Zerah

9Then Zerah, a man from Cush, came to fight them. He had an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots. They came as far as the town of Mareshah.

And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.

NoteCush was a land far south of Egypt, in Africa. A chariot was a small cart pulled by horses. Soldiers rode in chariots when they went to fight.

10So Asa marched out to meet him. Both armies lined up to fight in the Valley of Zephathah, near Mareshah.

Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

NoteA valley is low, flat ground between hills. Armies lined up in long rows before a fight.

11Asa called out to the LORD his God. He said, "LORD, only you can help weak people against strong ones. Help us, LORD our God. We are leaning on you. We come against this huge army in your name. LORD, you are our God. Do not let any man win against you."

And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

Note"We are leaning on you" means they were trusting God. Coming "in your name" means they came as his people.

12So the LORD struck down the army from Cush in front of Asa and Judah. The men from Cush ran away.

So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.

13Asa and his men chased them all the way to the town of Gerar. So many of the men from Cush fell that their army could not fight again. They were crushed before the LORD and his army. The men of Judah carried off a great many things the enemy left behind.

And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.

NoteGerar was a town to the southwest, out near the sea. "His army" means the LORD's own army.

14They also attacked all the towns around Gerar. The people there were very afraid of the LORD. Judah's men took the goods from all those towns, because there was so much to take.

And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.

15They also attacked the camps where herders kept their animals. They took away many sheep and camels. Then they went back to Jerusalem.

They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

NoteHerders are people who take care of sheep and other animals. They slept in tents so they could move to fresh grass.