¹⁰Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. ¹¹And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, there is none[¹] beside[²] thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength: help us, O Lord our God; for we rely on thee, and in thy name are we come against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.
[¹] Or, there is no difference with thee to help, whether the mighty or him &c.
[²] Or, like.
10. 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, Historical Geography of the Holy Land, pp. 230–233). In such a place a large force might easily be discomfited by a few resolute men (compare 2 Samuel xvii. 9, 10).
of Zephathah at Mareshah] Render with LXX., north of Mareshah (reading Ṣaphonah for Zephathah). No valley or town called “Zephathah” is known.
¹²So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
12. the Lord smote] Compare xiii. 15. The use of The Name, Jehovah (translated The Lord), instead of the general word “God” here and in verses 13, 14 is in favour of the view that the Chronicler took this account from some earlier document, perhaps a midrashic history of Judah (Introduction § 5, p. [xxxvi]).
the Ethiopians] Rather, the Cushites.
¹³And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and there fell of the Ethiopians so many[¹] that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed[²] before the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very much booty.
[¹] Or, so that none remained alive.