2 Chronicles 14

Chapter context

What is happening in 2 Chronicles 14?

templereformprayerjudgment

2 Chronicles 14 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as the kings of Judah. Second Chronicles recounts Solomon’s temple, the Judahite kings, reform movements, the fall of Jerusalem, and Cyrus’s decree of return. Read this chapter with the wider themes of temple, reform, and prayer in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

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 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.

Study helps

Glossary

Abijah Person v. 1: Father (i. e., “possessor or worshipper”) of Jehovah. (1. ) 1 Chr. 7:8 . (2. ) 1 Chr. 2:24 . (3. ) The second son of Samuel ( 1 Sam. 8:2 ; 1 Chr. 6:28 ).
Asa Person v. 1-2, 8, 10-13: Physician, son of Abijah and grandson of Rehoboam, was the third king of Judah.
City People v. 1: The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).
City of David Place v. 1: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: City of David.
David Person v. 1: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Benjamin Person v. 8: Son of my right hand. (1. ) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel ( Gen. 35:18 ). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place.
Mareshah Place v. 9-10: Possession, a city in the plain of Judah ( John. 15:44 ). Here Asa defeated Zerah the Ethiopian ( 2 Chr. 14:9 , 10). It is identified with the ruin el-Mer’ash, about 1 1/2 mile south of Beit Jibrin. Modern identification: Tel Maresha.
Valley of Zephathah Place v. 10: Biblical special. Modern identification: Wadi Safiyeh.
Gerar Place v. 13-14: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Haror.
Jerusalem Place v. 15: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.