2 Chronicles 14:6

6 When the land was at peace, he built fortified cities in Judah; there was no war in those years because the LORD had given him rest.

2 Chronicles 14:6 Meaning and 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 11:5-12 ) ( 12:4 )

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 did not attempt the reduction of the ten tribes, so it was neither attacked by them, nor any other enemy: and he had no war in those years; in the ten years mentioned, ( 2 Chronicles 14:1 ) , neither with Israel nor any other nation: because the Lord had given him rest; that he might be at leisure to do the above things; all rest is from the Lord, civil, spiritual, and eternal.

2 Chronicles 14:6 In-Context

4 and urged Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, by doing what the Instruction and the commandments required.

5 He also removed the shrines and incense altars from all the cities of Judah so that the kingdom was at peace under him.

6 When the land was at peace, he built fortified cities in Judah; there was no war in those years because the LORD had given him rest.

7 "Let's build up these cities," Asa told Judah. "We'll surround them with walls, towers, gates, and crossbars while the land is still ours, because we sought the LORD our God and he sought us and surrounded us with rest." As a result, the people successfully completed their building projects.

8 Asa had an army of three hundred thousand Judeans armed with body-sized shields and spears and another two hundred eighty thousand from Benjamin armed with small shields and bows. All were brave warriors.