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New Living Translation

2 Chronicles 14:8

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.

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 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.
THE MESSAGE
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.
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 When Abijah died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next king. There was peace in the land for ten years. 2 Asa did what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. 3 He removed the foreign altars and the pagan shrines. He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. 4 He commanded the people of Judah to seek the Lord , the God of their ancestors, and to obey his law and his commands. 5 Asa also removed the pagan shrines, as well as the incense altars from every one of Judah's towns. So Asa's kingdom enjoyed a period of peace. 6 During those peaceful years, he was able to build up the fortified towns throughout Judah. No one tried to make war against him at this time, for the Lord was giving him rest from his enemies. 7 Asa told the people of Judah, "Let us build towns and fortify them with walls, towers, gates, and bars. The land is still ours because we sought the Lord our God, and he has given us peace on every side." So they went ahead with these projects and brought them to completion. 8 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.

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 took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Genesis 14:2
fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).
Genesis 14:3
This second group of kings joined forces in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea).
Genesis 14:10
As it happened, the valley of the Dead Sea was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains.
Genesis 19:20
See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don't you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved."
Genesis 19:22
But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there." (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means "little place.")

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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