1)
Why did he build Geva and Mitzpah?
1.
Malbim: These were fortified cities to stop enemies; Geva was near Ramah (Shoftim 19:13), and it says "Pach Heyisem l'Mitzpah" (Hoshe'a 5:1), for also it was near Ramah, where [Basha] tried to stop traffic to and from Yehudah.
