2 Chronicles 14

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 i. e. There was no open War, either by Baasha or others; only there were secret Grudges and private Hostilities between his and Baasha's Subjects, 1 King. 15. 16..

And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD Of this and the next verse see on 1 King. 15. 11, 12. his God.

For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:

And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers By his Royal Edicts he required them to worship God, and him only., and to do the law and the commandment i. e. To practise all which the Laws of Moses required of them..

Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places, and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.

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.

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 i. e. In out Power, as that Phrase is oft used. See on Gen. 13. 9. 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.

And Asa had an army of men Which, as it seems, he had now gathered together upon the Information of Zerahs Design against him., that bare targets and spears, out of Judah, three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin, that bare sh... elds and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.

And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian Or, the Arabian as the Hebrew word Cush is commonly used, as has been noted before: These being much nearer to Asa than the Ethiopians, who also could not have come to Asa but thorough Egypt, which probably the King of Egypt would not permit him to do. with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots, and came unto Maresha A City upon and within the Borders of Judah, Ios. 15. 44..

Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battel in aray in the valley of Zephathah, at Mareshah.

And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee i. e. The... e is no difference, or no difficulty, 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 By thy, in confidence of thy Assistance, and for the maintenance of thy Honour, and Service, and People. we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God, let not man prevail against thee.

So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.

And Asa and the people that were with him, pursued them unto Gerar A City of the Philistins, who probably were Confederat... with them in this Design.: 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.

And they smote all the cities round about Gerar Partly because they had joyned with Zerah in this War; and partly because the Ethiopians had sheltred a great part of the Remains of the Army in them., for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities, for there was exceeding much spoil in them.

They smote also the tents of cattel i. e. The dwellers in Tents, which were either a Part of Zerahs Company, or joyned with them, or had come along with them to furnish that Great Host with necessary Provisions; which their Custom of dwelling in Tents made them more capable of doing., and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.