2 Chronicles 14

This chapter continues the record of the kings of Judah in 2 Chronicles. Following 2 Chronicles 13, which covers the reign of King Abijah, it begins the account of how his son Asa came to the throne. Asa's story continues through 2 Chronicles 16.

Outline

• Verses 1–5: Abijah is buried in the city of David, and Asa becomes king. The land is quiet for ten years. Asa removes the altars of the foreign gods and the high places (sites of worship built on elevated ground), breaks down the images (stone pillars), and cuts down the groves (Asherah poles). He also commands Judah to seek the LORD and to keep the law.
• Verses 6–8: During the years without war, Asa builds fortified cities. His army consists of 300,000 men of Judah and 280,000 men of Benjamin.
• Verses 9–11: Zerah the Ethiopian (Cushite) comes to Mareshah with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots. Asa sets his troops in battle array in the valley of Zephathah and cries out to the LORD in prayer.
• Verses 12–15: The LORD smites the Ethiopians, and they flee. Asa's army pursues them as far as Gerar, strikes the surrounding cities, and returns to Jerusalem with abundant spoil, sheep, and camels.

Key Verses

• 2 Chronicles 14:7: "We have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side." Spoken by Asa, this verse expresses the Chronicler's theme that those who seek God find rest.
• 2 Chronicles 14:11: "LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power." This verse is often read as a model of prayer that relies on God alone when facing overwhelming odds.

People and Places

• Asa: King of Judah and son of Abijah.
• Abijah: King of Judah and father of Asa.
• Zerah: The Ethiopian (Cushite) who came with an army of a million men.
• Mareshah and the valley of Zephathah: Locations in the lowlands of southwestern Judah, where Asa faced Zerah in battle.
• Gerar: A city southwest of Judah, the point to which Asa's army pursued the Ethiopians.
• Jerusalem: The capital to which Asa's army returned with the spoil.

Points for Reflection

• Comparison with Kings: Asa's story also appears in 1 Kings 15, but the war with Zerah is recorded only in 2 Chronicles. In addition, verses 3 and 5 state that Asa removed the high places, whereas 1 Kings 15:14 and 2 Chronicles 15:17 note that the high places were not taken away. Interpreters sometimes explain this difference as one of timing (early reforms versus later conditions) or of region (Judah versus Israel).
• Large numbers: Some read the figures of 580,000 in Asa's army and a million in Zerah's army literally. Others understand the Hebrew word translated "thousand" as referring to a military unit.
• Identity of Zerah: Cush (Ethiopia) usually refers to the region of the upper Nile. However, Zerah's identity has not been confirmed by sources outside the Bible, and various proposals have been made.
• Verse numbering: In the Hebrew Bible, verse 1 of this chapter is included as the last verse of chapter 13 (13:23), so the chapter there has fourteen verses.
• Connection to the New Testament: Asa is named in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.