Person Old Testament
Zerah
Zerah the Ethiopian led a vast army against Judah but was defeated by King Asa. Mentioned once in Scripture, at 2 Chronicles 14:9.
Why it matters. Ethiopian commander who invaded Judah
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Zerah
Zerah the Ethiopian (or Cushite) was a military commander who led a massive invasion force against Judah during the reign of King Asa. According to 2Chronicles 14, Zerah's army numbered over a million men and included 300 chariots. They advanced as far as Mareshah before encountering Asa's forces in the Valley of Zephathah. Asa called upon the Lord for help, and the Ethiopians were defeated and pursued as far as Gerar. The exact identity of Zerah is uncertain. Some scholars suggest he may have been Usarken II, an Egyptian pharaoh, while others propose he was an Arabian leader. Whoever he was, his defeat was a significant victory for Judah and a demonstration of God's power on behalf of His people.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
2 Chronicles (1 verse)