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英文原文
In this and the two following chapters we have the history of the reign of Asa, a good reign and a long one. In this chapter we have, I. His piety, 2Ch 13:1-5. II. His policy, 2Ch 13:6-8. III. His prosperity, and particularly a glorious victory he obtained over a great army of Ethiopians that came out against him, 2Ch 13:9-15.
1-8
Asa King of Judah (955 BC)
猶大王亞撒（主前 955 年）
¹ 亞比雅與他列祖同睡，葬在大衛城裡；他兒子亞撒接續他作王。亞撒在位的日子，國中太平十年。 ² 亞撒行耶和華他神眼中看為善為正的事， ³ 拆除了外邦神的壇和邱壇，打碎了偶像，砍下了木偶。 ⁴ 吩咐猶大人尋求耶和華他們列祖的神，遵行律法和誡命。 ⁵ 又在猶大各城邑中廢去邱壇和偶像；國中在他面前太平。 ⁶ 又在猶大建造堅固城；因為那地太平，那些年沒有爭戰，因為耶和華賜他平安。 ⁷ 他對猶大人說：「我們要建造這些城，周圍築牆、建樓、安門、上閂，趁著地還在我們面前；因為我們尋求耶和華我們的神，我們尋求他，他就賜我們四境平安。」於是他們建造，凡事亨通。 ⁸ 亞撒的軍兵出自猶大、拿盾牌和槍的，共有三十萬；出自便雅憫、拿盾牌拉弓的，共有二十八萬；這都是大能的勇士。
此處記載：一、亞撒的為人概述（代下十四2）：他「行耶和華他神眼中看為善為正的事」。1. 他以討神喜悅為目標，殷勤要在祂面前蒙悅納。以這法則行事為人，是有福的——所行的善與正，不是在自己眼中，不是在世人眼中，而是在神眼中。2. 他看見神的眼目常在他身上，這大有助於使他堅守善正。3. 神恩慈地悅納了他所作的，並且認可他的行為是善是正。
二、他登基伊始所發起的一項蒙福的改革之工。1. 他除掉並廢止了偶像崇拜。自從所羅門晚年容讓偶像崇拜以來，從未有人加以壓制；因此我們可以推想，偶像之風愈演愈烈。外邦的神被人敬拜，有了自己的壇、偶像和木偶；聖殿的事奉雖由祭司維持著（代下十三10），卻被許多百姓所忽略。亞撒一有大權在手，就以毀滅這一切拜偶像的壇和偶像為業（代下十四3、5）——這些是惹動嫉妒之神的極大觸犯，也是引誘粗心愚蒙之百姓的極大試探。他盼望藉著毀滅偶像來改革拜偶像的人——這才是他的目標，而不是要毀滅他們。2. 他復興並確立了對神純正的敬拜；祭司既盡了在神的壇前事奉的本分，他便督促百姓盡他們的本分（代下十四4）：「他吩咐猶大人尋求耶和華他們列祖的神」——不是外邦的神——「遵行律法和誡命」，就是遵行神一切所設立的制度，這些是許多人所完全忽略的。他這樣行的時候，「國中在他面前太平」（代下十四5）。雖然百姓深愛他們的偶像，極不願捨棄，但他們良心的責備站在亞撒的命令一邊，他們也不能厚著臉皮不順從。請注意：手中有權、又肯毅然運用以壓制褻瀆、改革風俗的人，在其中所遇到的阻礙和反對，並不如他們所擔心的那樣多。罪惡本是鬼祟之物，美德既有充分的理由為後盾，就足以使「一切不義閉口無言」（詩一〇七42）。
三、他國度的安寧——前兩個王朝期間不斷有戰爭警報之後，如今國中太平：「他在位的日子，國中太平十年」（代下十四1），與以色列國沒有爭戰——以色列在上一王朝所受的打擊，許久未能恢復。亞比雅的勝利（靠著神、又藉著他的勇敢和英勇）為亞撒的太平奠定了根基；而亞撒的太平，則是他敬虔和改革的賞賜。亞比雅本人雖少有宗教，卻為那大有宗教的人預備了道路。亞比雅若沒有作他所當作的使國中安定，亞撒就無法作他所當作的去改革國中；因為「inter arma silent leges——兵器交鳴之時，律法的聲音便被淹沒」。
