1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
2 And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.
3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
4 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
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 the same time, and numbered 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, and my horses as thy horses.
8 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD 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 the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.
12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
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 the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
14 And Elisha said, As the LORD 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 the LORD came upon him.
16 And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.
17 For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
19 And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.
20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood in the border.
22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:
23 And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: 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: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.
25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
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 swords, to break through even 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 indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
1 Now Jehoram H3088 the son H1121 of Ahab H256 began to reign H4427 over Israel H3478 in Samaria H8111 the eighteenth H8083 H6240 year H8141 of Jehoshaphat H3092 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 and reigned H4427 twelve H8147 H6240 years. H8141
2 And he wrought H6213 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD; H3068 but not like his father, H1 and like his mother: H517 for he put away H5493 the image H4676 of Baal H1168 that his father H1 had made. H6213
3 Nevertheless he cleaved H1692 unto the sins H2403 of Jeroboam H3379 the son H1121 of Nebat, H5028 which made Israel H3478 to sin; H2398 he departed H5493 not therefrom.
4 And Mesha H4338 king H4428 of Moab H4124 was a sheepmaster, H5349 and rendered H7725 unto the king H4428 of Israel H3478 an hundred H3967 thousand H505 lambs, H3733 and an hundred H3967 thousand H505 rams, H352 with the wool. H6785
5 But it came to pass, when Ahab H256 was dead, H4194 that the king H4428 of Moab H4124 rebelled H6586 against the king H4428 of Israel. H3478
6 And king H4428 Jehoram H3088 went out H3318 of Samaria H8111 the same time, H3117 and numbered H6485 all Israel. H3478
7 And he went H3212 and sent H7971 to Jehoshaphat H3092 the king H4428 of Judah, H3063 saying, H559 The king H4428 of Moab H4124 hath rebelled H6586 against me: wilt thou go H3212 with me against Moab H4124 to battle? H4421 And he said, H559 I will go up: H5927 I am as thou art, my people H5971 as thy people, H5971 and my horses H5483 as thy horses. H5483
8 And he said, H559 Which way H1870 shall we go up? H5927 And he answered, H559 The way H1870 through the wilderness H4057 of Edom. H123
9 So the king H4428 of Israel H3478 went, H3212 and the king H4428 of Judah, H3063 and the king H4428 of Edom: H123 and they fetched a compass H5437 of seven H7651 days' H3117 journey: H1870 and there was no water H4325 for the host, H4264 and for the cattle H929 that followed H7272 them.
10 And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 said, H559 Alas! H162 that the LORD H3068 hath called H7121 these three H7969 kings H4428 together, H7121 to deliver H5414 them into the hand H3027 of Moab! H4124
11 But Jehoshaphat H3092 said, H559 Is there not here a prophet H5030 of the LORD, H3068 that we may enquire H1875 of the LORD H3068 by him? And one H259 of the king H4428 of Israel's H3478 servants H5650 answered H6030 and said, H559 Here is Elisha H477 the son H1121 of Shaphat, H8202 which poured H3332 water H4325 on the hands H3027 of Elijah. H452
12 And Jehoshaphat H3092 said, H559 The word H1697 of the LORD H3068 is H3426 with him. So the king H4428 of Israel H3478 and Jehoshaphat H3092 and the king H4428 of Edom H123 went down H3381 to him.
13 And Elisha H477 said H559 unto the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 What have I to do with thee? get H3212 thee to the prophets H5030 of thy father, H1 and to the prophets H5030 of thy mother. H517 And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 said H559 unto him, Nay: for the LORD H3068 hath called H7121 these three H7969 kings H4428 together, H7121 to deliver H5414 them into the hand H3027 of Moab. H4124
14 And Elisha H477 said, H559 As the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 liveth, H2416 before H6440 whom I stand, H5975 surely, were it not that H3884 I regard H5375 the presence H6440 of Jehoshaphat H3092 the king H4428 of Judah, H3063 I would not look H5027 toward thee, nor see H7200 thee.
15 But now bring H3947 me a minstrel. H5059 And it came to pass, when the minstrel H5059 played, H5059 that the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 came upon him.
