2 Chronicles 14 11

2 Chronicles 14:11 kjv

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 no man prevail against thee.

2 Chronicles 14:11 nkjv

And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!"

2 Chronicles 14:11 niv

Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. LORD, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you."

2 Chronicles 14:11 esv

And Asa cried to the LORD his God, "O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let not man prevail against you."

2 Chronicles 14:11 nlt

Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, "O LORD, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O LORD, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!"

2 Chronicles 14 verses

2 Chronicles 14 11 Meaning

2 Chronicles 14:11 presents King Asa's desperate yet faithful prayer to the LORD his God just before engaging in battle with the immense Cushite army led by Zerah. The core meaning expresses profound dependence on God, acknowledging His unique power as the sole helper against overwhelming human forces. Asa emphasizes his complete reliance on God's name and power, appealing to God's honor that man should not prevail over the Almighty. It is a prayer born of humility, trust, and a deep understanding of the covenant relationship.

2 Chronicles 14 11 Context

Chapter 14 opens with Asa reigning over Judah, dedicated to religious reforms after a period of relative peace and prosperity. He removed foreign altars, pagan shrines, and Asherah poles, encouraging the people to seek the LORD. This commitment led to ten years of peace, during which Asa built fortified cities. However, this period of calm was dramatically interrupted by Zerah the Cushite, who came against Judah with an immense army of one million men and 300 chariots, far outnumbering Asa's army of 580,000. Faced with an impossible military situation, Asa strategically arrayed his forces in the Valley of Zephathah, but critically, before battle, he turned to prayer, understanding that victory could only come from divine intervention. This prayer in 2 Chronicles 14:11 is the pivotal moment reflecting Asa's profound faith and the Chronicler's emphasis on dependence on Yahweh in times of national crisis.

2 Chronicles 14 11 Word analysis

• Asa called on the LORD his God: Hebrew: 'Asa yiqra' Yahweh 'Elohav.
  • Asa (אָסָא): King of Judah (913–873 BC), grandson of Rehoboam, who initiated significant religious reforms early in his reign. His reign is a key example of the Chronicler's emphasis on fidelity to God.
  • called on (קָרָא – qara'): To cry out, summon, appeal, proclaim. Implies a fervent, public, and desperate plea. Not a casual prayer but an earnest invocation, suggesting a direct, personal encounter.
  • the LORD (יְהוָה – Yahweh): The covenant name of God, revealing His self-existent and personal nature. This emphasizes His relationship with Israel, implying His commitment to His covenant people.
  • his God (אֱלֹהָיו – 'Elohav): Expresses a personal, intimate, and exclusive relationship between Asa and God, reflecting the covenant bond established through Moses.
• and said, "LORD, there is no one besides you to help against the mighty.": Hebrew: va-yomer Yahweh 'ein mimkha la'azor bein rav li-khakhel.
  • no one besides you (אֵין מִמֶּךָ – 'ein mimkha): Literally, "there is none from you" or "nothing besides you." A declaration of God's absolute uniqueness, power, and singular capacity to deliver. This statement serves as a polemic against the polytheistic beliefs of surrounding nations and potentially Zerah himself, asserting that no other god or human power could rival Yahweh. It emphasizes God's sovereignty.
  • to help (לַעְזֹר – la'azor): To aid, assist, support, rescue. Conveys a critical need for divine intervention, as human capabilities are insufficient.
  • the mighty (רַב וְקָהֵל – rav va-kahel): Literally "numerous and strong" or "multitudinous and mighty," referring to the vast and formidable army of Zerah. It acknowledges the overwhelming human power faced by Judah.
• "Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you": Hebrew: 'ozrenu Yahweh 'Eloheinu ki 'aleikha nish'anu.
  • Help us (עָזְרֵנוּ – 'ozreinu): Imperative, a direct and urgent plea for aid, reinforcing the previous statement.
  • our God (אֱלֹהֵינוּ – 'Eloheinu): Reaffirms the covenant relationship, shifting from 'his God' (personal) to 'our God' (communal), invoking God's responsibility to His people.
  • rely on you (נִשְׁעָנוּ – nish'anu): From the root sha'an, meaning "to lean, support oneself upon, depend." It signifies complete trust, absolute dependence, and cessation of self-reliance or reliance on human strategies. It implies abandonment of all other sources of hope.
• "and in your name we have come against this multitude.": Hebrew: u-ve-shimkha ba'nu 'al-ha-hamon ha-zeh.
  • in your name (וּבְשִׁמְךָ – u-ve-shimkha): To act in God's name signifies acting with His authority, by His power, under His protection, and for His glory. It implies faith in His character and active presence. This is a bold claim of divine endorsement, despite the disparity in numbers.
  • multitude (הֶהָמוֹן – ha-hamon): Refers to the vast, noisy, and overwhelming crowd of the enemy army. It contrasts the singular, powerful Name of God with the immense, yet mortal, human force.
• "O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you.": Hebrew: Yahweh 'Atta 'Eloheinu al-yit'aqef 'alekha 'enosh.
  • you are our God (אַתָּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ – 'Atta 'Eloheinu): A declarative statement affirming God's sovereignty and His exclusive ownership/relationship with His people, serving as a basis for the subsequent request.
  • do not let man prevail against you (אַל־יִתְעַקֵּף עָלֶיךָ אֱנוֹשׁ – al-yit'aqqef 'alekha 'enosh):
    • prevail against (יִתְעַקֵּף – yit'aqqef): From 'aqaf, meaning to encircle, hem in, overrun, or triumph over.
    • man (אֱנוֹשׁ – 'enosh): Refers to mortal, frail man, often highlighting human weakness in contrast to divine power. This shifts the focus from Judah's defeat to God's honor and reputation. If Judah loses, it would appear that the pagan god of Zerah prevailed over Yahweh. Asa thus links God's glory to the outcome of the battle. This is a direct appeal to God's reputation and an implied polemic against the idea of a mortal being, especially one representing a pagan god, overcoming the Almighty.

