2 Chronicles 14:9

years, 2Chr 14:1. He makes a great reformation in Judah, and builds cities of defense, 2Chr 14:2-7. His military strength, 2Chr 14:8. He is attacked by Zerah the Ethiopian, with an immense army; Asa cries to the Lord, attacks the Ethiopians, and gives them a total overthrow, 2Chr 14:9-12. He takes several of their cities, their cattle, etc., and returns to Jerusalem, laden with spoils, 2Chr 14:13-15. Verse 1 The land was quiet ten years - Calmet thinks these years should be counted from the fifth to the fifteenth of Asa's reign. Verse 2 Did that which was good - He attended to what the law required relative to the worship of God. He was no idolater, though, morally speaking, he was not exempt from faults, 1Kgs 15:14. He suppressed idolatry universally, and encouraged the people to worship the true God: see 2Chr 14:3-5. Verse 6 Fenced cities - To preserve his territories from invasion, and strengthen the frontiers of his kingdom, see 2Chr 14:7. Verse 8 Targets and spears - Probably targets with the dagger in the center, and javelins for distant fight. Bare shields and drew bows - They were not only archers, but had shield and sword for close fight. Verse 9 Zerah the Ethiopian - Probably of that Ethiopia which lay on the south of Egypt, near to Libya, and therefore the Libyans are joined with them, 2Chr 16:8. A thousand thousand - If this people had come from any great distance, they could not have had forage for such an immense army. Verse 11 Whether with many - The same sentiment as that uttered by Jonathan, 1Sam 14:6, when he attacked the garrison of the Philistines. O Lord our God - we rest on thee - "Help us, O Lord our God; because we depend on thy Word, and in the name of thy Word we come against this great host." - Targum. Verse 14 There was - much spoil in them - These cities being on the rear of this vast army, they had laid up much forage in them; and to get this the Jews overthrew the whole. Verse 15 Tents of cattle - Those which had carried the baggage of the great army, and which they had left in such places as abounded with pasture. Perhaps sheepfolds, enclosures for camels, mules, etc., may also be intended. The discomfiture was great, because God fought for the people; and the spoil was immense, because the multitude was prodigious, indeed almost incredible, a million of men in one place is almost too much for the mind to conceive, but there may be some mistake in the numerals: it is evident from the whole account that the number was vast and the spoil great. Introduction

Ethiopian - Or, the Arabian, as the Hebrew word Cush is commonly used: these being much nearer to Asa than the Ethiopians.

Asa Defeats the Ethiopians. ( b. c. 945.) 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 not 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. Here is, I. Disturbance given to the peace of Asa's kingdom by a formidable army of Ethiopians that invaded them, v. 9, 10 . Though still they sought God, yet this fear came upon them, that their faith in God might be tried, and that God might have an opportunity of doing great things for them. It was a vast number that the Ethiopians brought against him: 1,000 000 men; and now he found the benefit of having an army ready raised against such a time of need. That provision which we thought needless may soon appear to be of great advantage. II. The application Asa made to God on occasion of the threatening cloud which now hung over his head, v. 11 . He that sought God in the day of his peace and prosperity could with holy boldness cry to God in the day of his trouble, and call him his God. His prayer is short, but has much in it. 1. He gives to God the glory of his infinite power and sovereignty: It is nothing with thee to help and save by many or few, by those that are mighty or by those that have no power. See 1 Sam. xiv. 6 . God works in his own strength, not in the strength of instruments ( Ps. xxi. 13 ), nay, it is his glory to help the weakest and to perfect strength out of the mouth of babes and sucklings. "We do not say, Lord, take our part, for we have a good army for thee to work by; but, take our part, for without thee we have no power." 2. He takes hold of their covenant-relation to God as theirs. O Lord, our God! and again, " Thou art our God, whom we have chosen and cleave to as ours, and who hast promised to be ours." 3. He pleads their dependence upon God, and the eye they had to him in this expedition. He was well prepared for it, yet trusted not to his preparations; but, "Lord, we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude, by warrant from thee, aiming at thy glory, and trusting to thy strength." 4. He interests God in their cause: " Let not man" (mortal man, so the word is) " prevail against thee. If he prevail against us, it will be said that he prevails against thee, because thou art our God, and we rest on thee and go forth in thy name, which thou hast encouraged us to do. The enemy is a mortal man; make it to appear what an unequal match he is for an immortal God. Lord, maintain thy own honour; hallowed by thy name. " III. The glorious victory God gave him over his enemies. 1. God defeated the enemy, and put their forces into disorder ( v. 12 ): The Lord smote the Ethiopians, smote them with terror, and an unaccountable consternation, so that they fled, and knew neither why nor whither. 2. Asa and his soldiers took the advantage God gave them against the enemy. (1.) They destroyed them. They fell before the Lord (for who can stand before him?) and before his host, either an invisible host of angels that were employed to destroy them or the host of Israel, called God's host because owned by him. (2.) They took the plunder of their camp, carried away very much spoil from the slain and from the baggage. (3.) They smote the cities that were in league with them, to which they fled for shelter, and carried off the spoil of them ( v. 14 ); and they were not able to make any resistance, for the fear of the Lord came upon them, that is, a fear which God struck them with to such a degree that they had no heart to withstand the conquerors. (4.) They fetched away the cattle out of the enemy's country, in vast numbers, v. 15 . Thus the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.