2 Chronicles 14

King James Version

Full text for 2 Chronicles Chapter 14

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.

2And Asa did [that which was] good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God:

3For he took away the altars of the strange [gods], and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:

4And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.

5Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.

6And 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.

7Therefore 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.

8And 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.

10Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

11And 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.

12So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.

13And 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.

14And 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.

15They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

King Asa of Judah began his reign by doing what was good and right in the Lord's eyes, removing idolatry and commanding the people to seek God. During a decade of peace, he fortified cities. When a vast Ethiopian army invaded, Asa cried out to the Lord, who miraculously smote the invaders, leading to a decisive victory and abundant spoil for Judah.

Medium Summary

Upon succeeding his father Abijah, King Asa of Judah initiated a period of religious reform, diligently removing altars of strange gods, high places, images, and groves throughout the land. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and obey His law, leading to a decade of peace. During this time of rest, Asa wisely strengthened the kingdom by building and fortifying cities. However, this peace was challenged by Zerah the Ethiopian, who advanced with an immense army of a million men. Facing overwhelming odds, Asa humbly prayed to the Lord, acknowledging God's power to deliver regardless of the strength of the opposing forces. The Lord answered Asa's prayer, smiting the Ethiopians before Judah, causing them to flee. Asa and his army pursued the routed enemy, utterly destroying them and gathering a vast amount of spoil from both the battlefield and surrounding cities, demonstrating divine favor and protection.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with the death of Abijah and the accession of his son, Asa, to the throne of Judah. Asa's reign commenced with a period of ten years of peace, during which he demonstrated a strong commitment to righteousness in the sight of the Lord his God. He undertook significant religious reforms, systematically removing the altars of strange gods, dismantling high places, breaking down images, and cutting down the idolatrous groves throughout Judah. Furthermore, Asa actively commanded the people of Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to adhere to His law and commandments, ensuring the kingdom's spiritual purity. This period of divine favor and internal peace allowed Asa to focus on strengthening the kingdom's infrastructure. He built and fortified numerous cities with walls, towers, gates, and bars, recognizing that the Lord had granted them rest from war. Asa's military strength included a formidable army of 300,000 men from Judah and 280,000 from Benjamin, all described as mighty men of valour. However, this peace was dramatically interrupted by the invasion of Zerah the Ethiopian, who led an immense host of a million soldiers and three hundred chariots against Judah, advancing to Mareshah. Asa, despite his substantial army, recognized the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy. He confronted Zerah's forces in the valley of Zephathah and, in a moment of profound faith, cried out to the Lord. His prayer acknowledged God's omnipotence, stating that it was nothing for God to help, whether with many or with those who had no power, and he declared Judah's reliance on God's name. In response to Asa's earnest plea, the Lord miraculously smote the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, causing their complete rout. Asa and his forces pursued the fleeing enemy as far as Gerar, utterly overthrowing them so they could not recover, attributing their destruction to the Lord. The victory yielded an exceedingly vast amount of spoil, including goods from the battlefield and the surrounding cities, as the fear of the Lord fell upon the inhabitants. They also plundered the tents of cattle, taking abundant sheep and camels before returning triumphantly to Jerusalem.

Core Concepts

  • Religious ReformKing Asa initiated a comprehensive removal of idolatrous practices, including altars of strange gods, high places, images, and groves, commanding Judah to seek the Lord and obey His law. This demonstrates a commitment to monotheistic worship and adherence to the Mosaic Law.
  • Divine Rest and ProsperityAsa's early reign was marked by ten years of peace and rest granted by the Lord, during which he was able to build and fortify cities, attributing the kingdom's quietness and prosperity to God's favor.
  • Military PreparednessDespite a period of peace, Asa maintained a significant and well-equipped army, consisting of 580,000 mighty men, indicating a strategic approach to national security.
  • Prayer in AdversityFaced with an overwhelming invasion by Zerah the Ethiopian's million-man army, King Asa demonstrated profound faith by crying out to the Lord, acknowledging God's power to deliver regardless of human strength or numbers.
  • Divine Intervention in BattleThe Lord directly intervened in the conflict, smiting the vast Ethiopian army before Asa and Judah, resulting in a decisive and miraculous victory that utterly destroyed the enemy.
  • Spoils of WarFollowing the divine victory, Asa and his army pursued the routed Ethiopians and plundered their camp and surrounding cities, acquiring an exceedingly vast amount of spoil, including livestock, as a consequence of God's deliverance.