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.
Asa had an army of soldiers from Judah who carried large shields and spears—300,000 men. From Benjamin, he had 280,000 men who carried smaller shields and used bows and arrows. All of these soldiers were brave and strong warriors.
This verse describes how King Asa had a large, well-equipped army of 580,000 brave soldiers from two tribes of Israel.
📚 Historical Context
King Asa ruled Judah (the southern kingdom) around 911-870 BC during a time when the nation faced threats from surrounding enemies. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin made up the southern kingdom after Israel split into two nations. Having a strong military was essential for protecting the people and maintaining independence from hostile neighbors like Egypt and Ethiopia.
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