2 Chronicles 14:13

2Ch 14:13 And Asa and the people that [were] with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.

Ver. 13. Unto Gerar.] A city of the Philistines, who took part, it is likely, with these Ethiopians, and therefore suffered with them.

That they could not recover themselves.] Heb., There was no life in them; pecoris instar trucidabantur, they were slain as dogs.

And before his host.] His host of angels, saith Lyra

And they carried away very much spoil.] A good amends for the treasure that Shishak, king of Egypt and Ethiopia, took from Rehoboam. Riches come and go, accedunt et recedunt instar Euripi, they do often change masters.

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.

(13) Pursued them unto Gerar.—(Gen_20:1.) Kirbet-el-Gerar, in the Wady Gerar, about eight miles S.S.E. of Gaza, on the route to Egypt (LXX. Gedor).

And the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves.—Literally, And there fell of Kushites until they had no revival, or survival (Ezr_9:8-9). The latter seems preferable, as a vivid hyperbole, like 2Ki_19:35, “When men arose in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.” So Vulg., “usque ad internecionem.”

Destroyed.—See margin.

Before his host.—Or camp. Asa’s army is the Lord’s army.

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

13. Gerar] Identified with Jerâr, ruins three hours south of Gaza; cp. 1Ch_4:39 (read “Gerar,” LXX. Γέραρα).

the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves] R.V. there fell of the Ethiopians (read “the Cushites”) so many that they could not recover themselves.

very much spoil] R.V. very much booty. The phrase used belongs to a style earlier than that of the Chronicler. Cp. note on 2Ch_14:9 (against them).

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 they smote all the cities round about Gerar,.... The cities of the Philistines, who were auxiliaries and confederates with these Ethiopians, and colonies from them, according to Theodoret, and who says, about Eleutheropolis was a place, called, in his time, Geraron Saton:

for the fear of the Lord came upon them; so that they had no power to defend themselves, and oppose the men of Judah:

and they spoiled all the cities; of the goods and substance that were in them:

for there was exceeding much spoil in them; great wealth and riches of one kind or another.

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

Gerara was on the southern borders, twenty-three miles from Maresa. (Eusebius) (Calmet) --- The Ethiopians were pursued perhaps for many days. (Tirinus) --- Destruction. Protestants, "they they could not recover themselves." Hebrew, "there was no quarter given;" or, "so that none were left alive." (Calmet) --- If this were the case, the number of the slain far exceeded that the Jeroboam’s army, chap. xiii. (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).

Gerar; a city of the Philistines, who probably were confederate with them in this design.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. Pursued them unto Gerar — A distance of twenty miles or more, on the way from Mareshah to Egypt. Gerar was an ancient Philistine town, the abode for a time of Abraham and of Isaac. Gen_20:1; Gen_26:1. It is probable that Mr. Williams discovered the site of this ancient city in the ruins el Gerar, some three hours south of Gaza, situated in a wady of the same name; but this identification has not yet been confirmed by more recent exploration. It was a nomadic region, and, lying on the borders of the desert, it would be likely to abound in cattle, sheep, and camels. 2Ch_14:15.

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

And the Ethiopians before his host. It is evident that these words, with the clauses they include, should be placed in brackets, and so leave "they," the subject of the verb "carried" in the last clause, to refer to its proper noun-subject, Asa and the people. Gerar. This place is mentioned as defining a full distant spot as the limit of the pursuit of the flying army. While it was nearly four hours south of Gaza, on the road to Egypt, it is calculated that it was more than twenty miles distant from Mareshah.

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