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2 Chronicles 14:9-15

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

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.

2 Chronicles 14:9-15 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 14:9

Theological / Devotional

Zerah the Ethiopian. As yet we have not been able to identify Zerah from contemporary records. Since there were Cushites in western Arabia and eastern Africa bordering on the Red Sea (see Gen. 10:6), Zerah may have been from that region. He may have had Libyan auxiliary forces in his army, from Egypt, where a Libyan dynasty ruled. Asa had done what he could to build up the national defenses and train an army (2 Chron. 14:6-8). So when Zerah struck, Judah was ready.

A thousand thousand. Some think that this symmetrical number expresses the thought of a very large host in the same way as we today speak of a “myriad” without intending to convey the idea of exactly or even approximately “ten thousand,” the literal meaning of the term. Those who hold this opinion point out that a million men would be entirely out of proportion. Be that as it may, Zerah’s forces were obviously an overwhelming “multitude” to Asa and his army. See pp. 122, 123.

Mareshah. One of the fortresses that Rehoboam had built (ch. 11:8). It was located in the lowland of Judah, about 25 mi. southwest of Jerusalem.

By SdaBc