16 And he said, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Make H6213 this valley H5158 full of ditches. H1356
17 For thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Ye shall not see H7200 wind, H7307 neither shall ye see H7200 rain; H1653 yet that valley H5158 shall be filled H4390 with water, H4325 that ye may drink, H8354 both ye, and your cattle, H4735 and your beasts. H929
18 And this is but a light thing H7043 in the sight H5869 of the LORD: H3068 he will deliver H5414 the Moabites H4124 also into your hand. H3027
19 And ye shall smite H5221 every fenced H4013 city, H5892 and every choice H4004 city, H5892 and shall fell H5307 every good H2896 tree, H6086 and stop H5640 all wells H4599 of water, H4325 and mar H3510 every good H2896 piece H2513 of land with stones. H68
20 And it came to pass in the morning, H1242 when the meat offering H4503 was offered, H5927 that, behold, there came H935 water H4325 by the way H1870 of Edom, H123 and the country H776 was filled H4390 with water. H4325
21 And when all the Moabites H4124 heard H8085 that the kings H4428 were come up H5927 to fight H3898 against them, they gathered H6817 all that were able to put H2296 on armour, H2290 and upward, H4605 and stood H5975 in the border. H1366
22 And they rose up early H7925 in the morning, H1242 and the sun H8121 shone H2224 upon the water, H4325 and the Moabites H4124 saw H7200 the water H4325 on the other side H5048 as red H122 as blood: H1818
23 And they said, H559 This is blood: H1818 the kings H4428 are surely H2717 slain, H2717 and they have smitten H5221 one H376 another: H7453 now therefore, Moab, H4124 to the spoil. H7998
24 And when they came H935 to the camp H4264 of Israel, H3478 the Israelites H3478 rose up H6965 and smote H5221 the Moabites, H4124 so that they fled H5127 before H6440 them: but they went forward H5221 smiting H5221 the Moabites, H4124 even in their country.
25 And they beat down H2040 the cities, H5892 and on every good H2896 piece H2513 of land cast H7993 every man H376 his stone, H68 and filled H4390 it; and they stopped H5640 all the wells H4599 of water, H4325 and felled H5307 all the good H2896 trees: H6086 only in Kirharaseth H7025 left H7604 they the stones H68 thereof; howbeit the slingers H7051 went about H5437 it, and smote H5221 it.
26 And when the king H4428 of Moab H4124 saw H7200 that the battle H4421 was too sore H2388 for him, he took H3947 with him seven H7651 hundred H3967 men H376 that drew H8025 swords, H2719 to break through H1234 even unto the king H4428 of Edom: H123 but they could H3201 not.
27 Then he took H3947 his eldest H1060 son H1121 that should have reigned H4427 in his stead, and offered H5927 him for a burnt offering H5930 upon the wall. H2346 And there was great H1419 indignation H7110 against Israel: H3478 and they departed H5265 from him, and returned H7725 to their own land. H776
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
1 And Jehoram son of Ahab hath reigned over Israel, in Samaria, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigneth twelve years,
2 and doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, only not like his father, and like his mother, and he turneth aside the standing-pillar of Baal that his father made;
3 only to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat that he caused Israel to sin he hath cleaved, he hath not turned aside from it.
4 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master, and he rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, `with' wool,
5 and it cometh to pass at the death of Ahab, that the king of Moab transgresseth against the king of Israel.
6 And king Jehoram goeth out in that day from Samaria, and inspecteth all Israel,
7 and goeth and sendeth unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, `The king of Moab hath transgressed against me; dost thou go with me unto Moab for battle?' and he saith, `I go up, as I, so thou; as my people, so thy people; as my horses, so thy horses.
8 And he saith, `Where `is' this -- the way we go up?' and he saith, `The way of the wilderness of Edom.'
9 And the king of Israel goeth, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom, and they turn round the way seven days, and there hath been no water for the camp, and for the cattle that `are' at their feet,
10 and the king of Israel saith, `Alas, for Jehovah hath called for these three kings, to give them into the hand of Moab.'
11 And Jehoshaphat saith, `Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah, and we seek Jehovah by him?' And one of the servants of the king of Israel answereth and saith, `Here `is' Elisha son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.'
12 And Jehoshaphat saith, `The word of Jehovah is with him;' and go down unto him do the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom.