四、他對那安寧的明智運用：「那地太平，因為耶和華賜他太平。」請注意：「神若賜人安靜，誰還能惹出擾亂呢？」（伯三十四29）。神所賜安息的人，才是真正得安息；基督所賜平安的人，才是真正得平安——「不像世人所賜的」（約十四27）。如今：1. 亞撒承認他們所得的安息是神的恩賜（「祂賜我們四境平安」）。請注意：我們在身心、家庭和國家所得享的安息，都當存感恩的心承認是出於神。這也是改革初見成效的賞賜：「因為我們尋求耶和華我們的神，他就賜我們安息。」請注意：正如護理的蹙眉和責備當被留意，作為我們在惡道上的約束；照樣護理的笑顏也當被留意，作為我們在善道上的鼓勵（參該二18、19；瑪三10）。我們憑經驗得知：「尋求耶和華」是好的——它「賜我們安息」。我們追求世界的時候，所遇到的盡是煩惱。2. 他與百姓——藉著他們的代表——商議如何善用他們如今所享受的一線太平，並與他們一同斷定：（一）他們不可閒懶，當勤奮作工。休戰的年日當用以做工，因為我們總要為自己找些事來作。在沒有戰爭的那些年，他說：「我們要建造；仍要常常作工。」當「教會得著平安」時，他們就「被建立」（徒九31）。刀劍入鞘之時，當拿起抹泥的瓦刀。（二）他們不可鬆懈，當為戰爭作準備。太平之時，我們當為患難作準備——預料它的來到，並為之積蓄。[一.] 他以「牆、樓、門、閂」堅固主要城邑（代下十四7）。「我們當趁著」，他說，「地還在我們面前」——就是趁著我們仍有機會和便利、沒有甚麼妨礙的時候——「這樣作」。他說話的口氣似乎預料某種患難終會興起，那時再要堅固就太遲了，他們將懊悔從前沒有這樣作。「於是他們建造，凡事亨通。」[二.] 他有一支可以隨時出征的好軍隊（代下十四8）——不是常備軍，而是民兵或國家的義勇軍。猶大和便雅憫各自被點閱；便雅憫（不久前還被稱為「最小的便雅憫」，詩六十八27）的兵丁幾乎與猶大一樣多——二十八萬之於三十萬——近年來那支派的增長何等奇異。神的福能「使小的成為千」。看來這兩個支派的攻守裝備不同。猶大人以擋牌護身，便雅憫人以盾牌護身——前者比後者大得多（王上十16、17）。猶大人近身搏鬥時用槍；便雅憫人拉弓，可以遠射敵人。兩者都盡了好的本分，誰也不能對誰說：「我用不著你。」不同的恩賜和職分都是為著公眾的好處。
英文原文
Asa King of Judah (955 BC)
¹ So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.
² And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God:
³ For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:
⁴ And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
⁵ Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
⁶ And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.
⁷ 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.
⁸ 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.
Here is, I. Asa's general character (2Ch 14:2): He did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 1. He aimed at pleasing God, studied to approve himself to him. Happy are those that walk by this rule, to do that which is right, not in their own eyes, or in the eye of the world, but in the eyes of God. 2. He saw God's eye always upon him, and that helped much to keep him to what was good and right. 3. God graciously accepted him in what he did, and approved his conduct as good and right.
