2 Chronicles 14:1
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֨ב אֲבִיָּ֜ה עִם־אֲבֹתָ֗יו וַיִּקְבְּר֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙ בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִ֔יד וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ אָסָ֥א בְנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּ֑יו בְּיָמָ֛יו שָׁקְטָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ עֶ֥שֶׂר שָׁנִֽים׃פ
2 Chronicles 14:2
וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אָסָא֙ הַטּ֣וֹב וְהַיָּשָׁ֔ר בְּעֵינֵ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽיו׃
2 Chronicles 14:3
וַיָּ֛סַר אֶת־מִזְבְּח֥וֹת הַנֵּכָ֖ר וְהַבָּמ֑וֹת וַיְשַׁבֵּר֙ אֶת־הַמַּצֵּב֔וֹת וַיְגַדַּ֖ע אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִֽים׃
and he caused the altars of the foreign [gods] to be taken away and the high places and broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim.
Paraphrase: As a result of Asa’s devotion to YHWH, he began to work hard to root out all worship that was offensive to God. He started by removing all the altars which were used to make sacrifices to foreign deities. Then he smashed to pieces and removed the high places which were used to worship YHWH even though this was forbidden. (Deuteronomy 12:2-4) Then the sacred pillars which were used in the worship of Ashtoreth were also cut down and destroyed.
Comments:
Keil writes (p357) that the altars here were altars used to worship foreign gods. The high places were places of sacrifice used in the worship of YHWH. (1 Kings 5:14) The sacred pillars were the statues or monumental columns consecrated to Baal. Finally, the Asherim were wooden idols, tree-trunks, or trees, which were consecrated to the goddess Astarte (see 1 Kings 14:23 and Deuteronomy 16:21).
2 Chronicles 14:4
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לִֽיהוּדָ֔ה לִדְר֕וֹשׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם וְלַעֲשׂ֖וֹת הַתּוֹרָ֥ה וְהַמִּצְוָֽה׃
2 Chronicles 14:5
וַיָּ֙סַר֙ מִכָּל־עָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה אֶת־הַבָּמ֖וֹת וְאֶת־הַֽחַמָּנִ֑ים וַתִּשְׁקֹ֥ט הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה לְפָנָֽיו׃
and he caused the high places to be taken away from all the cities of Judah and the sun-pillars, and the kingdom was at rest before him.
Paraphrase: Neither did Asa stop with the city of Jerusalem. He went through all the cities of Judah and tore down the high places which were dedicated to Baal, the sun god. (2 Kings 23:5) After this work was completed, the kingdom settled down, and the land was at peace.
Comments:
2 Chronicles 14:6
וַיִּ֛בֶן עָרֵ֥י מְצוּרָ֖ה בִּיהוּדָ֑ה כִּֽי־שָׁקְטָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ וְאֵין־עִמּ֤וֹ מִלְחָמָה֙ בַּשָּׁנִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה כִּֽי־הֵנִ֥יחַ יְהוָ֖ה לֽוֹ׃
2 Chronicles 14:7
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לִֽיהוּדָ֜ה נִבְנֶ֣ה׀ אֶת־הֶעָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וְנָסֵ֨ב חוֹמָ֣ה וּמִגְדָּלִים֮ דְּלָתַ֣יִם וּבְרִיחִים֒ עוֹדֶ֨נּוּ הָאָ֜רֶץ לְפָנֵ֗ינוּ כִּ֤י דָרַ֙שְׁנוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ דָּרַ֕שְׁנוּ וַיָּ֥נַֽח לָ֖נוּ מִסָּבִ֑יב וַיִּבְנ֖וּ וַיַּצְלִֽיחוּ׃פ
2 Chronicles 14:8
וַיְהִ֣י לְאָסָ֗א חַיִל֮ נֹשֵׂ֣א צִנָּ֣ה וָרֹמַח֒ מִֽיהוּדָה֙ שְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֣וֹת אֶ֔לֶףס וּמִבִּנְיָמִ֗ן נֹשְׂאֵ֤י מָגֵן֙ וְדֹ֣רְכֵי קֶ֔שֶׁת מָאתַ֥יִם וּשְׁמוֹנִ֖ים אָ֑לֶף כָּל־אֵ֖לֶּה גִּבּ֥וֹרֵי חָֽיִל׃
2 Chronicles 14:9
וַיֵּצֵ֨א אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם זֶ֣רַח הַכּוּשִׁ֗י בְּחַ֙יִל֙ אֶ֣לֶף אֲלָפִ֔ים וּמַרְכָּב֖וֹת שְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֑וֹת וַיָּבֹ֖א עַד־מָרֵשָֽׁה׃
And Zerah, the Cushite, went out against them with strength 1000 of thousands and chariots three hundred, and he went to Mareshah.
Paraphrase: Now it happened after all these things, that a commander named Zerah came out of Africa with a vast army including three hundred chariots. He setup camp in Mareshah, a town on the south west of Israel.