13 And Elisha saith unto the king of Israel, `What -- to me and to thee? go unto the prophets of thy father, and unto the prophets of thy mother;' and the king of Israel saith to him, `Nay, for Jehovah hath called for these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.'
14 And Elisha saith, `Jehovah of Hosts liveth, before whom I have stood; for unless the face of Jehoshaphat king of Judah I am lifting up, I do not look unto thee, nor see thee;
15 and now, bring to me a minstrel; and it hath been, at the playing of the minstrel, that the hand of Jehovah is on him,
16 and he saith, `Thus said Jehovah, Make this valley ditches -- ditches;
17 for thus said Jehovah, Ye do not see wind, nor do ye see rain, and that valley is full of water, and ye have drunk -- ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
18 `And this hath been light in the eyes of Jehovah, and he hath given Moab into your hand,
19 and ye have smitten every fenced city, and every choice city, and every good tree ye cause to fall, and all fountains of waters ye stop, and every good portion ye mar with stones.'
20 And it cometh to pass in the morning, at the ascending of the `morning'-present, that lo, waters are coming in from the way of Edom, and the land is filled with the waters,
21 and all Moab have heard that the kings have come up to fight against them, and they are called together, from every one girding on a girdle and upward, and they stand by the border.
22 And they rise early in the morning, and the sun hath shone on the waters, and the Moabites see, from over-against, the waters red as blood,
23 and say, `Blood this `is'; the kings have been surely destroyed, and they smite each his neighbour; and now for spoil, Moab!'
24 And they come in unto the camp of Israel, and the Israelites rise, and smite the Moabites, and they flee from their face; and they enter into Moab, so as to smite Moab,
25 and the cities they break down, and `on' every good portion they cast each his stone, and have filled it, and every fountain of water they stop, and every good tree they cause to fall -- till one had left its stones in Kir-Haraseth, and the slingers go round and smite it.
26 And the king of Moab seeth that the battle has been too strong for him, and he taketh with him seven hundred men, drawing sword, to cleave through unto the king of Edom, and they have not been able,
27 and he taketh his son, the first-born who reigneth in his stead, and causeth him to ascend -- a burnt-offering on the wall, and there is great wrath against Israel, and they journey from off him, and turn back to the land.
1 And Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; and he reigned twelve years.
2 And he wrought evil in the sight of Jehovah, but not like his father, and like his mother; and he took away the column of Baal that his father had made.
3 Only, he clave to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin: he did not depart therefrom.
4 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
5 And it came to pass when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 And at that time king Jehoram went out of Samaria and inspected all Israel.
7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
8 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he said, By way of the wilderness of Edom.
9 And 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 army, and for the cattle that followed them.
10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that Jehovah has called these three kings together, to give them into the hand of Moab!
11 And 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, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.
12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of Jehovah is with him. And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 And Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? go to the prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said to him, Not so, for Jehovah has called these three kings to give 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 And now fetch me a minstrel. And it came to pass when the minstrel played, that the hand of Jehovah was upon him.
16 And he said, Thus saith Jehovah: Make this valley full of ditches.
17 For thus saith Jehovah: Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet this valley shall be filled with water, and ye shall drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
18 And this is a light thing in the sight of Jehovah: he will give the Moabites also into your hand.
19 And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.
20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the oblation was offered up, that behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
21 And all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, and they were called together, all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood by the border.
22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun rose upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side red as blood.
23 And they said, This is blood: the kings are entirely destroyed, and have smitten one another; and now, Moab, to the spoil!
24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, and they fled before them; and they entered in and smote Moab.
25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone and filled it, and they stopped every well of water, and felled every good tree, until they left [only] the stones at Kirhareseth; and the slingers went about it, and smote it.
26 And the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, and he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not.
27 And he took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him up 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.
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 He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, 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 to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; he didn't depart from it.
4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master; and he rendered to the king of Israel the wool of one hundred thousand lambs, and of one hundred thousand rams.
5 But it happened, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel.
7 He went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me: will you go with me against Moab to battle? He said, I will go up: I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.
8 He said, Which way shall we go up? He answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
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 animals that followed them.
10 The king of Israel said, Alas! for Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
11 But Jehoshaphat said, Isn't there here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may inquire of Yahweh by him? One of the king of Israel's servants answered, Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.
