Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 14:8
And Asa had an army [of men] that bore targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these [were] mighty men of valor.
8. that bare targets and spears that bare shields and drew bows ] LXX., (= ) . The Chronicler divides Asa’s army into the heavy-armed men belonging to Judah and the light-armed bowmen belonging to Benjamin. Asa apparently had no chariots, “targets” and “shields” should be transposed as in 2Ch 9:15.
of Judah three hundred thousand of Benjamin two hundred and fourscore thousand ] The total is 580,000. Under Asa’s successor, Jehoshaphat, the numbers are (2Ch 17:14-18), Judah 780,000, Benjamin 380,000, making a total of 1,160,000, i.e. the double of the total given above. Whether the Chronicler drew these numbers from any ancient document is not known, but his main point seems to be that Judah was strong in the early days of Asa, while Asa shewed faith in God, and that Judah became still stronger under his really religious successor, Jehoshaphat. It is to be noted that it is not said that Asa brought these 580,000 men into the field against the Ethiopians; cp. note on 2Ch 13:3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The men of Judah served as heavy-armed troops, while the Benjamites were light-armed. Their numbers accord well with those of 2Ch 13:3. As the boundaries of Judah had been enlarged 2Ch 13:19, and as for ten years at least there had been no war 2Ch 14:1, the effective force had naturally increased. It was 400, 000; it is now 580, 000.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. Targets and spears] Probably targets with the dagger in the centre, and javelins for distant fight.
Bare shields and drew bows] They were not only archers, but had shield and sword for close fight.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Asa had an army; which, as it seems, he had now gathered together upon the information of Zerahs design against him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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 men of valour; able bodied men, valiant and courageous; perhaps Asa gathered these together, on hearing that the Ethiopians were preparing to attack him, as follows.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The victory over the Cushite Zerah. – 2Ch 14:8. “And there went forth against them Zerah.” for refers to Asa’s warriors mentioned in 2Ch 14:7. The number of the men in Judah capable of bearing arms is mentioned only to show that Asa set his hope of victory over the innumerable host of the Cushites not on the strength of his army, but on the all-powerful help of the Lord (2Ch 14:10). The Cushite is usually identified with the second king of the 22nd (Bubastitic) dynasty, Osorchon I; while Brugsch, hist. de l’Eg. i. p. 298, on the contrary, has raised objections, and holds Zerah to be an Ethiopian and not an Egyptian prince, who in the reign of Takeloth I, about 944 b.c., probably marched through Egypt as a conqueror (cf. G. Rsch in Herz.’s Realenc. xviii. S. 460). The statement as to Zerah’s army, that it numbered 1,000,000 warriors and 300 war-chariots, rests upon a rough estimate, in which 1000 times 1000 expresses the idea of the greatest possible number. The Cushites pressed forward to Mareshah, i.e., Marissa, between Hebron and Ashdod (see on 2Ch 11:8).
2Ch 14:9 Thither Asa marched to meet them, and drew up his army in battle array in the valley Zephathah, near Mareshah. The valley Zephathah is not, as Robins., Pal. sub voce, thinks, to be identified with Tel es Safieh, but must lie nearer Mareshah, to the west or north-west of Marsch.
2Ch 14:10 Then he called upon the Lord his God for help. we translate, with Berth., “None is with Thee (on , cf. 2Ch 20:6; Psa 73:25) to help between a mighty one and a weak,” i.e., no other than Thou can help in an unequal battle, i.e., help the weaker side; while the Vulg., on the contrary, after the analogy of 1Sa 14:6, translates, “non est apud te ulla distantia, utrum in paucis auxilieris an in pluribus;” and the older commentators (Schmidt, Ramb.) give the meaning thus: “perinde est tibi potentiori vel imbecilliori opem ferre.” But in 1Sa 14:16 the wording is different, so that that passage cannot be a standard for us here. “In Thy name (i.e., trusting in Thy help) are we come against this multitude” (not “have we fallen upon this multitude”). , “Let not a mortal retain strength with Thee” ( = , 2Ch 13:20; 1Ch 29:14), i.e., let not weak men accomplish anything with Thee, show Thy power or omnipotence over weak men.
