Zerah the Ethiopian is a figure mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically in the context of the reign of King Asa of Judah. His account is primarily found in 2 Chronicles 14:9-15. Zerah is described as an Ethiopian (Cushite) military leader who led a massive army against the Kingdom of Judah during the early years of Asa's reign.

Biblical Account

The account of Zerah the Ethiopian is brief but significant. According to 2 Chronicles 14:9 , "Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and they came as far as Mareshah." This formidable force posed a significant threat to the relatively smaller army of Judah. The text emphasizes the overwhelming size of Zerah's army, which is described as consisting of a million men, highlighting the dire situation faced by King Asa and his people.

In response to this threat, King Asa demonstrated his faith and reliance on God. He cried out to the LORD for help, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 14:11 : "Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: 'LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. 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. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.'"

God answered Asa's prayer, and the biblical narrative records a miraculous victory for Judah. The LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah, and the Cushites fled. Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Cushite forces were completely destroyed, unable to recover. The victory was so decisive that the fear of the LORD fell upon the surrounding nations, and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity as a result.

Historical and Theological Significance

The account of Zerah the Ethiopian serves as a powerful testament to the sovereignty and power of God in delivering His people. It underscores the biblical theme that victory does not depend on human strength or numbers but on reliance upon the LORD. Asa's prayer and God's subsequent intervention highlight the importance of faith and dependence on divine assistance in times of overwhelming adversity.

From a historical perspective, the identity of Zerah the Ethiopian and the exact nature of his army have been subjects of scholarly discussion. The term "Cushite" traditionally refers to people from the region south of Egypt, often associated with modern-day Sudan or Ethiopia. The narrative does not provide extensive details about Zerah's background or the political context of his campaign against Judah, leaving room for interpretation and speculation.

In the broader theological context, the account of Zerah the Ethiopian and Asa's victory is often cited as an example of God's faithfulness to those who seek Him and trust in His power. It serves as an encouragement to believers to rely on God in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, reinforcing the biblical principle that "the battle is the LORD's" (1 Samuel 17:47).

Conclusion

While the account of Zerah the Ethiopian is limited to a single biblical episode, its impact is profound, illustrating the might of God and the efficacy of prayerful dependence on Him. The account remains a significant part of the biblical narrative, offering lessons on faith, divine intervention, and the ultimate triumph of God's purposes.Zerah the Ethiopian

ZERAH (THE ETHIOPIAN)

(zerach ha-kushi (2 Chronicles 14:9); Zare): A generation ago the entire story of Zerah's conquest of Asa, coming as it did from a late source (2 Chronicles 14:9-15), was regarded as "apocryphal": "If the incredibilities are deducted nothing at all is left" (Wellhausen, Prolegomena to the History of Israel, 207, 208); but most modern scholars, while accepting certain textual mistakes and making allowance for customary oriental hyperbole in description; accept this as an honest historical narrative, "nothing" in the Egyptian inscriptions being "inconsistent" with it (Nicol in BD; and compare Sayce, HCM, 362-64). The name "Zerah" is a "very likely corruption" of "Usarkon" (U-Serak-on), which it closely resembles (see Petrie, Egypt and Israel, 74), and most writers now identify Zerah with Usarkon II, though the Egyptian records of this particular era are deficient and some competent scholars still hold to Usarkon I (Wiedemann, Petrie, McCurdy, etc.). The publication by Naville (1891) of an inscription in which Usarkon II claims to have invaded "Lower and Upper Palestine" seemed to favor this Pharaoh as the victor over Asa; but the chronological question is difficult (Eighth Memoir of the Egyptian Exploration Fund, 51). The title "the Cushite" (Hebrew) is hard to understand. There are several explanations possible.

(1) Wiedemann holds that this may refer to a real Ethiopian prince, who, though unrecorded in the monuments, may have been reigning at the Asa era. There is so little known from this era "that it is not beyond the bounds of probability for an Ethiopian invader to have made himself master of the Nile Valley for a time" (Geschichte von Alt-Aegypten, 155).

(2) Recently it has been the fashion to refer this term "Cushite" to some unknown ruler in South or North Arabia (Winckler, Cheyne, etc.). The term "Cushite" permits this, for although it ordinarily corresponds to ETHIOPIA (which see), yet sometimes it designates the tract of Arabia which must be passed over in order to reach Ethiopia (Jeremias, The Old Testament in the Light of Ancient East, I, 280) or perhaps a much larger district (see BD; EB; Hommel, Ancient Hebrew Tradition; Winckler, KAT, etc.). This view, however, is forced to explain the geographical and racial terms in the narrative differently from the ordinary Biblical usage (see Cheyne, EB). Dr. W. M. Flinders Petrie points out that, according to the natural sense of the narrative, this army must have been Egyptian for

(a) after the defeat it fled toward Egypt, not eastward toward Arabia;

(b) the cities around Gerar (probably Egyptian towns on the frontier of Palestine), toward which they naturally fled when defeated, were plundered;

(c) the invaders were Cushim and Lubim (Libyans), and this could only be the case in an Egyptian army; (d) Mareshah is a well-known town close to the Egyptian frontier (History of Egypt, III, 242-43; compare Konig, Funf neue arab. Landschaftsnamen im Altes Testament, 53-57).

(3) One of the Usarkons might be called a "Cushite" in an anticipatory sense, since in the next dynasty (XXIII) Egypt was ruled by Ethiopian kings.

Camden M. Cobern

2226. Zerach -- three Israelites, also an Edomite, also an ...
... Zarah, Zerah. The same as zerach; Zerach, the name of three Israelites, also of
an Idumaean and an Ethiopian prince -- Zarah, Zerah. see HEBREW zerach. ...
/hebrew/2226.htm - 6k

National Apostasy
... The faith of Asa was put to a severe test when "Zerah the Ethiopian with an host
of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots," invaded his kingdom. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 8 national apostasy.htm

Asa's Prayer
... Zerah the Ethiopian, who was coming down on Asa, is said to have had a million
fighting-men at his back, but that is probably an erroneous figure, because Old ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/asas prayer.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... With Tamar, the widow of the eldest of the latter, he had accidental intercourse,
and two children, Perez and Zerah, the ancestors of numerous families, were ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

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