
or with them that have no power; numbers make
no difference with him
nor the condition they are in; whether numerous and
mighty
or few and feeble; he can as easily help the one as the other
see 1 Samuel 14:6
help us
O Lord our God; who are few and weak in
comparison of the enemy:
for we rest on thee; trust in thee
and rely
upon thee for help; the Targum is
"on thy Word we lean:"
and in thy name we go against this multitude; expressing
faith in him
expecting help from him
encouraging and strengthening themselves
in him
going forth not in their own name and strength
but in his; the Targum
is
"in the name of the Word of the Lord:"
O Lord
thou art our God: and thou only we know
and serve no other
and we are thy people
called by thy name:
let not man prevail against thee; for should this enemy
prevail against them
it would be interpreted prevailing against their God.
2 Chronicles 14:12 12 So the Lord struck the
Ethiopians before Asa and Judah
and the Ethiopians fled.
YLT
12And Jehovah smiteth the
Cushim before Asa
and before Judah
and the Cushim flee
So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa
and before Judah
.... With
consternation and terror; they were thrown into a panic:
and the Ethiopians fled; before them
just as
Jeroboam and Israel had
as related in the preceding chapter
2 Chronicles 13:15.
2 Chronicles 14:13 13 And Asa and the people who
were with him pursued them to Gerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown
and they could not recover
for they were broken before the Lord and His army.
And they carried away very much spoil.
YLT
13and Asa and the people who
[are] with him pursue them even to Gerar
and there fall of the Cushim
for they
have no preserving
because they have been broken before Jehovah
and before
His camp; and they bear away very much spoil
And Asa
and the people that were with him
pursued them
unto Gerar
.... A city of the Philistines
Genesis 20:1
and the Ethiopians were overthrown
that they could not recover
themselves; they were thrown into such a fright
and into so much confusion
that they could not put themselves in order
and rally again; or there fell
such a vast number of them
that there were scarce any remaining alive
which
seems to be the sense of the words used:
for they were destroyed before the Lord
and before his host; the army of
Israel
which the Lord was
as it were
the Commander of
fought for
and led
them in the pursuit
and gave them victory; or it may mean an host of angels
employed in destroying this great army; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions
of 2 Chronicles 14:12
read
"the angel of the Lord smote the Ethiopians:"
and they carried away very much spoil; which they
found in their camp
and with their slain; even much gold and silver
as JosephusF7Ut
supra
(Antiq. l. 8. c. 12.) sect. 2. says.
2 Chronicles 14:14 14 Then they defeated all the
cities around Gerar
for the fear of the Lord came upon them; and they
plundered all the cities
for there was exceedingly much spoil in them.
YLT
14and smite all the cities
round about Gerar
for a fear of Jehovah hath been upon them
and they spoil
all the cities
for abundant spoil hath been in them;
And they smote all the cities round about Gerar
.... The
cities of the Philistines
who were auxiliaries and confederates with these
Ethiopians
and colonies from them
according to Theodoret
and who says
about
Eleutheropolis was a place
called
in his time
Geraron Saton:
for the fear of the Lord came upon them; so that they
had no power to defend themselves
and oppose the men of Judah:
and they spoiled all the cities; of the goods and
substance that were in them:
for there was exceeding much spoil in them; great wealth
and riches of one kind or another.
2 Chronicles 14:15 15 They also attacked the
livestock enclosures
and carried off sheep and camels in abundance
and
returned to Jerusalem.
YLT
15and also tents of cattle
they have smitten
and they capture sheep in abundance
and camels
and turn
back to Jerusalem.
They smote also the tents of cattle
.... The people that
dwelt in tents for the sake of the pasturage of their cattle; the Scenite
Arabs
so called from dwelling in tents:
and carried away sheep; which those Arabs were
feeding in Palestine
and which this great army brought with them for their
support:
and camels in abundance; which is another
circumstance proving them to be Arabs
who abounded with camels:
and returned to Jerusalem; with their spoil
and
with great joy.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》