2 Chronicles 14:10

Modern

So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

Traditional

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

Literal

And Asa went out against him for battle, and they arrayed in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

Latin

Porro Asa perrexit obviam ei, et instruxit aciem ad bellum in valle Sephata, quæ est juxta Maresa:

Hebrew

English

So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

Solomon prayed for the Lord to hear his people when they went into battle (2 Chronicles 6:34). In the battle against Zerah, God answered this prayer.
The term Cushite might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite area northeast of Aqabah (see Numbers 12:1; Habakkuk 3:7). However, several things suggest that Zerah was Egyptian:
- The mention of Libya in 2 Chronicles 16:8
- The battle's size (similar to Shishak's attack on Rehoboam in 2 Chronicles 12:3)
- Mareshah's location in western Judah suggest Zerah
He is otherwise unknown. He might have been a Nubian general sent by Osorkon I, the Libyan pharaoh who ruled Egypt between the tenth and fourteenth years of Asa, around 900 to 897 BC. Another view is that Shishak created a buffer state around Gerar, supported by Nubian mercenaries who invaded Judah. The account, however, only states that Asa and his armies chased the enemy south to Gerar and took a large amount of plunder, especially from the herdsmen living in tents around the cities.

Theme notes and profiles

Judges 1:17
Then the men of Judah went with their brothers the Simeonites, attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and devoted the city to destruction. So it was called Hormah.
Joshua 19:4
Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,

Asa: King of Judah, son of Abijah; father of Jehoshaphat

Mareshah: A town in Judah; fortified by Rehoboam Valley of Zephathah: A valley where Asa defeated the Cushite army