¹⁰Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. ¹¹And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, there is none¹ beside² thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength: help us, O LORD our God; for we rely on thee, and in thy name are we come against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. ¹ Or, _there is no difference with thee to help, whether the mighty or him &c._ ² Or, _like_. =10.= _in the valley_] Probably the valley in which Beit-Jibrin now stands, one of several valleys giving access from the Shephelah into central Judah (G. A. Smith, _Historical Geography of the Holy Land_, pp. 230‒233). In such a place a large force might easily be discomfited by a few resolute men (compare 2 Samuel xvii. 9, 10). _of Zephathah at Mareshah_] Render with LXX., =north of Mareshah= (reading _Ṣaphonah_ for _Zephathah_). No valley or town called “Zephathah” is known. ¹²So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. =12.= _the LORD smote_] Compare xiii. 15. The use of The Name, _Jehovah_ (translated THE LORD), instead of the general word “God” here and in verses 13, 14 is in favour of the view that the Chronicler took this account from some earlier document, perhaps a midrashic history of Judah (Introduction § 5, p. xxxvi). _the Ethiopians_] Rather, =the Cushites=. ¹³And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and there fell of the Ethiopians so many¹ that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed² before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much booty. ¹ Or, _so that none remained alive_. ² Hebrew _broken_. =13.= _Gerar_] Identified with _Jerār_, ruins three hours south of Gaza; compare 1 Chronicles iv. 39 (read “Gerar,” LXX. Γέραρα), _so many that they could not recover themselves_] Or perhaps, as margin, =so that none remained alive=. _very much booty_] The phrase used belongs to a style earlier than that of the Chronicler. Compare note on verse 9 (_against them_). ¹⁴And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD¹ came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was much spoil in them. ¹ Or, _a terror from the LORD_. =14.= _the fear of the LORD_] The Chroniclers own phrase is “the fear of God” (xx. 29). _much spoil_] Again we miss a favourite expression of the Chronicler: “_exceeding_ (lārōbh) much spoil.” ¹⁵They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep in abundance and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.