Why did Asa urge Juda to build fortified cities, and what happened when Zara attacked?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He urged building while the Lord had given peace and no wars hindered the work. When Zara came, Asa arrayed his army and asked the Lord for help; the Lord terrified the Ethiopians, and they fled.

Chapter breakdown

The heading introduces Asa’s reign and his victory over the Ethiopians.

Abia slept with his fathers and was buried in David’s city. His son Asa reigned in his place; in his days the land was quiet ten years. Asa did what was good and pleasing to his God. He destroyed foreign-worship altars and high places, broke statues and cut down groves. He commanded Juda to seek the Lord God of their fathers and carry out the law and all commandments. He removed altars and temples from all Juda’s cities and reigned in peace.

Asa built strong cities in Juda while there was quiet and no wars had arisen, the Lord giving peace. He urged Juda to build walls, towers, gates and bars while all was quiet from wars, saying they had sought the Lord God of their fathers and he had given peace around them. They built without hindrance. His army included 300,000 men of Juda bearing shields and spears, and 280,000 of Benjamin bearing shields and drawing bows, all most valiant.

Zara the Ethiopian came against them with 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots, reaching Maresa. Asa went out to meet him and arrayed his army for battle in the vale of Sephata near Maresa.

Asa called on the Lord God. He said it made no difference to the Lord whether he helped with few or many, and asked for help because they had come against this multitude with confidence in him and in his name. He acknowledged the Lord as their God and asked that man not prevail against him. The Lord terrified the Ethiopians before Asa and Juda, and they fled.

Asa and those with him pursued to Gerara. The Ethiopians fell to utter destruction: the Lord slew them and his army fought against them, and they were destroyed. Asa’s people took abundant spoils and all the cities around Gerara, for great fear had come on all men. They pillaged the cities and carried off much booty. They destroyed the sheepcotes, took what the text calls an infinite number of cattle and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.

The story inside

Abia’s burial and Asa’s succession begin an account of ten quiet years. Asa removes the named objects of foreign worship and commands Juda to seek the Lord and obey the law. Peace makes city building possible, and Asa expressly urges the work while quiet lasts. The tribal army figures lead into Zara’s larger army and the meeting near Maresa. Asa’s appeal asks for help with confidence in the Lord rather than treating the numbers as a limit on that help. The narrator then attributes the Ethiopians’ terror and destruction to the Lord. Asa’s people pursue to Gerara, capture surrounding cities, take booty and livestock, and return to Jerusalem.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Peace is given as the setting and reason for the building. Asa names walls, towers, gates and bars, and the account says building faced no hindrance. His words connect surrounding peace with seeking the Lord. This explains his stated reason without adding a motive about avoiding luxury or a prediction of future invasion.
2
Both tribal groups carry shields. Juda’s 300,000 also carry spears; Benjamin’s 280,000 draw bows. Zara brings 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots. Asa does prepare for battle in Sephata, then asks for help, saying few or many make no difference to the Lord. The account retains military preparation alongside the appeal, without an invented outcome if help had not come.
3
The ending includes pursuit and loss, not only a flight. Gerara and all its surrounding cities are named, with pillage, booty, destroyed sheepcotes, cattle and camels. The text attributes destruction to the Lord and his army. Its phrase about an infinite number of livestock gives no usable numerical count; it should not be replaced with an invented total or turned into a claim that an entire ethnic people disappeared.

Test your recall

Abia dies and is buried → his son Asa succeeds him. The Lord gives quiet without wars → Asa builds strong cities and urges fortification; they build without hindrance. Zara reaches Maresa → Asa meets him and arrays the army in nearby Sephata. Asa asks the Lord for help → the account next records the Lord terrifying the Ethiopians and their flight. Asa’s people pursue to Gerara → they take spoils, surrounding cities and livestock, then return to Jerusalem.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 45547–45549
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 14 The reign of Asa: his victory over the Ethiopians.
Lines 45551–45565
14:1. And Abia slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead: in his days the land was quiet ten years. 14:2. And Asa did that which was good and pleasing in the sight of his God, and he destroyed the altars of foreign worship, and the high places. 14:3. And broke the statues, and cut down the groves. 14:4. And he commanded Juda to seek the Lord the God of their fathers, and to do the law, and all the commandments. 14:5. And he took away out of all the cities of Juda the altars, and temples, and reigned in peace.
Lines 45567–45578
14:6. He built also strong cities in Juda, for he was quiet, and there had no wars risen in his time, the Lord giving peace. 14:7. And he said to Juda: Let us build these cities, and compass them with walls, and fortify them with towers, and gates, and bars, while all is quiet from wars, because we have sought the Lord the God of our fathers, and he hath given us peace round about. So they built, and there was no hinderance in building. 14:8. And Asa had in his army of men that bore shields and spears of Juda three hundred thousand, and of Benjamin that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred and eighty thousand, all these were most valiant men.
Lines 45580–45585
14:9. And Zara the Ethiopian came out against them with his army of ten hundred thousand men, and with three hundred chariots: and he came as far as Maresa. 14:10. And Asa went out to meet him, and set his army in array for battle in the vale of Sephata, which is near Maresa:
Lines 45587–45594
14:11. And he called upon the Lord God, and said: Lord, there is no difference with thee, whether thou help with few, or with many: help us, O Lord our God: for with confidence in thee, and in thy name we are come against this multitude. O Lord thou art our God, let not man prevail against thee. 14:12. And the Lord terrified the Ethiopians before Asa and Juda: and the Ethiopians fled.
Lines 45596–45606
14:13. And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them to Gerara: and the Ethiopians fell even to utter destruction, for the Lord slew them, and his army fought against them, and they were destroyed. And they took abundance of spoils, 14:14. And they took all the cities round about Gerara: for a great fear was come upon all men: and they pillaged the cities, and carried off much booty. 14:15. And they destroyed the sheepcotes, and took an infinite number of cattle, and of camels: and returned to Jerusalem.