And Asa went out to meet him, and set his army in array for battle in the vale of Sephata, which is near Maresa:

And Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathath at Mareshah.

And Asa went out against him, and they put their forces in position in the valley north of Mareshah.

Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephath at Mareshah.

And Asa traveled to meet him, and he set up a battle line for the war in the Valley of Zephathah, which is near Mareshah.

The "valley of Zephathah" - not elsewhere mentioned - is probably the broad Wady which opens out from Mareshah (marginal reference) in a northwesterly direction, leading into the great Philistine plain. Zerah, on the advance of Asa, drew off into the wider space of the Wady, where he could use his horsemen and chariots.

Then Asa went out against him,.... Notwithstanding he brought so great an army with him:
and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah; where the Ethiopians were; he did not stay till they got further into his country, but marched against them when on the frontiers of it, and chose the valley to pitch in, as being more to the advantage of his smaller army; see Judges 1:17.

Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array . . . at Mareshah--one of the towns which Rehoboam fortified (2-Chronicles 11:8), near a great southern pass in the low country of Judah (Joshua 15:44). The engagement between the armies took place in a plain near the town, called "the valley of Zephathah," supposed to be the broad way coming down Beit Jibrin towards Tell Es-Safren [ROBINSON].

Then he called upon the Lord his God for help. וגו עמּך אין we translate, with Berth., "None is with Thee (on עמּך, cf. 2-Chronicles 20:6; Psalm 73:25) to help between a mighty one and a weak," i.e., no other than Thou can help in an unequal battle, i.e., help the weaker side; while the Vulg., on the contrary, after the analogy of 1-Samuel 14:6, translates, "non est apud te ulla distantia, utrum in paucis auxilieris an in pluribus;" and the older commentators (Schmidt, Ramb.) give the meaning thus: "perinde est tibi potentiori vel imbecilliori opem ferre." But in 1-Samuel 14:16 the wording is different, so that that passage cannot be a standard for us here. "In Thy name (i.e., trusting in Thy help) are we come against this multitude" (not "have we fallen upon this multitude"). וגו יעצר אל, "Let not a mortal retain strength with Thee" (עצר = כּח עצר, 2-Chronicles 13:20; 1-Chronicles 29:14), i.e., let not weak men accomplish anything with Thee, show Thy power or omnipotence over weak men.