2 Chronik 14:9

9 Und Serach, der Kuschiter, zog wider sie aus mit einem Heere von tausendmal tausend Mann, und dreihundert Wagen; und er kam bis Marescha.

2 Chronik 14:9 Meaning and 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, 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; and besides it is urged, the king of Egypt would never have suffered them to pass through his dominions, as they must to come to Judea; but that they were the Cushite Arabs, that inhabited Midian, part of Arabia Petraea, and Arabia Felix, near Judaea, (See Gill on Numbers 12:1), but since this great host consisted of Lubim or Libyans, inhabitants of Africa, as well as of Ethiopians, ( 2 Chronicles 16:8 ) , these Ethiopians seem to be rather those in Africa, who were masters of Egypt and Libya, as well as Ethiopia, quickly after the death of Shishak, or Sesostris, see ( 2 Chronicles 12:2 2 Chronicles 12:3 ) , which accounts for the size of this army, and their passage through Egypt: that there were two sorts of Ethiopians, the western and eastern ones, the one that dwelt in Africa, the other in Asia, appears clearly from Homer {c}, Herodotus ^F4, and Heliodorus ^F5, the former of which seem here meant; nor need this army be thought incredible, especially since they were joined by the Lubim or Libyans, and assisted by the Philistines, as appears by what follows; besides, the two armies of Israel and Judah we read of in the preceding chapter, when put together, exceed this; see also ( 2 Chronicles 17:14-18 ) , so the armies of Tamerlane and Bajazet, that of the former being 1,600,000, and that of the latter 1,400,000 ^F6:

and came unto Mareshah;
a city in the tribe of Judah, on the borders of it, ( 2 Chronicles 11:8 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 12. sect. 1.
F3 Odyss. 1. ver. 23, 24.
F4 Polymnia, sive, l. 7. c. 69, 70.
F5 Ethiopic. l. 9. c. 6.
F6 Laonic. Chalcocond. de rebus Turc. l. 3. p. 98, 102.

2 Chronik 14:9 In-Context

7 Und er sprach zu Juda: Laßt uns diese Städte bauen, und Mauern ringsum machen und Türme, Tore und Riegel; noch ist das Land vor uns, denn wir haben Jehova, unseren Gott, gesucht; wir haben ihn gesucht, und er hat uns Ruhe geschafft ringsumher. Und so bauten sie, und es gelang ihnen.

8 Und Asa hatte ein Heer, das Schild und Lanze trug: aus Juda dreihunderttausend und aus Benjamin zweihundertachtzigtausend Mann, die Tartschen trugen und den Bogen spannten: sämtlich tapfere Helden.

9 Und Serach, der Kuschiter, zog wider sie aus mit einem Heere von tausendmal tausend Mann, und dreihundert Wagen; und er kam bis Marescha.

10 Und Asa zog ihm entgegen; und sie stellten sich in Schlachtordnung auf im Tale Zephata bei Marescha.

11 Und Asa rief zu Jehova, seinem Gott, und sprach: Jehova! Um zu helfen, ist bei dir kein Unterschied zwischen dem Mächtigen und dem Kraftlosen. Hilf uns, Jehova, unser Gott! Denn wir stützen uns auf dich, und in deinem Namen sind wir wider diese Menge gezogen. Du bist Jehova, unser Gott; laß den Menschen nichts wider dich vermögen!