What Does 2 Chronicles 14:11 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The prayer names the imbalance plainly, then refuses to make it the measure of whether help can come.
THE MEANING
The reader can name an imbalance without making it the measure of what help can do. To go in God’s name is to move in God’s nature, and to lean on God is to place weight on a source beyond the visible count. The plea asks that no human force prevail against God.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that help is unavailable when strength is lacking: the verse names the powerless as recipients of aid.
THE ROOT
עָזַר
ʿāzar
GROWS FROM
עזר
To help, support, or come to someone’s aid.
The prayer first says God can help either the many or those without strength, then repeats the same root in the direct plea, “help us.” Hebrew keeps possibility and petition on one seed: aid does not depend on the amount of force available.
ALSO GROWS
ʿēzer: Help, aid
עֵזֶר
This noun shares the root in Asa’s plea and names the aid he asks for.
ʿezrāh: Help, assistance
עֶזְרָה
This related form keeps the focus on support given, rather than strength possessed.
נִשְׁעַנּוּ
nishʿannū
GROWS FROM
שען
To lean on, rely on, or support oneself.
The Hebrew verb translated “rest” depicts leaning: weight placed on something that supports it. The prayer’s confidence is active dependence, with the visible force of the multitude not serving as its only support.
ALSO GROWS
mishʿenet: Staff, support
מִשְׁעֶנֶת
A staff bears weight for someone who leans on it, making the root’s image of reliance concrete.
nishʿan: Leaned on, relied upon
נִשְׁעַן
This form of the same verb preserves the physical image behind the prayer’s reliance.
THE PATTERN
The force available to a person does not set the limit of the help that can meet them.
And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.THE THREAD
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.Both verses use עזר (ʿ-z-r, help or aid): Asa pleads עָזְרֵנוּ (ʿozrēnū, “help us”), while the psalmist names עֶזְרִי (ʿezrī, “my help”). The shared root turns the plea toward its source: help comes from the LORD, maker of heaven and earth.
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