2 Chronicles 14:15

2Ch 14:15 They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

Ver. 15. They smote also the tents of cattle.] The Arabian Scenites, who had also aided the Ethiopians, and now had enough of it. "So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord."

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.

Verse 15. Tents of cattle] Those which had carried the baggage of the great army, and which they had left in such places as abounded with pasture. Perhaps sheepfolds, enclosures for camels, mules, c., may also be intended. The discomfiture was great, because God fought for the people and the spoil was immense, because the multitude was prodigious, indeed almost incredible, a million of men in one place is almost too much for the mind to conceive, but there may be some mistake in the numerals: it is evident from the whole account that the number was vast and the spoil great.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(15) They smote also the tents of cattle.—And cattle tents (or encampments), also they smote, i.e., hordes of nomad Bedawin whom they encountered in the desert about Gerar. (Comp. 1Ch_4:41, “smote their tents.”)

Sheep and camels in abundance.—Sheep in abundance, and camels. The LXX. adds, καὶ τοὺς αλιμαζονεις, apparently as the name of a tribe. Syriac and Arabic render, “And the tents of the Arabs.”

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

15. the tents of cattle] These words seem to be corrupt, and it is probable that the original reading gave the name of some Arabian tribe. From a comparison of the LXX. here with the LXX. of 2Ch_22:1 we conclude that this name was represented by Ἀλειμαζονεϊς in Greek. The people called Μασονῖται by Ptolemy, and Mâzin by Arabic writers are probably meant (Hommel, Expository Times, viii. 378).

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.

Destroyed. Hebrew, "smote also the tents of cattle." Septuagint, "they cut in pieces the tents of cattle, the Amazons;" or, according to the Vatican copy, (Haydock) "the Alimazonians," as they seem to have read aeli manim, which may be well rendered, "the tents of the Mineans," a people of Arabia, chap. xx. 1., and xxvi. 7., and Judges x. 11. (Calmet) --- If these nations came to punish Asa, for banishing their foreign worship, (ver. 12) as the Sieur de Folard thinks the sacred penman insinuates, (ver. 5) we need not wonder that they met with such ill success, and that not one of them was spared, as God avenged his own cause, ver. 12, 13. (Haydock) --- We read of no cavalry here, though it is mentioned, chap. xvi. 8. It seems not to have been considerable, as the people of Asia, the Greeks and Romans, trusted more to their infantry; and, in effect, no species of warfare is more costly to a state, nor less useful, than a multitude of horses, which were introduced in barbarous times. (De Folard)

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).

The tents of cattle, i.e. the dwellers in tents, which were either a part of Zerah’s company, or joined with them, or had come along with them to furnish that great host with necessary provisions, which their custom of dwelling in tents made them more capable of doing.

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

The tents of cattle. This word "tents" (yleh construct state) is used just 325 times, and this is the only time it is spoken of as the place of cattle; there are, however, four passages looking the same way (Gen_13:5; Jud_1:6:5; 2Ki_7:7; Jer_49:29) It is the word used for the tabernacle of the wilderness many times, and many times for the place of abode that has highest associations, (Psa_15:1 Psa_118:15) and of the usual abodes of people. (2Ch_10:16) The use of the word here, though unique, will occasion no surprise, considering the camping of the vast invading army. Camels in abundance. The mention of this spoil reminds us both where we are, on desert border, (1Sa_27:7-10 1Sa_30:16, 1Sa_30:17) and what was the personality or nationality within some latitude of choice of the invaders. Returned to Jerusalem. The expression awakens inevitably, though inaptly, a reminiscence of Scripture language in strangest contrast the climax in a description also, but of a victory infinitely vaster and grander and for ever (Luk_24:52; Act_1:12) This return of "Asa and the people that were with him" to Jerusalem dated the commencement of a period of comparative internal peace and reform for the kingdom of Judah, that lasted twenty-one years, and yet more of exemption from Egyptian attack, that lasted about three hundred and thirty years (B.C. circ. 940-609). It was a doubtful benefit, but Judah and Egypt came to be found in alliance against Assyria (2Ki_17:3-6 2Ki_18:20, 2Ki_18:21, 2Ki_18:24; Isa_30:2; Hos_7:11) The "Speaker"s Commentary" points out the interesting fact that this was one of the only two occasions known of the Jews meeting in open field either Egypt or Assyria (the other occasion being the unfortunate one of Josiah against Necho, (1Ch 35:30) and adds, "Shishak, Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander, and Ptolemy I, were either unopposed or only opposed from behind wails."

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