2 Chronicles 14 11 Bonus section

This prayer in 2 Chronicles 14:11 stands out not just for its content, but for its directness and simplicity, contrasting with some more elaborate prayers in Scripture. The Chronicler particularly highlights prayers made by kings in distress (e.g., Jehoshaphat in 2 Chr 20, Hezekiah in 2 Chr 32), illustrating a key theme of the book: Judah's prosperity and survival are directly linked to the rulers' and the people's faithfulness and their turning to God in crisis. Asa’s initial faithfulness sets him apart from many predecessors and successors. The emphasis on "the multitude" (hehamon) throughout the chapter highlights the impossibility of the human situation, thus magnifying the subsequent divine deliverance. The victory following this prayer, where God routed Zerah and Judah plundered immense spoil, vividly demonstrated God's immediate and overwhelming response to sincere, dependent faith. The prayer effectively aligns Asa's will with God's honor, moving beyond merely seeking personal or national salvation to seeking the vindication of God's name in the face of human pride.

2 Chronicles 14 11 Commentary

Asa's prayer in 2 Chronicles 14:11 is a profound demonstration of dependent faith and courageous leadership. Facing a truly insurmountable human threat—an army nearly double the size of his own—Asa bypassed military strategy for immediate and absolute spiritual reliance. His opening declaration, "there is no one besides you to help against the mighty," serves as both a confession of God's unique omnipotence and a refutation of reliance on any human or pagan strength. This statement underpins the entire prayer, presenting a strong theological point: only Yahweh can deliver against overwhelming odds.

The repeated appeals ("Help us, O LORD our God") emphasize urgency and intimacy with the covenant-keeping God. Asa's assertion "for we rely on you" is a declaration of complete abandonment of self-sufficiency, a radical trust in divine intervention. Marching "in your name" transforms the battle from a human conflict into a divine contest, demonstrating an audacious faith that views their own inferior forces as mere instruments for God's glory.

The climactic plea, "do not let man prevail against you," transcends personal safety to appeal to God's honor and sovereignty. Asa understands that a defeat for Judah would be perceived as a victory for Zerah's gods over Yahweh. Therefore, he calls upon God to vindicate His own character and power against the frail mortal, 'enosh', and the pagan multitude. This prayer ultimately invites God into the human impossibility, culminating in one of the Bible's most dramatic and comprehensive military deliverances, affirming that genuine strength lies in absolute trust in God's unparalleled power and commitment to His name.Examples for practical usage:

• Facing an overwhelming problem in life: Recognize human limitations and appeal to God's unique power ("there is no one besides you to help").
• Making a critical decision: Express full reliance on God and act in faith ("we rely on you, and in your name we have come").
• Dealing with spiritual or physical opposition: Ask God to defend His honor, as our struggles often reflect His greater purpose ("do not let man prevail against you").