II. A blessed work of reformation which he set on foot immediately upon his accession to the crown. 1. He removed and abolished idolatry. Since Solomon admitted idolatry, in the latter end of his reign, nothing had been done to suppress it, and so, we presume, it had got ground. Strange gods were worshipped and had their altars, images, and groves; and the temple service, though kept up by the priests (2Ch 13:10), was neglected by many of the people. Asa, as soon as he had power in his hands, made it his business to destroy all those idolatrous altars and images (2Ch 14:3,5), they being a great provocation to a jealous God and a great temptation to a careless unthinking people. He hoped by destroying the idols to reform the idolaters, which he aimed at, rather than to ruin them. 2. He revived and established the pure worship of God; and, since the priests did their part in attending God's altars, he obliged the people to do theirs (2Ch 14:4): He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and not the gods of the heathen, and to do the law and the commandments, that is, to observe all divine institutions, which many had utterly neglected. In doing this, the land was quiet before him, 2Ch 14:5. Though they were much in love with their idols, and very loth to leave them, yet the convictions of their consciences sided with the commands of Asa, and they could not, for shame, refuse to comply with them. Note, Those that have power in their hands, and will use it vigorously for the suppression of profaneness and the reformation of manners, will not meet with so much difficulty and opposition therein as perhaps they feared. Vice is a sneaking thing, and virtue has reason enough on its side to make all iniquity stop her mouth, Ps 107:42.
III. The tranquillity of his kingdom, after constant alarms of war during the last two reigns: In his days the land was quiet ten years (2Ch 14:1), no war with the kingdom of Israel, who did not recover the blow given them in the last reign for a great while. Abijah's victory, which was owing, under God, to his courage and bravery, laid a foundation for Asa's peace, which was the reward of his piety and reformation. Though Abijah had little religion himself, he was instrumental to prepare the way for one that had much. If Abijah had not done what he did to quiet the land, Asa could not have done what he did to reform it; for inter arma silent leges—amidst the din of arms the voice of law is unheard.
IV. The prudent improvement he made of that tranquillity: The land had rest, for the Lord had given him rest. Note, If God give quietness, who then can make trouble? Job 34:29. Those have rest indeed to whom God gives rest, peace indeed to whom Christ gives peace, not as the world giveth, Joh 14:27. Now, 1. Asa takes notice of the rest they had as the gift of God (He hath given us rest on every side. Note, God must be acknowledged with thankfulness in the rest we are blessed with, of body and mind, family and country), and as the reward of the reformation begun: Because we have sought the Lord our God, he has given us rest. Note, As the frowns and rebukes of Providence should be observed for a check to us in an evil way, so the smiles of Providence should be taken notice of for our encouragement in that which is good. See Hag 2:18,19, Mal 3:10. We find by experience that it is good to seek the Lord; it gives us rest. While we pursue the world we meet with nothing but vexation. 2. He consults with his people, by their representatives, how to make a good use of the present gleams of peace they enjoyed, and concludes with them, (1.) That they must not be idle, but busy. Times of rest from war should be employed in work, for we must always find ourselves something to do. In the years when he had no war he said, "Let us build; still let us be doing." When the churches had rest they were built up, Ac 9:31. When the sword is sheathed take up the trowel. (2.) That they must not be secure, but prepare for wars. In times of peace we must be getting ready for trouble, expect it and lay up in store for it. [1.] He fortified his principle cities with walls, towers, gates, and bars, 2Ch 14:7. "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. So they built and prospered. [2.] He had a good army ready to bring into the field (2Ch 14:8), not a standing army, but the militia or trained-bands of the country. Judah and Benjamin were mustered severally; and Benjamin (which not long ago was called little Benjamin, Ps 68:27) had almost as many soldiers as Judah, came as near as 28 to 30, so strangely had that tribe increased of late. The blessing of God can make a little one to become a thousand. It should seem, these two tribes were differently armed, both offensively and defensively. The men of Judah guarded themselves with targets, the men of Benjamin with shields, the former of which were much larger than the latter, 1Ki 10:16,17. The men of Judah fought with spears when they closed in with the enemy; the men of Benjamin drew bows, to reach the enemy at a distance. Both did good service, and neither could say to the other, I have no need of thee. Different gifts and employments are for the common good.
