2 Chronicles 14:10

2Ch 14:10 Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

Ver. 10. In the valley of Zephathah.] See Jdg 1:17.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array . . . at Mareshah--one of the towns which Rehoboam fortified (Ch2 11:8), near a great southern pass in the low country of Judah (Jos 15:44). The engagement between the armies took place in a plain near the town, called "the valley of Zephathah," supposed to be the broad way coming down Beit Jibrin towards Tell Es-Safren [ROBINSON].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(10) Then.—And.

Against him.—Before him (1Ch_12:17; 1Ch_14:8).

In the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.—This valley is not identified. The LXX. reads: ἐν τῇ φάραγγι κατὰ βορρᾶν Μαρισης, “in the ravine north of Mareshah.” This would involve a change of one letter in the present Hebrew. [Çaphônah “northward,” for Ç’phathah.] Syriac and Arabic, “in the wady of Mareshah.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. against him] R.V. to meet him.

in the valley] Probably the valley in which Beit-Jibrin now stands, one of several valleys giving access from the Shephelah into central Judah (G. A. Smith, Hist. Geography, pp. 230–233). In such a place a large force might easily be discomfited by a few resolute men (cp. 2Sa_17:9-10).

of Zephathah at Mareshah] Read with LXX., north of Mareshah (“Zaphonah” for “Zephathah”). No valley or town called “Zephathah” is known.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Asa cried unto the Lord his God,.... Or prayed, as the Targum, with vehemence, being in distress; this he did before the battle began, at the head of his army, and for the encouragement of it:

and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help; nothing can hinder from helping, his power being superior to all others, and even infinite, and none besides him could:

whether with many, or with them that have no power; numbers make no difference with him, nor the condition they are in; whether numerous and mighty, or few and feeble; he can as easily help the one as the other, see Sa1 14:6,

help us, O Lord our God; who are few and weak in comparison of the enemy:

for we rest on thee; trust in thee, and rely upon thee for help; the Targum is,"on thy Word we lean:"

and in thy name we go against this multitude; expressing faith in him, expecting help from him, encouraging and strengthening themselves in him, going forth not in their own name and strength, but in his; the Targum is,"in the name of the Word of the Lord:"

O Lord, thou art our God: and thou only we know, and serve no other, and we are thy people, called by thy name:

let not man prevail against thee; for should this enemy prevail against them, it would be interpreted prevailing against their God.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The “valley of Zephathah” - not elsewhere mentioned - is probably the broad Wady which opens out from Mareshah (marginal reference) in a northwesterly direction, leading into the great Philistine plain. Zerah, on the advance of Asa, drew off into the wider space of the Wady, where he could use his horsemen and chariots.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Meet him, fearing lest he should lay waste his dominions, as Sesac had done. (Menochius) --- Sephata, or Sephala, a great valley to the west of Maresa, (Calmet) which is a city of Juda. (Menochius) --- Septuagint have, "in the vale north of Maresa." (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

10. The valley of Zephathah — Dr. Robinson conjectures that this valley may have been the broad wady that runs northwesterly from Eleutheropolis towards Zell es-Safieh, which latter place may bear a trace of the ancient name Zephathah. But this valley seems to be too far away to be spoken of as at Mareshah. Probably some valley nearer the spot above indicated as Mareshah was the place of the battle.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. "At" some translate "belonging to," some more suitably to the exact connection "near." The Hebrew here for" valley" is ayge. It can scarcely designate necessarily a "ravine." It is a valley in the sense of being a low, fiat region, in which springs of water "broke out." From Num_21:20, the first occasion of its occurrence, to Zec_14:5 it is found fifty-six times, and is always rendered (Authorized Version) "valley;" it is the word used in the celebrated passages, "Though I walk through the valley" etc.; (Psa_23:4) and "Every valley shall be exalted". (Isa_40:4) The Septuagint,however, do not render it uniformly; but though they render it generally farax, they also have naph koilav aujlwn, and in some cases the simple word gh, as e.g. ejn gh (ge) JEnnom,, (2Ch_28:3 2Ch_33:6) which, nevertheless, elsewhere they describe as farax JEnnom. (Jos_15:8) The full explanation may probably be that the word is used for the valley that narrowed up to a ravine-like pass, or gorge, or that opened out into one of the wide wadies of the country; but see Stanley"s "Sinai and Palestine," Appendix, pp. 482, 483, new edit., 1866. It is supposed that Zephathah is not mentioned elsewhere, but see the Zephath of Jud_1:17; and comp. Num_21:3; 1Sa_30:30, which Keil and Bertheau think conclusively to be not the same.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

it makes no difference to You to aid i.e., even though we are few and they are as numerous as the sand by the sea, and we have no strength before them, You can help both the great and the powerless; it is known that You have strength to aid; therefore, help us, O Lord our God, for we have relied on You.

let no man rule against You Let not our enemies - man - have human strength to rule (עִמְּךָ) with You, i.e., against You, to be victorious, so that they should not say, “We have defeated their God.” Another explanation from the Rabbi: Let not the weak one (אֱנוֹשׁ) be held back (יַעְצר), for we are weak, deprived of strength, keeping us back (עוֹצְרֵי יָד) from defeating them. And an example is (Deut. 11:17): “and He will hold back (וְעָצַר) the heaven”; (Gen. 20:18): “For the Lord had held back (וְעָצר עָצַר),” and like (Jud. 13:16): “If you take me in (תַּעְצְרֵנִי).”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.