6859. Tsephathah

Lexical Summary

Tsephathah: Tsephathah

Original Word: צְפָתָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Tsphathah
Pronunciation: tse-fah-thah
Phonetic Spelling: (tsef-aw'-thaw)
KJV: Zephathah
NASB: Zephathah
Word Origin: [the same as H6857 (צְּפַת - Zephath)]

1. Tsephathah, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Zephathah

The same as Tsphath; Tsephathah, a place in Palestine -- Zephathah.

see HEBREW Tsphath

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as Tsephath
Definition
a valley in Judah
NASB Translation
Zephathah (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

צְפַ֫תָה proper name, of a location in Judah (van d. H. צְפָתָה, so Kit); לְמָרֵשָׁה ׳בְּנֵיא צ2Chron 14:9; ᵐ5 κατὰ βορρᾶν, whence Hi and others, propose צָפֹנָה so Buhl^Lex.

צִצִּים see צִיץ below I. צוץ.

צָקוּן Isaiah 26:16 see II. צוק.

Topical Lexicon

Geographical Setting and Etymology

Zephathah was a valley in the Shephelah of Judah, located “near Mareshah” (2 Chronicles 14:10). The name derives from a root that conveys the idea of watchfulness or lookout, suggesting a natural vantage point from which movement across the surrounding lowlands could be observed. Its proximity to strategic routes linking the Judean hill country with Philistia and Egypt made it a plausible arena for invasion and defense.

Sole Biblical Occurrence

2 Chronicles 14:10 records the only mention: “So Asa marched out against him and they drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah”. The verse situates Zephathah at the heart of a pivotal confrontation between Judah, under King Asa, and Zerah the Cushite’s massive host.

Historical Context

• Date: Early in Asa’s forty-one-year reign (ca. 911–870 BC).
• Threat: Zerah’s force—“a million men and three hundred chariots” (2 Chronicles 14:9)—represented the largest single enemy army recorded against Judah.
• Setting: Judah had just experienced a decade of peace in which Asa fortified cities and eliminated idolatry (14:1–7). The sudden appearance of an overwhelmingly superior army tested the nation’s spiritual and military reforms.

Military and Strategic Importance

1. Natural chokepoint: The valley offered a confined battleground that neutralized some advantages of the invader’s numbers and chariots.
2. Defensive outpost: Standing between the Judean heartland and the coastal plain, Zephathah allowed Asa to confront the enemy before they could penetrate deeper.
3. Watchtower symbolism: The name underlines Judah’s duty to stand alert; yet the outcome proved that true safety lay not in vigilance alone but in reliance on the Lord.

Theological Significance

1. Reliance on God over military might. Asa’s prayer in 2 Chronicles 14:11—“Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You… do not let mere mortals prevail against You”—anchors the narrative. Victory in Zephathah vindicates faith over force.
2. Covenant faithfulness rewarded. Asa’s earlier reforms aligned Judah with Mosaic commandments; Zephathah demonstrates that obedience invites divine intervention.
3. Prototype of spiritual warfare. The valley becomes an object lesson paralleling New Testament calls to spiritual vigilance (1 Peter 5:8) and dependence on God’s power (Ephesians 6:10).

Aftermath and Broader Biblical Links

• Pursuit to Gerar (2 Chronicles 14:13–14) spread the victory’s impact, discouraging future aggressors and enriching Judah with captured livestock and spoils—material signs of God’s blessing.
• Prophet Azariah’s oracle in the next chapter (2 Chronicles 15:2) ties the triumph at Zephathah to the principle, “The LORD is with you when you are with Him.”
• Zephathah stands among Old Testament battlegrounds where an outmatched Israelite force prevailed (e.g., Gideon at the Spring of Harod, Jehoshaphat in the Wilderness of Tekoa), forming a pattern of deliverance that anticipates ultimate victory in Christ.

Ministry Application

1. Leadership: Asa’s example challenges modern leaders to confront crises through prayerful dependence rather than human calculation alone.
2. Corporate repentance: Prior cleansing of idolatry prepared Judah for divine aid; revival precedes breakthrough.
3. Personal encouragement: Believers facing disproportionate trials can recall Zephathah as proof that “the battle belongs to the LORD” (1 Samuel 17:47).

Summary

Zephathah, though named only once, marks a watershed where vigilance, faithful leadership, and wholehearted trust converged to secure a miraculous victory. The valley’s watchful connotations remind every generation to look to the Lord, whose power remains sufficient against any foe.

Forms and Transliterations

צְפַ֖תָה צפתה ṣə·p̄a·ṯāh ṣəp̄aṯāh tzeFatah

Englishman's Concordance

2 Chronicles 14:10
HEB: מִלְחָמָ֔ה בְּגֵ֥יא צְפַ֖תָה לְמָרֵשָֽׁה׃
NAS: in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
KJV: in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
INT: battle the valley of Zephathah Mareshah

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 6859
1 Occurrence

ṣə·p̄a·ṯāh — 1 Occ.