2Ch 14:11 God heard this prayer. Jahve drove the Cushites into flight before Asa, scil. by His mighty help.
2Ch 14:12 Asa, with his people, pursued to Gerar, the old ancient Philistine city, whose ruins Rowlands has discovered in the Khirbet el Gerar, in the Wady Jorf el Gerar (the torrent of Gerar), three leagues south-south-east of Gaza (see on Gen 20:1). “And there fell of the Cushites, so that to them was not revival,” i.e., so many that they could not make a stand and again collect themselves, ut eis vivificatio i. e. copias restaurandi ratio non esset, as older commentators, in Annott. uberior. ad h. l., have already rightly interpreted it. The words are expressions for complete defeat. Berth. translates incorrectly: “until to them was nothing living;” for does not stand for , but serves to subordinate the clause, “so that no one,” where in the older language alone would have been sufficient, as in 2Ch 20:25; 1Ch 22:4, cf. Ew. 315, c; and denotes, not “a living thing,” but only “preservation of life, vivification, revival, maintenance.” For they were broken before Jahve and before His host. , i.e., Asa’s army is called Jahve’s, because Jahve fought in and with it against the enemy. There is no reason to suppose, with some older commentators, that there is any reference to an angelic host or heavenly camp (Gen 32:2.). And they (Asa and his people) brought back very much booty.
2Ch 14:13 “They smote all the cities round about Gerar,” which, as we must conclude from this, had made common cause with the Cushites, being inhabited by Philistines; for the fear of Jahve had fallen upon them. . here, and in 2Ch 17:10; 2Ch 20:29, as in 1Sa 11:7, the fear of the omnipotence displayed by Jahve in the annihilation of the innumerable hostile army. In these cities Judah found much booty.
2Ch 14:14-15 They also smote the tents of the herds of the wandering tribes of that district, and carried away many sheep and camels as booty.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(8) Targets and spears.Shield (or buckler) and lance. The large shield is meant (see 2Ch. 9:15). The same phrase is used to describe the warriors of Judah. (1Ch. 12:24.)
That bare shieldsi.e., the short or round shield (2Ch. 9:16).
Drew bows.(1Ch. 8:40; 1Ch. 12:2.) The Judans were the hoplites, or heavy-armed; the Benjaminites the light-armed, or peltasts, as a Greek writer would have said.
Three hundred thousand . . . two hundred and fourscore thousand.A total of 580,000, warriors. (Comp. Abijahs 400,000, 2Ch. 13:3.) The entire male population capable of bearing arms must be included in these high figures. Of course, such a thing as a standing army of this strength is not to be thought of.
The proportion of Benjamin relatively to Judah appears much too high. It must, however, be remembered that Benjamin was always famous as a tribe of warriors. (See Gen. 49:27; 1Ch. 7:6-11.)
(b) INVASION OF THE CUSHITE ZERAH, AND HIS SIGNAL OVERTHROW (2Ch. 14:9-15)This Section has no Parallel in Kings.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
The happiest and most exemplary life is not free from assault. Nay in a spiritual sense, if any man will live godly in Christ Jesus, he shall on this very account suffer persecution. That is a precious blessing of thine, dearest Jesus, only I would be always careful to see that it is purely from an attachment to thee, and to thy cause, that the persecution comes, Mat 5:11 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 14:8 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.
Ver. 8. Two hundred and fourscore thousand. ] “Little Benjamin” was grown very numerous and potent.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
an army = a force.
three hundred . . . two hundred (580,000). An increase of 180,000 on his father’s. See note on 2Ch 13:3.
mighty men. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14. belonging to Judah (2Ch 11:8; 2Ch 14:9; 2Ch 14:10; 2Ch 20:37. Jos 15:44). Mic 1:15.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
three hundred thousand
(See Scofield “1Co 10:8”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
out of Judah: 2Ch 11:1, 2Ch 13:3, 2Ch 17:14-19, 2Ch 25:5
Reciprocal: Gen 49:8 – thy hand 1Ki 12:21 – an hundred 1Ch 5:18 – to shoot 1Ch 8:40 – archers 2Ch 17:17 – armed men 2Ch 26:13 – three hundred