2 Chronicles 14: Asa's quiet years, and the victory over Zerah
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Abijah dies and his son Asa reigns, and the land is quiet ten years. Asa takes away the foreign altars, high places, pillars and Asherah poles, tells Judah to seek Yahweh, and builds fortified cities. Zerah the Ethiopian comes against him with an army of a million and three hundred chariots; Asa cries to Yahweh, Yahweh strikes the Ethiopians, and Judah pursues them to Gerar and carries away much booty.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words of his own in this chapter. Asa speaks to Judah in verse 7, saying why they should build, and prays to Yahweh in verse 11. Those are his own words. Verses 12 to 14, that Yahweh struck the Ethiopians and that the fear of Yahweh came on them, are the narrator's words. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in David’s city; and Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days, the land was quiet ten years.
In plain English: So Abijah lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in David's city, and his son Asa became king in his place. In his days the land was quiet ten years.
Good to know: This Bible calls the king Abijah here. and call him Abijam, and the same words about his burial and about Asa reigning in his place are in 1 Kings 15:8. The text does not explain the two spellings.
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2Asa did that which was good and right in Yahweh his God’s eyes,
In plain English: Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of Yahweh his God.
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3for he took away the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, cut down the Asherah poles,
In plain English: He removed the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.
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4and commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to obey his law and command.
In plain English: He told Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment.
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5Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun images; and the kingdom was quiet before him.
In plain English: He also removed from all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun images (or: incense altars). The kingdom was quiet before him.
The Hebrew word: "Sun images" is chamman, which the dictionary gives as "a sun-pillar". It is in 8 verses of the Bible, and this Bible says "image" in 3 of them. The word is not the same as "pillars" in verse 3, which is another Hebrew word.
What changes: Read as "sun images", they are objects tied to the sun. Read as "incense altars", they are altars for burning incense, which is the meaning the Hebrew word-list gives in this verse. The text does not say which.
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6He built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because Yahweh had given him rest.
In plain English: He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land was quiet. He had no war in those years, because Yahweh had given him rest.
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7For he said to Judah, “Let’s build these cities and make walls around them, with towers, gates, and bars. The land is yet before us, because we have sought Yahweh our God. We have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.
In plain English: He said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still before us, because we have sought Yahweh our God. We sought him, and he has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered.
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8Asa had an army of three hundred thousand out of Judah who bore bucklers and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand out of Benjamin who bore shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor.
In plain English: Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried large shields and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows. All of these were mighty men of valor.
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9Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million troops and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah.
In plain English: Zerah the Ethiopian (Hebrew: the Cushite) came out against them with an army of a million (word for word: a thousand thousand) and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah.
The Hebrew word: "The Ethiopian" is Kushi, which the dictionary gives as "a Cushite, or descendant of Cush".
How it is translated: This Bible says "Ethiopian" in 13 of the 19 verses that use the word and "Cushite" in the other 6. "A million" is word for word "a thousand thousand". The text does not say where Zerah came from.
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10Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
In plain English: Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up for battle in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
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11Asa cried to Yahweh his God, and said, “Yahweh, there is no one besides you to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help us, Yahweh our God; for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. Yahweh, you are our God. Don’t let man prevail against you.”
In plain English: Asa called out to Yahweh his God and said, "Yahweh, there is no one but you to help, whether the mighty or those without strength. Help us, Yahweh our God, for we depend on you, and in your name we have come against this crowd. Yahweh, you are our God. Do not let man prevail against you (word for word: do not let man hold with you)."
The Hebrew word: "Prevail" is atsar, which the dictionary gives as "to inclose; by analogy, to hold back; also to maintain, rule, assemble". Word for word the end of the prayer says "let not man hold with you", and "man" is a word that means man in general.
How it is translated: The word is in 45 verses of the Bible, and this Bible says "prevail" in only 1 of them, this one. It says "shut" in 12 of the 45. The text does not say more about what is meant.
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12So Yahweh struck the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
In plain English: Yahweh struck down the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.
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13Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So many of the Ethiopians fell that they could not recover themselves, for they were destroyed before Yahweh and before his army. Judah’s army carried away very much booty.
In plain English: Asa and the people with him pursued them to Gerar. So many of the Ethiopians fell that they could not recover themselves (word for word: there was no recovery for them), for they were broken before Yahweh and before his army. The men of Judah carried away very much booty.
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14They struck all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of Yahweh came on them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.
In plain English: They struck down all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of Yahweh was on them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.
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15They also struck the tents of those who had livestock, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, then returned to Jerusalem.
In plain English: They also struck down the tents of those who had livestock, and took captive sheep in great number and camels, and they returned to Jerusalem.
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