Comments:
See Ewald (p50) on Zerah.
2 Chronicles 14:10
וַיֵּצֵ֥א אָסָ֖א לְפָנָ֑יו וַיַּֽעַרְכוּ֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה בְּגֵ֥יא צְפַ֖תָה לְמָרֵשָֽׁה׃
And Asa went forth before him, and they set in order the battle in the valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.
Paraphrase: So Asa summoned his forces and confronted Zerah in the valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. Here the two generals setup their battle lines and prepared for action.
Comments:
2 Chronicles 14:11
וַיִּקְרָ֨א אָסָ֜א אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָיו֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ יְהוָ֗ה אֵֽין־עִמְּךָ֤ לַעְזוֹר֙ בֵּ֥ין רַב֙ לְאֵ֣ין כֹּ֔חַ עָזְרֵ֜נוּ יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ כִּֽי־עָלֶ֣יךָ נִשְׁעַ֔נּוּ וּבְשִׁמְךָ֣ בָ֔אנוּ עַל־הֶהָמ֖וֹן הַזֶּ֑ה יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ אַ֔תָּה אַל־יַעְצֹ֥ר עִמְּךָ֖ אֱנֽוֹשׁ׃ס
And Asa called to YHWH, his God, and said, “YHWH, it is nothing with You to help between great or for those with no power. Help us, YHWH, our God, for on You we lean and in Your Name we come against this horde. Oh YHWH, You are our God; do not let a man stop You.
Paraphrase: When Asa saw the vast army before him, he began to second guess himself. Could they possibly have any hope of defeating such a vast horde of men? The odds were clearly against him. Then, Asa turned and went back to his tent where he fell on his face before YHWH. “Oh God,” he cried out, “You are the great King of heaven and earth. All the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing before You. You do everything according to Your own will among all the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can stand in your way or call into question your right to do whatever You have planned to do. (Daniel 4:35) For You, it makes no difference whether the obstacles in the way are few or many. An army of one or an army with many thousands is all the same to You; they are but dust in the balances. (Isaiah 40:15) Please help us, YHWH, our God! We joined this fight in Your Name; we are the people over whom Your Name is called. (2 Chronicles 7:14; Deuteronomy 28:10; Numbers 6:27) Do not let Your Name be disgraced and shamed by letting us fall before these uncircumcised invaders. (1 Samuel 14:6) Do not let it be said amongst the nations that YHWH was stopped in His tracks by Zerah. (Ezekiel 36:20-23; )
Comments:
The word אַל is often used to negate verbs in the volitional mood. This leads me to translateיַעְצֹר as a jussive.
2 Chronicles 14:12
וַיִּגֹּ֤ף יְהוָה֙ אֶת־הַכּוּשִׁ֔ים לִפְנֵ֥י אָסָ֖א וְלִפְנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיָּנֻ֖סוּ הַכּוּשִֽׁים׃
And YHWH struck the Cushites before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushites fled.
Paraphrase: The next day, the battle was launched, and all Israel saw what YHWH did. As Asa with the men of Judah approached, YHWH struck the Cushites with terror; they fled in every direction.
Comments:
2 Chronicles 14:13
וַיִּרְדְּפֵ֨ם אָסָ֜א וְהָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־עִמּוֹ֮ עַד־לִגְרָר֒ וַיִּפֹּ֤ל מִכּוּשִׁים֙ לְאֵ֣ין לָהֶ֣ם מִֽחְיָ֔ה כִּֽי־נִשְׁבְּר֥וּ לִפְנֵֽי־יְהוָ֖ה וְלִפְנֵ֣י מַחֲנֵ֑הוּ וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ שָׁלָ֖ל הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃
And Asa and the people who were with him chased them to Gerar, and they fell from the Cushites for there was nothing to them for reviving because they were shattered before YHWH and before His army, and they carried plunder a vast quantity.
Paraphrase: Then Asa and the people shouted with a great shout and raced after the Cushites in hot pursuit. They chased them all the way to Gerar. There was no longer any hope for the Cuthite army; they were in full rout and had no courage left to regroup or to take a stand. YHWH and his armies had left them completely shattered and disorganized; it only remained for the people of Israel to carry off all the stuff which the Cushites had left behind.
Comments:
2 Chronicles 14:14
וַיַּכּ֗וּ אֵ֤ת כָּל־הֶֽעָרִים֙ סְבִיב֣וֹת גְּרָ֔ר כִּי־הָיָ֥ה פַֽחַד־יְהוָ֖ה עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיָּבֹ֙זּוּ֙ אֶת־כָּל־הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים כִּֽי־בִזָּ֥ה רַבָּ֖ה הָיְתָ֥ה בָהֶֽם׃
2 Chronicles 14:15
וְגַם־אָהֳלֵ֥י מִקְנֶ֖ה הִכּ֑וּ וַיִּשְׁבּ֨וּ צֹ֤אן לָרֹב֙ וּגְמַלִּ֔ים וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ס