Keraia
2 Chronicles 14

2 Chronicles 14:8

Asa Reigns in Judah · 2 Chronicles 14:1–15
Read 2 Chronicles 14

Translations

Modern
Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin bearing small shields and drawing the bow. All these were mighty men of valor.
Traditional
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.
Literal
And there was unto Asa a force bearing shields and spears: From Judah three hundred thousand, and from Benjamin, men who carried shields and drew bows, two hundred and eighty thousand. All these were mighty men of valor.
Latin
Habuit autem Asa in exercitu suo portantium scuta et hastas de Juda trecenta millia, de Benjamin vero scutariorum et sagittariorum ducenta octoginta millia: omnes isti viri fortissimi.

Original

Hebrew
English
Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin bearing small shields and drawing the bow. All these were mighty men of valor.

Notes

2 Chronicles 14:7–14

  • 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

Asa

Parallels

1 Kings 15:9–15

People

Asa: King of Judah, son of Abijah; father of Jehoshaphat Benjamin: Youngest son of Jacob and Rachel Judah: Israelite tribe, kingdom, and province

Glossary

Archaeology and the Bible Asa Chronicles, Books of First and Second Genealogy

Topics

Archery: Practiced by the Israelites Shield used by the Benjamites Shields: Many of the Israelites Used, with Expertness Target used by Spearmen The Bow used Expertly by Benjamites Tribe of Benjamin: Census of During the reign of Asa