2 Chronicles 14:3-15

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 14:1-8

Here is, I. Asa's general character (2 Chron. 14:2): He did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 1. He aimed at pleasing God, studied to approve himself to him. Happy are those that walk by this rule, to do that which is right, not in their own eyes, or in the eye of the world, but in the eyes of God. 2. He saw God's eye always upon him, and that helped much to keep him to what was good and right. 3. God graciously accepted him in what he did, and approved his conduct... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 14:9-15

Here is, I. Disturbance given to the peace of Asa's kingdom by a formidable army of Ethiopians that invaded them, 2 Chron. 14:9, 10. Though still they sought God, yet this fear came upon them, that their faith in God might be tried, and that God might have an opportunity of doing great things for them. It was a vast number that the Ethiopians brought against him: 1,000,000 men; and now he found the benefit of having an army ready raised against such a time of need. That provision which we... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 14:3

For he took away the altars of the strange gods ,.... Or of a strange people, of the Zidonians, Ammonites, and Moabites, which had remained from the times of Solomon, and which he built for his wives, 1 Kings 11:7 . and the high places ; built for idols; for as for those on which the true God was worshipped, they were not removed in his days, 1 Kings 15:14 . and brake down the images : or statues, or pillars, erected to the honour of idols, and on which the images of them were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 14:4

And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers ,.... To pray to him, and him only, and attend his worship and service; this he did by a public edict: and to do the law and the commandment : to observe all the laws of God, moral, ceremonial, and civil. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 14:5

Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images ,.... Perhaps the high places in 2 Chronicles 14:3 design only the high places and altars in Jerusalem, and near it; these in all the rest of the cities of the land; the "images were", as the word signifies, "sun images", either made in the form of the sun, or dedicated to it, or temples for it; See Gill on Leviticus 26:30 , and the kingdom was quiet before him ; he had no foreign enemy to molest him, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 14:6

And he built fenced cities in Judah ,.... For his defence against the kingdom of Israel and other nations, as Rehoboam had done before him; and which might have been demolished by Shishak king of Egypt, when he took them, 2 Chronicles 11:5 . for the land had rest ; according to the Targum, the land of Israel rested, and gave no disturbance to the kingdom of Judah, not having recovered the blow given them by Abijah; but it is rather to be understood of the land of Judah, which, as it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 14:7

Therefore he said unto Judah ,.... To the nobles and principal men of the kingdom: let us build these cities ; which he, no doubt, particularly mentioned by name, and pointed at; that is, repair and fortify them, and put them into a better condition of defence: and make about them walls and towers, gates and bars ; which are always made to fortified places, to protect the inhabitants, and keep out an enemy: while the land is yet before us ; in our power, no enemy in it, nor any... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 14:8

And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand ,.... These were armed with a large sort of shield, to protect them, and with spears, to push at an enemy when they came near them, and to close quarters with them: and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand ; these had also a lesser sort of shields, to defend their bodies, and bows and arrows, to annoy an enemy at a distance: all these were mighty... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 14:9

And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian, with an host of thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots ,.... According to Josephus F2 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 12. sect. 1. , this army consisted of 900,000 foot, and 100,000 horsemen, and certain it is there were horsemen among them, 2 Chronicles 16:8 some say these were not the Ethiopians in Africa, beyond Egypt, being, as is said, too far off for such an army to travel, and it would be hard to say what should induce them to it;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 14:10

Then Asa went out against him ,.... Notwithstanding he brought so great an army with him: and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah ; where the Ethiopians were; he did not stay till they got further into his country, but marched against them when on the frontiers of it, and chose the valley to pitch in, as being more to the advantage of his smaller army; see Judges 1:17 . read more

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