King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah: The Hebrew verb translated made a proclamation is actually a causative form of the verb “to hear” with the meaning “caused himself to be heard.” People were called by public proclamation to perform public service. New International Version translates “issued an order,” while New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible use the verb “summoned.” The technical term “mustered” used by New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Anchor Bible correctly implies that the people of Judah were required to gather for the purpose of carrying out a specific action. Here they are called to carry away the building stones and lumber that King Baasha had brought to fortify Ramah. Good News Translation provides a good model here for some languages since it makes clear what Asa proclaimed by using the words “requiring everyone … to help….”
All Judah refers to all the people in the southern kingdom.
None was exempt: This expression highlights the fact that every able-bodied person in Judah was expected to participate in the transport of the stones and lumber. In some languages it may have to be translated as a separate sentence, for example, “Every person was required to help” or “No one could escape doing this work.”
With them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah: The Hebrew verb translated built may be rendered “fortified” here also, as in verse 17.
The location of the towns Geba and Mizpah has been debated among scholars, with some locating these two towns south of Ramah (see verse 17) and others locating them north of Ramah. Most archaeologists today locate them north of Ramah. Asa moved his own northern border about 3.5 kilometers (2 miles) deeper into the territory of Benjamin.
The town of Geba is identified in the Old Testament as a town in the territory of Benjamin (Josh 18.24). Since 1838, Geba has been located by archaeologists as a site about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northeast of Jerusalem.
Mizpah is the name given to several different places in the Old Testament. The reference here is to the city located in the territory of Benjamin, about 13 kilometers (8 miles) north of Jerusalem. After the fall of Jerusalem in 587/586 B.C., Mizpah became the provincial capital of Judah (2 Kgs 25.23-25; Jer 40.7-12).
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .