2 Chronicles 14:7
in 2 Chronicles 14So he said to the people of Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars; the land is yet before us, because we have sought Jehovah our God; we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
KJV
Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 14
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The land is yet before us - i. e., “unoccupied by an enemy” - “the land is open to us to go where we please.” Compare Gen 13:9. The fortification of the strongholds would be an act of rebellion against Egypt, and it might be expected that the Egyptians would endeavor to put a stop to it.
This site's exposition
Asa built fortified cities in Judah
on 2 Chronicles 14:6-7
Asa spends the quiet years building cities. His reason is the book's own chain of cause: “The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God”. Barnes notes the building was a quiet act of independence, since Judah still lay in the sphere Shishak's invasion had drawn.
This site's exposition
The land is still ours
Asa said Judah should build cities with walls and towers. Barnes explains the land as unoccupied by an enemy, open for Judah to go wherever it pleased, and he compares Genesis 13:9. He calls it an act of rebellion against Egypt, which could be expected to try to stop it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Therefore he said unto Judah,....
"This let us do," says he, " while the land is yet before us, " that is, "while we have opportunity and advantage for it and have nothing to hinder us." He speaks as if he expected that, some way or other, trouble would arise, when it would be too late to fortify, and when they would wish they had done it.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
while the land is yet before us--that is, while we have free and undisputed progress everywhere; no foe is near; but, as this happy time of peace may not last always and the kingdom is but small and weak, let us prepare suitable defenses in case of need.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
as long as the land is before us As long as the kingdom is established before us, so that if we need them, they will be a refuge for us.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִֽיהוּדָ֜ה | lihudah | to Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| נִבְנֶ֣ה׀ | nivneh | let us build | H1129 → | 376 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הֶעָרִ֣ים | hearim | the cities | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הָאֵ֗לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| וְנָסֵ֨ב | venasev | and let us surround [them] | H5437 → | 161 times |
| חוֹמָ֣ה | chomah | wall | H2346 → | 133 times |
| וּמִגְדָּלִים֮ | umigdalim | and towers | H4026 → | 48 times |
| דְּלָתַ֣יִם | delatayim | gates | H1817 → | 88 times |
| וּבְרִיחִים֒ | uverichim | and bars | H1280 → | |
| עוֹדֶ֨נּוּ | odenu | still it | H5750 → | 490 times |
| הָאָ֜רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| לְפָנֵ֗ינוּ | lefaneinu | [is] <to> before us | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| דָרַ֙שְׁנוּ֙ | darashnu | we have sought | H1875 → | 164 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ | ʾeloheinu | God our | H430 → | 2601 times |
| דָּרַ֕שְׁנוּ | darashnu | we sought [him] | H1875 → | 164 times |
| וַיָּ֥נַֽח | vaiyanach | and he has given rest | H5117 → | 142 times |
| לָ֖נוּ | lanu | to us | ||
| מִסָּבִ֑יב | misaviv | from round about | H5439 → | 336 times |
| וַיִּבְנ֖וּ | vaiyivnu | and they built | H1129 → | 376 times |
| וַיַּצְלִֽיחוּ׃ פ | vaiyatzlichu | and they prospered | H6743 → | 65 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לִֽיהוּדָ֜הto Judah
lihudahH3063 →819 times
נִבְנֶ֣ה׀let us build
nivnehH1129 →376 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הֶעָרִ֣יםthe cities
hearimH5892 →1090 times
הָאֵ֗לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
וְנָסֵ֨בand let us surround [them]
venasevH5437 →161 times
חוֹמָ֣הwall
chomahH2346 →133 times
וּמִגְדָּלִים֮and towers
umigdalimH4026 →48 times
דְּלָתַ֣יִםgates
delatayimH1817 →88 times
וּבְרִיחִים֒and bars
uverichimH1280 →
עוֹדֶ֨נּוּstill it
odenuH5750 →490 times
הָאָ֜רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
לְפָנֵ֗ינוּ[is] <to> before us
lefaneinuH6440 →2123 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
דָרַ֙שְׁנוּ֙we have sought
darashnuH1875 →164 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּGod our
ʾeloheinuH430 →2601 times
דָּרַ֕שְׁנוּwe sought [him]
darashnuH1875 →164 times
וַיָּ֥נַֽחand he has given rest
vaiyanachH5117 →142 times
לָ֖נוּto us
lanu
מִסָּבִ֑יבfrom round about
misavivH5439 →336 times
וַיִּבְנ֖וּand they built
vaiyivnuH1129 →376 times
וַיַּצְלִֽיחוּ׃ פand they prospered
vaiyatzlichuH6743 →65 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Chronicles 28:9As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought.…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
- James 4:8–11
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
- Matthew 7:7–8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Isaiah 55:6–7
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
- Jeremiah 24:7
I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their…
- Jeremiah 29:13
Through
1 Peter 3:12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
it leads to
- Psalms 34:15–16
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
- John 9:31
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.
- Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
- Psalms 34:15–16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.