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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

2 Chronicles 14:8

Asa had an army of 300,000 Judeans, equipped with shields and spears, and another 280,000 Benjaminites who were shield bearers and archers. They were all courageous warriors.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Archery;   Benjamin;   Shield;   Target;   Thompson Chain Reference - Targets;   Warriors;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Bow, the;   Kings;   Shields;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Bow;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Armour;   Artaxerxes;   Weapons;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Bow;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Arms;   Asa;   Benjamin;   Judah, Kingdom of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Arms and Armor;   Chronicles, Books of;   Zerah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Chronicles, I;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Target;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - War;   Smith Bible Dictionary - A'sa;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Armies;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Armor;   Chronicles, Books of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Asa;   Benjamin;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Africa;   Shield;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand from Benjamin bearing regular shields and drawing the bow. All these were valiant warriors.
Hebrew Names Version
Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Yehudah three hundred thousand; and out of Binyamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valor.
King James Version
And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.
English Standard Version
And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor.
New Century Version
Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah and two hundred eighty thousand men from Benjamin. The men from Judah carried large shields and spears. The men from Benjamin carried small shields and bows and arrows. All of them were brave fighting men.
New English Translation
Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, equipped with large shields and spears. He also had 280,000 men from Benjamin who carried small shields and were adept archers; they were all skilled warriors.
Amplified Bible
Now Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, who carried large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, who carried shields and drew bows, all courageous men.
New American Standard Bible
Now Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, carrying large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, carrying shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors.
World English Bible
Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valor.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Asa had an armie of Iudah that bare shieldes and speares, three hundreth thousande, and of Beniamin that bare shieldes and drewe bowes, two hundreth and foure score thousande: all these were valiant men.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now Asa had a military force of 300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and wielding bows; all of them were mighty men of valor.
Berean Standard Bible
Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin bearing small shields and drawing the bow. All these were mighty warriors.
Contemporary English Version
Asa had a large army of brave soldiers: Three hundred thousand of them were from the tribe of Judah and were armed with shields and spears; two hundred eighty thousand were from Benjamin and were armed with bows and arrows.
Complete Jewish Bible
Zerach the Ethiopian came out to attack them with an army of one million and three hundred chariots. When he arrived at Mareshah,
Darby Translation
And Asa had an army that bore targets and spears: out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew the bow, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these, mighty men of valour.
Easy-to-Read Version
Asa had an army of 300,000 men from the tribe of Judah and 280,000 men from the tribe of Benjamin. The men from Judah carried large shields and spears. The men from Benjamin carried small shields and shot arrows from bows. All of them were strong and brave soldiers.
George Lamsa Translation
And Asa had an army of mighty men of valour that bore swords and spears out of the tribe of Judah, three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin, that bore breastplate and drew bows, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.
Good News Translation
King Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, armed with shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin, armed with shields and bows. All of them were brave, well-trained men.
Lexham English Bible
And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, bearing shields and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows. All of these were mighty warriors of strength.
Literal Translation
And Asa had an army bearing bucklers and spears three hundred thousand out of Judah, and two hundred eighty thousand out of Benjamin, bearing shields and drawing bows; all these were mighty men of valor.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Asa had an hoost of me which bare shildes & speares, out of Iuda thre C. thousande, and out of BenIamin two hudreth and foure score thousande, that bare shyldes & coulde shute wt bowes, and all these were mightie stronge men.
American Standard Version
And Asa had an army that bare bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valor.
Bible in Basic English
And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men of Judah armed with body-covers and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand of Benjamin armed with body-covers and bows; all these were men of war.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Asa had an armie of men that bare shieldes and speares out of Iuda three hundred thousand, & out of Beniamin that bare shieldes & drewe bowes two hundred and fourescore thousand: all these were valiaunt men.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came unto Mareshah.
King James Version (1611)
And Asa had an armie of men that bare targets and speares, out of Iudah three hundred thousand, and out of Beniamin, that bare shields and drew bowes, two hundred and fourescore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Asa had a force of armed men bearing shields and spears in the land of Juda, even three hundred thousand, and in the land of Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand targeteers and archers: all these were mighty warriors.
English Revised Version
And Asa had an army that bare bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: an these were mighty men of valour.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli Asa hadde in his oost thre hundrid thousynde of men of Juda berynge scheldis and speris, sotheli of Beniamyn he hadde two hundrid thousynde and fourscoore thousynde of scheeld beeris and of archeris; alle these weren ful stronge men.
Update Bible Version
And Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, 280,000: all these were mighty men of valor.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Asa had an army [of men] that bore targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these [were] mighty men of valor.
New King James Version
And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of valor.
New Living Translation
King Asa had an army of 300,000 warriors from the tribe of Judah, armed with large shields and spears. He also had an army of 280,000 warriors from the tribe of Benjamin, armed with small shields and bows. Both armies were composed of well-trained fighting men.
New Life Bible
Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, with large battle-coverings and spears. And he had 280,000 men from Benjamin, with battle-coverings and bows. All of them were powerful soldiers.
New Revised Standard
Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand troops from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty warriors.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it came to pass that, Asa, had a force bearing shield and spear, out of Judah, three hundred thousand, and, out of Benjamin, such as bare a buckler and trode a bow, two hundred and eighty thousand, - all these, were heroes of valour.
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.
Revised Standard Version
And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, armed with bucklers and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand men from Benjamin, that carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of valor.
Young's Literal Translation
And there is to Asa a force bearing target and spear, out of Judah three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin, bearing shield and treading bow, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these [are] mighty of valour.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors.