9-15
Asa Defeats the Ethiopians (945 BC)
亞撒擊敗古實人（主前945年）
⁹ 古實王謝拉率領軍兵一百萬，戰車三百輛，出來攻擊猶大人，到了瑪利沙。 ¹⁰ 於是亞撒出去與他迎敵，就在瑪利沙的洗法谷擺陣。 ¹¹ 亞撒呼求耶和華－他的神說：「耶和華啊，惟有你能幫助軟弱的，勝過強盛的。耶和華－我們的神啊，求你幫助我們；因為我們仰賴你，奉你的名來攻擊這大軍。耶和華啊，你是我們的神，不要容人勝過你。」 ¹² 於是耶和華使古實人敗在亞撒和猶大人面前，古實人就逃跑了。 ¹³ 亞撒和跟隨他的軍兵追趕他們，直到基拉耳；古實人被殺的甚多，不能再起來，因為都敗在耶和華與他軍兵面前。猶大人就奪了許多財物。 ¹⁴ 又打破基拉耳四圍的城邑；耶和華的驚嚇臨到他們；他們就搶奪了那一切城邑，因為其中的財物甚多。 ¹⁵ 又毀壞了群畜的圈，奪了許多羊和駱駝，回耶路撒冷去了。
此處記載：
一、亞撒國度的平安受到一股來犯的古實人大軍所擾亂（代下十四9-10）。雖然百姓仍然尋求神，這恐懼卻仍臨到他們，為要試驗他們對神的信心，也使神有機會為他們行大事。古實人帶來攻擊他的數目極其龐大：一百萬人；此時他便體會到早已備妥一支軍隊以應此急需的好處。我們曾以為無用的預備，往往很快就顯明大有裨益。
二、亞撒在威脅的烏雲籠罩之際向神發出的呼求（代下十四11）。那在平安順境之日尋求神的人，在患難之日就能以聖潔的膽量向神呼求，並稱他為「他的神」。他的禱告雖短，卻內容豐富。1. 他將神無限的大能與主權之榮耀歸給神：「在你幫助、施行拯救，無論人多或人少，無論是大有能力的人或是那些毫無力量的人，於你都毫無難處。」參撒上十四6。神是憑自己的力量行事，不憑器皿的力量（詩二十一13）；不，他的榮耀正是「幫助最軟弱的」，並「從嬰孩和吃奶的口中建立了能力」。「我們不是說：主啊，求你幫助我們，因為我們有一支精兵可供你差遣；而是說，求你幫助我們，因為離了你我們毫無能力。」2. 他抓住他們與神之間立約的關係——神是屬他們的神。「耶和華——我們的神啊！」又一次說：「你是我們的神」，是我們所揀選、所親近、並應許作我們的神的那一位。3. 他陳明他們對神的倚靠，以及他們在這次出征中仰望他的心。他雖然作了充分的準備，卻不倚仗自己的準備；而是說：「主啊，我們仰賴你，奉你的名去攻擊這大軍」——奉你的差遣而行，為求你的榮耀，並信靠你的大能。4. 他將神牽引到他們的事業中：「不要容人（原文作『必死的人』）勝過你。」他若勝過我們，人就會說他是勝過了你，因為我們的神，我們仰賴你，奉你的名而出——這原是你所鼓勵我們去行的。仇敵不過是必死的人；求你顯明他與不朽的神相爭是何等不配。主啊，求你維護你自己的尊榮；「願你的名為聖。」
三、神賜給他勝過仇敵的榮耀勝利。1. 神擊潰了仇敵，使他們的軍隊大亂（代下十四12）：「耶和華擊打古實人」——以驚恐和無法解釋的慌亂擊打他們，使他們潰逃，卻不知為何、也不知何往。2. 亞撒和他的軍兵把握神所賜對付仇敵的機會。（一）他們殲滅了他們。他們倒在耶和華面前（誰能在他面前站立得住呢？），也倒在他的軍兵面前——這或者是被差遣來毀滅他們的一隊隱形天使，又或者是被稱為「神的軍兵」的以色列軍隊，因為蒙神所承認。（二）他們奪取了敵營的擄物，「從被殺的人和輜重中帶走了許多掠物」。（三）他們「擊打」與敵人結盟、作為他們避難之所的「那些城邑」，並掠奪其中的財物（代下十四14）；那些城中的人無力抵抗，「因為耶和華的驚嚇臨到他們」——這是神使他們心中大為驚恐，以致他們毫無鬥志去對抗征服者。（四）他們從敵人的境內牽走了牛群，數量極其龐大（代下十四15）。罪人的財富就這樣為義人積存。
英文原文
Asa Defeats the Ethiopians (945 BC)
⁹ And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.
