6 He went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in (the country of) Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Uzziah's expedition was the natural sequel to the Edomite war of Amaziah 2-Chronicles 25:11, which crushed the most formidable of all the tribes of the south. On Jabneh see Joshua 15:11 note; and on Ashdod see Joshua 13:3 note.
And he went forth, and warred against the Philistines,.... Who in the times of Jehoram broke in upon Judah, and distressed them, 2-Chronicles 21:16.
and brake down the wall of Gath; which was one of the five principalities of the Philistines:
and the wall of Jabneh; nowhere else mentioned in Scripture, but frequent in the Jewish writings; where the sanhedrim sometimes sat, and where was a famous university, and from whence sprung many of the Jewish rabbins; it is the same which in some writers is called Jamnia, and was a port near to Joppa; and belonged to the tribe of Daniel, as Josephus (m) writes:
and the wall of Ashdod: another of the principalities of the Philistines, the same with the Azotus of the New Testament; he dismantled all these places:
and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines; where he placed garrisons to keep them in awe; see Amos 1:8.
(m) Antiqu. l. 5. c. 9. sect. 22.
he went forth and warred against the Philistines--He overcame them in many engagements--dismantled their towns, and erected fortified cities in various parts of the country, to keep them in subjection.
Jabneh--the same as Jabneel (Joshua 15:11).
Wars, buildings, and army of Uzziah. - Of the successful undertakings by which Uzziah raised the kingdom of Judah to greater worldly power and prosperity, nothing is said in the book of Kings; but the fact itself is placed beyond all doubt, for it is confirmed by the portrayal of the might and greatness of Judah in the prophecies of Isaiah (Isaiah 2-4), which date from the times of Uzziah and Jotham.
After Uzziah had, in the very beginning of his reign, completed the subjection of the Edomites commenced by his father by the capture and fortification of the seaport Elath (2-Chronicles 26:2), he took the field to chastise the Philistines and Arabians, who had under Joram made an inroad upon Judah and plundered Jerusalem (2-Chronicles 21:16.). In the war against the Philistines he broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod (i.e., after capturing these cities), and built cities in Ashdod, i.e., in the domain of Ashdod, and בּפּלשׁתּים, i.e., in other domains of the Philistines, whence we gather that he had wholly subdued Philistia. The city of Gath had been already taken from the Philistines by David; see 1-Chronicles 18:1; and as to situation, see on 1-Chronicles 11:8. Jabneh, here named for the first time, but probably occurring in Joshua 15:11 under the name Jabneel, is often mentioned under the name Jamnia in the books of the Maccabees and in Josephus. It is now a considerable village, Jebnah, four hours south of Joppa, and one and a half hours from the sea; see on Joshua 15:11. Ashdod is now a village called Esdud; see on Joshua 13:3.
*More commentary available at chapter level.