The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 178

expl~in~, b~ s~pposing that bis mother was _an Ethiopian (Rawli~son), or thl\t be bore the title krng s son of Cush" as crown pnnce of Egypt and viceroy of tho south or Ethiopia (Ebers). 2. His army-1,000,000 men-900,000 infantry, with 100 000 cavalr~ (Josephus,' ~nt.,' viii. 12. 1), and 300 chariots. 1'his im~ense host of Ethiopians and Libyans (eh. xvi. 8), only 100,000 fewer than all the fightrng men of Israel, and m~re than twice as many as the warriors of Judah in the time of David (1 Chron. xx1. 5), so far outnumbers the army of Shis11ak (eh. xii. 3), that it has been set down to popular exaggeration in making a. rough estimate (Keil), or to legendary embellish- ment (Ebers), suggested by the vast armies of the Persia.Ill!, with which the Chronicler was familiar (Ewald). The largest army ot invasion of which history speaks was probably that of Xerxes, which, when numbered on the Dorisca.n plain, a.mounted to nearly two millions and a half of fighting men, military and naval (Herod., vii. 60 etc.• Smith's' History of Greece,' p. 189). Recent calculations show that" the total st(enii;th of the German army on a war footing is now rather over three millions and a ha.If of men" (Scotti,sh Leader, January 1, 1889). 3. His camp. At Mareshab, or Marissa, one of Rehoboam's garrison cities, between Hebron and Ashdod (eh. xi. 8, which see). II. THE MONARCH AND THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH. (Vers.10, 11.) 1. A display of splendid rou.mge. "Asa went out against him." On either hypothesis as to Zerah's person, it was an exhibition of noble daring on the part of the King of Judah to confront him, much more to stand up against a million of highly disciplined troops, with only little more than half that number of spearmen and archers (ver. 8). As an instance of heroic fortitude, it was worthy to be placed alongside of the most brilliaut feats of valour recorded in either sacred or prufane history, as e.g. the pursuit of the victorious kings by Abraham (Gen. xiv. 14-16), the discomfiture of the Midianites by Gideon with 300 men (J udg. vii. 21 ), the invasion of the Philistines' garrison at M_ichmash by Jonathan a□ d his armour-bearer (1 Sam. xiv. 13-16), the combat of David with Goliath (1 Sam. xvii. 49, 50), the defeat of the Persians under Darius at Marathon by Milriades, with a small body of Athenians and Platmans (B.a. 490), and under Xerxes at Thermopylm, by Leonidas and 300 Spartans (B.a. 480), the victory of Bruce with 30,000 Scotch over Edward II. with 100,000 English (A.D. 1314), of the Black Prince over an army seven times as large as his own at Poictiers (A.D. 1356), of Clive with 3000 men over 50,000 led by the Nabob of Moorshedabad at Plassey (A.D, 1757). 2. An example of commendable prudence. Asa selected, as the spot on which to join h;sue with the enemy, the valley of Zephathah, near Maresbah, probably because there the advantage to be derived from superior numbers would less operate. He also dis- posed his troops in such a fashion as to enable them most efficiently to resist the onset of the foe. In so doing, he only discovered bis sagacity and sense both as a general and a me.n.. He knew that, while it was hopeless to expect victory without God's help, it was folly to cry for Divine assistance while neglecting to put his battalions in order. So in ordinary matters and in matters of religion. Prayer cannot supersede the use of common means. 3. ..tl pattern of lofty faith. Having marshalled his forces, Asa prayed-prayed upon the battle-field, as Moses did on the Red Sea shore when pursued by the Philistines (Exod. :xiv. 10), as J ehoshapha.t did when invaded by the Ammonites and Moabites (eh. XL 18), as Cromwell and his Ironsides, Gustavus Adolphus and his Swedes, Colonel Gardiner and his Scotch dragoons, and other God-fearing genera.ls with their regiments have been accustomed to do before entering into engagements with their enemies. Asa.'s prayer was remarkable for two things. (1) For the brevity and directness of its petitions. Necessitated in his case by the situation, these qualities are excellent in all petitioners (Matt. vi. 7). Asa asked the help of Jehovah against his foes, as David before him had often done (Ps. lix. 4; lxxi. 12; xxxv. 2), and as Christians may still do (Heb. iv. 16), especially against such foes as are spiritual and threaten the destruction of their souls (Ps. lxxi. 12 ; Isa. xlix. 8; Hos. xiii. 9; Mark ix. 22, 24; Acts xxvi. 22), (2) For the excellence and strength of its arguments. God invites those who address him in prayer to fill their mouths with arguments (Job xxiii. 4), to bring forth their strong reasons (Isa. xli. 21)~ and to _plead wit!i him (Isa. xliii. 26). Asa urged: (a) Jehovah's covenant relat10n to him and his people. Jehovah was his God and their God (ver. 11)-a good argument for a Christian suppliant. (b) The multitude of the foe arranged against them. David derived o. plea from the Jll.Ullber of his adversa.ries (Ps, uv. 19; lvi. 2), and so Illa,y David's brethreii orr. xiv. 1-15.] THE SEOOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 179