2 Chronicles 14:8
in 2 Chronicles 14Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin bearing small shields and drawing the bow. All these were mighty men of valor.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Asa had an army that bare bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valor.
KJV
And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 14
Commentary
5 notes on this verseTargets and spears - Probably targets with the dagger in the center, and javelins for distant fight. Bare shields and drew bows - They were not only archers, but had shield and sword for close fight.
This site's exposition
that bare targets and spears
The muster totals five hundred and eighty thousand between Judah's spearmen and Benjamin's archers, a figure the Chronicler sets down without comment, the same plain accounting the book gives for David's census lists and later reigns. Clarke reads the two tribes' equipment, targets and spears against shields and drawn bows, as the ordinary split between close fighting and fighting at distance in a Judean army of the period. The size sets up a contrast the next verses will not let stand, since a host this large still meets one many times over.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
15 They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem. Disturbance given to the peace of Asa's kingdom by a formidable army of Ethiopians that invaded them,
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:19w-of-37
And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The men of Judah served as heavy-armed troops, while the Benjamites were light-armed. Their numbers accord well with those of 2Ch 13:3. As the boundaries of Judah had been enlarged 2Ch 13:19, and as for ten years at least there had been no war 2Ch 14:1, the effective force had naturally increased. It was 400, 000; it is now 580, 000.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֣י | vayhi | and it belonged | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְאָסָ֗א | leasa' | to Asa | H609 → | 57 times |
| חַיִל֮ | chayil | an army | H2428 → | 246 times |
| נֹשֵׂ֣א | nose' | bearing | H5375 → | 656 times |
| צִנָּ֣ה | tzinah | body shield[s] | H6793 → | 22 times |
| וָרֹמַח֒ | varomach | and spear[s] | H7420 → | 15 times |
| מִֽיהוּדָה֙ | mihudah | from Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| שְׁלֹ֣שׁ | shelosh | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| מֵא֣וֹת | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| אֶ֔לֶף ס | ʾelef | thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| וּמִבִּנְיָמִ֗ן | umibinyamin | and of Benjamin | H1144 → | 166 times |
| נֹשְׂאֵ֤י | noseei | [those who] carry | H5375 → | 656 times |
| מָגֵן֙ | magen | <of> a shield | H4043 → | 63 times |
| וְדֹ֣רְכֵי | vedorekhei | and [those who] bend | H1869 → | |
| קֶ֔שֶׁת | keshet | <of> a bow | H7198 → | 76 times |
| מָאתַ֥יִם | matayim | two hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| וּשְׁמוֹנִ֖ים | ushemonim | and eighty | H8084 → | 38 times |
| אָ֑לֶף | ʾalef | thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֵ֖לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| גִּבּ֥וֹרֵי | giborei | [were] mighty [men] of | H1368 → | 158 times |
| חָֽיִל׃ | chayil | strength | H2428 → | 246 times |
וַיְהִ֣יand it belonged
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
לְאָסָ֗אto Asa
leasa'H609 →57 times
חַיִל֮an army
chayilH2428 →246 times
נֹשֵׂ֣אbearing
nose'H5375 →656 times
צִנָּ֣הbody shield[s]
tzinahH6793 →22 times
וָרֹמַח֒and spear[s]
varomachH7420 →15 times
מִֽיהוּדָה֙from Judah
mihudahH3063 →819 times
שְׁלֹ֣שׁthree
sheloshH7969 →432 times
מֵא֣וֹתhundred<s>
meotH3967 →581 times
אֶ֔לֶף סthousand
ʾelefH505 →505 times
וּמִבִּנְיָמִ֗ןand of Benjamin
umibinyaminH1144 →166 times
נֹשְׂאֵ֤י[those who] carry
noseeiH5375 →656 times
מָגֵן֙<of> a shield
magenH4043 →63 times
וְדֹ֣רְכֵיand [those who] bend
vedorekheiH1869 →
קֶ֔שֶׁת<of> a bow
keshetH7198 →76 times
מָאתַ֥יִםtwo hundred
matayimH3967 →581 times
וּשְׁמוֹנִ֖יםand eighty
ushemonimH8084 →38 times
אָ֑לֶףthousand
ʾalefH505 →505 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֵ֖לֶּהthese
ʾelehH428 →746 times
גִּבּ֥וֹרֵי[were] mighty [men] of
giboreiH1368 →158 times
חָֽיִל׃strength
chayilH2428 →246 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
2 Chronicles 25:5Then Amaziah gathered the people of Judah and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Judah and…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 17:14–18
These are their numbers according to the houses of their fathers: From Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, and with him 300,000 mighty men of valor;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 11:1
When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 1:3
You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.
- 1 Chronicles 27:1
This is the list of the Israelites—the heads of families, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in every matter concerning the divisions on rotating military duty…
- 2 Chronicles 17:14–18
Through
2 Chronicles 11:1When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 12:21–24
And when Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against the house of Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of…
- 1 Kings 12:21–24
Through
2 Chronicles 13:3Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 21:5
And Joab reported to David the total number of the troops. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, including 470,000 in Judah.
- 1 Samuel 17:1–3
Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
- 2 Chronicles 26:12–13
The total number of family leaders of the mighty men of valor was 2,600.
- 1 Chronicles 21:5
About 2 Chronicles

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and 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.
