English · ASV

2 Kings 3

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Jehoram Reigns; Moab Rebels 1–3

1
Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
2
And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, but not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. ​
3
Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. ​

Moab’s Rebellion Against Israel 4–8

4
Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master; and he rendered unto the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred thousand rams. ​
5
But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6
And king Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel.
7
And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses. ​
8
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom. ​

The Allied Kings Face Disaster 9–12

9
So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, nor for the beasts that followed them.
10
And the king of Israel said, Alas! for Jehovah hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. ​
11
But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah, that we may inquire of Jehovah by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah. ​
12
And Jehoshaphat said, The word of Jehovah is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

Elisha Prophesies Victory 13–19

13
And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay; for Jehovah hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. ​
14
And Elisha said, As Jehovah of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. ​
15
But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of Jehovah came upon him. ​
16
And he said, Thus saith Jehovah, Make this valley full of trenches.
17
For thus saith Jehovah, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, and ye shall drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts. ​
18
And this is but a light thing in the sight of Jehovah: he will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. ​
19
And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all fountains of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. ​

God Provides Water and Defeat for Moab 20–25

20
And it came to pass in the morning, about the time of offering the oblation, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. ​
21
Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all that were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood on the border.
22
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water over against them as red as blood: ​
23
and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have smitten each man his fellow: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. ​
24
And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land smiting the Moabites.
25
And they beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the fountains of water, and felled all the good trees, until in Kir-hareseth only they left the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it. ​

The King of Moab Sacrifices His Son 26–27

26
And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew sword, to break through unto the king of Edom; but they could not.
27
Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall. And there was great wrath against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Kings 3

Verse 2

put away the image of Baal — The matstsebah was a standing pillar, set up by Ahab, who had 'reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria' (1 Kgs 16:32). Jehoram removed it, so his evil was 'not like his father, and like his mother'. The next verse says what he kept.

Verse 3

cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam — Dabaq, to cling. The sins are the two golden calves, set up at Bethel and Dan (1 Kgs 12:28–29). Ahab had counted walking in them 'a light thing' (1 Kgs 16:31), and his son 'departed not therefrom'.

Verse 4

a sheepmaster — Noqed, the word used of Amos among 'the herdmen of Tekoa' (Amos 1:1). Mesha paid his tribute in flocks: 'an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool'. The tribute ended with his rebellion 'when Ahab was dead' (v.5).

Verse 7

I am as thou art — Jehoshaphat gives Joram the pledge he had given Ahab (1 Kgs 22:4), 'my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses'. After Ramoth-gilead the seer Jehu had asked him, 'Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD?' (2 Chr 19:2).

Verse 8

the wilderness of Edom — The route through Edom brings the army to Moab by a roundabout way. The kings of Israel, Judah and Edom 'fetched a compass' of seven days' journey (v.9), and the host ran out of water for themselves and 'the cattle that followed them'.

Verse 10

Alas! — The king of Israel says that 'the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab', and he says it again to Elisha in v.13. The cause is the lack of water (v.9). Jehoshaphat's answer in v.11 is to ask for a prophet.

Verse 11

poured water on the hands of Elijah — This is the service of a personal attendant: Elisha 'ministered unto' Elijah (1 Kgs 19:21) after the LORD told Elijah to anoint him 'prophet in thy room' (19:16). Jehoshaphat's question, 'Is there not here a prophet of the LORD?', is almost the one he asked Ahab (1 Kgs 22:7).

Verse 13

the prophets of thy father — Elisha sends Joram to the court prophets: the four hundred of Ahab (1 Kgs 22:6) and 'the prophets of thy mother', the prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of the groves 'which eat at Jezebel's table' (1 Kgs 18:19). Joram answers, 'Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together'.

Verse 14

before whom I stand — Elisha takes up Elijah's oath, 'As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand' (1 Kgs 17:1), here with 'LORD of hosts'. 'Regard the presence' is nasa panim, to lift the face, to show favour. He speaks only for the sake of the king of Judah.

Verse 15

bring me a minstrel — Nagan, to strike a stringed instrument. David's harp refreshed Saul (1 Sam 16:23), and the sons of Asaph were set apart to 'prophesy with harps' (1 Chr 25:1). Elisha's word comes as the minstrel plays, when 'the hand of the LORD came upon him', close to the words used of Elijah, 'the hand of the LORD was on Elijah' (1 Kgs 18:46).

Verse 17

ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain — The valley is to be made 'full of ditches' (v.16) and filled with water without a storm, 'that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts'. It supplies what the host lacked in v.9. The LORD 'turneth the wilderness into a standing water' (Ps 107:35).

Verse 18

a light thing — Qalal, to be light or small. The water is the lesser gift, for the LORD 'will deliver the Moabites also into your hand'. Isaiah uses the same phrase for a larger promise: 'It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant… I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles' (Isa 49:6).

Verse 19

fell every good tree — Four acts are commanded against the cities of Moab: smiting every fenced and choice city, felling every good tree, stopping the wells, and marring every good piece of land with stones. They are carried out in v.25 in nearly the same words, though the stones on the land come before the wells and the trees.

Verse 20

when the meat offering was offered — The 'meat offering' (minchah) is the grain offering that went with the daily morning lamb (Ex 29:39–41). The water came at that hour 'by the way of Edom', though no wind or rain had been seen (v.17).

Verse 22

as red as blood — The Moabites rose early and saw the water in the morning sun 'as red as blood'. 'Red' is adom, the word behind the name Edom (Gen 25:30), and the water came 'by the way of Edom' (v.20).

Verse 23

This is blood — Moab concludes that 'the kings are surely slain' and that they have 'smitten one another', and goes to the spoil. Such self-destruction among attackers is recorded of Ammon and Moab at Seir: 'every one helped to destroy another' (2 Chr 20:23).

Verse 25

Kirharaseth — The allies carry out v.19: cities beaten down, stones cast on every good piece of land, wells stopped, good trees felled. Only Kirharaseth, 'fortress of earthenware', was left with its stones, and the slingers 'went about it'. Isaiah later mourns 'the foundations of Kirhareseth' (Isa 16:7).

Verse 27

his eldest son… for a burnt offering — The king of Moab offers 'his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead' on the wall. The law called such burning an abomination: 'even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods' (Deut 12:31). The verse does not say whose 'great indignation' (qetseph, wrath) it was.