¹⁰ Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
¹¹ 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.
¹² So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
¹³ 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.
¹⁴ 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.
¹⁵ They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.
Here is, I. Disturbance given to the peace of Asa's kingdom by a formidable army of Ethiopians that invaded them, 2Ch 14:9,10. Though still they sought God, yet this fear came upon them, that their faith in God might be tried, and that God might have an opportunity of doing great things for them. It was a vast number that the Ethiopians brought against him: 1,000,000 men; and now he found the benefit of having an army ready raised against such a time of need. That provision which we thought needless may soon appear to be of great advantage.
II. The application Asa made to God on occasion of the threatening cloud which now hung over his head, 2Ch 14:11. He that sought God in the day of his peace and prosperity could with holy boldness cry to God in the day of his trouble, and call him his God. His prayer is short, but has much in it. 1. He gives to God the glory of his infinite power and sovereignty: It is nothing with thee to help and save by many or few, by those that are mighty or by those that have no power. See 1Sa 14:6. God works in his own strength, not in the strength of instruments (Ps 21:13), nay, it is his glory to help the weakest and to perfect strength out of the mouth of babes and sucklings. "We do not say, Lord, take our part, for we have a good army for thee to work by; but, take our part, for without thee we have no power." 2. He takes hold of their covenant-relation to God as theirs. O Lord, our God! and again, "Thou art our God, whom we have chosen and cleave to as ours, and who hast promised to be ours." 3. He pleads their dependence upon God, and the eye they had to him in this expedition. He was well prepared for it, yet trusted not to his preparations; but, "Lord, we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude, by warrant from thee, aiming at thy glory, and trusting to thy strength." 4. He interests God in their cause: "Let not man" (mortal man, so the word is) "prevail against thee. If he prevail against us, it will be said that he prevails against thee, because thou art our God, and we rest on thee and go forth in thy name, which thou hast encouraged us to do. The enemy is a mortal man; make it to appear what an unequal match he is for an immortal God. Lord, maintain thy own honour; hallowed by thy name."
III. The glorious victory God gave him over his enemies. 1. God defeated the enemy, and put their forces into disorder (2Ch 14:12): The Lord smote the Ethiopians, smote them with terror, and an unaccountable consternation, so that they fled, and knew neither why nor whither. 2. Asa and his soldiers took the advantage God gave them against the enemy. (1.) They destroyed them. They fell before the Lord (for who can stand before him?) and before his host, either an invisible host of angels that were employed to destroy them or the host of Israel, called God's host because owned by him. (2.) They took the plunder of their camp, carried away very much spoil from the slain and from the baggage. (3.) They smote the cities that were in league with them, to which they fled for shelter, and carried off the spoil of them (2Ch 14:14); and they were not able to make any resistance, for the fear of the Lord came upon them, that is, a fear which God struck them with to such a degree that they had no heart to withstand the conquerors. (4.) They fetched away the cattle out of the enemy's country, in vast numbers, 2Ch 14:15. Thus the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
在本章與接下來兩章中，我們讀到亞撒作王的歷史——這是一段敬虔、且在位長久的王朝。本章包含：一、他的敬虔（代下 13:1-5）。二、他的治國方略（代下 13:6-8）。三、他的興盛，特別是他擊敗前來攻打他的古實人大軍，取得了一場榮耀的勝利（代下 13:9-15）。