Contextual Overview

1 Abijah died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Asa became the next king. For ten years into Asa's reign the country was at peace. 2Asa was a good king. He did things right in God 's eyes. He cleaned house: got rid of the pagan altars and shrines, smashed the sacred stone pillars, and chopped down the sex-and-religion groves (Asherim). He told Judah to center their lives in God , the God of their fathers, to do what the law said, and to follow the commandments. Because he got rid of all the pagan shrines and altars in the cities of Judah, his kingdom was at peace. Because the land was quiet and there was no war, he was able to build up a good defense system in Judah. God kept the peace. 7 Asa said to his people, "While we have the chance and the land is quiet, let's build a solid defense system, fortifying our cities with walls, towers, gates, and bars. We have this peaceful land because we sought God ; he has given us rest from all troubles." So they built and enjoyed prosperity. 8 Asa had an army of 300,000 Judeans, equipped with shields and spears, and another 280,000 Benjaminites who were shield bearers and archers. They were all courageous warriors.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

out of Judah: 2 Chronicles 11:1, 2 Chronicles 13:3, 2 Chronicles 17:14-19, 2 Chronicles 25:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 49:8 - thy hand 1 Kings 12:21 - an hundred 1 Chronicles 5:18 - to shoot 1 Chronicles 8:40 - archers 2 Chronicles 17:17 - armed men 2 Chronicles 26:13 - three hundred

Cross-References

Genesis 13:10
Lot looked. He saw the whole plain of the Jordan spread out, well watered (this was before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah), like God 's garden, like Egypt, and stretching all the way to Zoar. Lot took the whole plain of the Jordan. Lot set out to the east. That's how they came to part company, uncle and nephew. Abram settled in Canaan; Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent near Sodom. The people of Sodom were evil—flagrant sinners against God . After Lot separated from him, God said to Abram, "Open your eyes, look around. Look north, south, east, and west. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. I'll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I'm giving it all to you." Abram moved his tent. He went and settled by the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to God .
Genesis 14:3
This second group of kings, the attacked, came together at the Valley of Siddim, that is, the Salt Sea. They had been under the thumb of Kedorlaomer for twelve years. In the thirteenth year, they revolted.
Genesis 14:10
The Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into the tar pits, but the rest escaped into the mountains. The four kings captured all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, all their food and equipment, and went on their way. They captured Lot, Abram's nephew who was living in Sodom at the time, taking everything he owned with them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand,.... These were armed with a large sort of shield, to protect them, and with spears, to push at an enemy when they came near them, and to close quarters with them:

and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand; these had also a lesser sort of shields, to defend their bodies, and bows and arrows, to annoy an enemy at a distance:

all these were mighty men of valour; able bodied men, valiant and courageous; perhaps Asa gathered these together, on hearing that the Ethiopians were preparing to attack him, as follows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The men of Judah served as heavy-armed troops, while the Benjamites were light-armed. Their numbers accord well with those of 2 Chronicles 13:3. As the boundaries of Judah had been enlarged 2 Chronicles 13:19, and as for ten years at least there had been no war 2 Chronicles 14:1, the effective force had naturally increased. It was 400, 000; it is now 580, 000.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Chronicles 14:8. Targets and spears — Probably targets with the dagger in the centre, and javelins for distant fight.

Bare shields and drew bows — They were not only archers, but had shield and sword for close fight.


 
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