12 Jehoshaphat said, The word of Yahweh is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? get you to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother. The king of Israel said to him, No; for Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
14 Elisha said, As Yahweh of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward you, nor see you.
15 But now bring me a minstrel. It happened, when the minstrel played, that the hand of Yahweh came on him.
16 He said, Thus says Yahweh, Make this valley full of trenches.
17 For thus says Yahweh, You shall not see wind, neither shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, and you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your animals.
18 This is but a light thing in the sight of Yahweh: he will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.
19 You shall strike every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.
20 It happened in the morning, about the time of offering the offering, 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 had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood on the border.
22 They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on 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 struck each man his fellow: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
24 When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land smiting the Moabites.
25 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 springs of water, and felled all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth [only] they left the stones of it; however the men armed with slings went about it, and struck it.
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not.
27 Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
1 And Jehoram, the son of Ahab, became king over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of the rule of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; and he was king for twelve years.
2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord; but not like his father and his mother, for he put away the stone pillar of Baal which his father had made.
3 But still he did the same sins which Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, did and made Israel do; he went on in them.
4 Now Mesha, king of Moab, was a sheep-farmer; and he gave regularly to the king of Israel the wool from a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand sheep.
5 But when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab got free from the authority of the king of Israel.
6 At that time, King Jehoram went out from Samaria and got all Israel together in fighting order.
7 And he sent to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has got free from my authority: will you go with me to make war on Moab? And he said, I will go with you: I am as you are, my people as your people, and my horses as your horses.
8 And he said, Which way are we to go? And he said in answer, By the waste land of Edom.
9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom by a roundabout way for seven days: and there was no water for the army or for the beasts they had with them.
10 And the king of Israel said, Here is trouble: for the Lord has got these three kings together to give them into the hands of Moab.
11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may get directions from the Lord? And one of the king of Israel's men said in answer, Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here, who was servant to Elijah.
12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 But Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? go to the prophets of your father and your mother. And the king of Israel said, No; for the Lord has got these three kings together to give them up into the hands of Moab.
14 Then Elisha said, By the life of the Lord of armies whose servant I am, if it was not for the respect I have for Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, I would not give a look at you, or see you.
15 But now, get me a player of music, and it will come about that while the man is playing, the hand of the Lord will come on me and I will give you the word of the Lord: and they got a player of music, and while the man was playing, the hand of the Lord was on him.
16 And he said, The Lord says, I will make this valley full of water-holes.
17 For the Lord says, Though you see no wind or rain, the valley will be full of water, and you and your armies and your beasts will have drink.
18 And this will be only a small thing to the Lord: in addition he will give the Moabites into your hands.
19 And you are to put every walled town to destruction, cutting down every good tree, and stopping up every water-spring, and making all the good land rough with stones.
20 Now in the morning, about the time when the offering was made, they saw water flowing from the direction of Edom till the country was full of water.
21 Now all Moab, hearing that the kings had come to make war against them, got together all who were able to take up arms and went forward to the edge of the country.
22 And early in the morning they got up, when the sun was shining on the water, and they saw the water facing them as red as blood.
23 Then they said, This is blood: it is clear that destruction has come on the kings; they have been fighting one another: now come, Moab, let us take their goods.
24 But when they came to the tents of Israel, the Israelites came out and made a violent attack on the Moabites, so that they went in flight before them; and they went forward still attacking them;
25 Pulling down the towns, covering every good field with stones, stopping up all the water-springs, and cutting down all the good trees; they went on driving Moab before them till only in Kir-hareseth were there any Moabites; and the fighting-men went round the town raining stones on it.
26 And when the king of Moab saw that the fight was going against him, he took with him seven hundred men armed with swords, with the idea of forcing a way through to the king of Aram, but they were not able to do so.
27 Then he took his oldest son, who would have been king after him, offering him as a burned offering on the wall. So there was great wrath against Israel; and they went away from him, back to their country.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on 2 Kings 3
Commentary on 2 Kings 3 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Reign of Joram of Israel. - For the chronological statement in 2 Kings 3:1, see at 2 Kings 1:17. Joram or Jehoram was not so ungodly as his father Ahab and his Mother Jezebel. He had the statue or pillar of Baal, which his father had erected in Samaria, removed; and it was only to the sin of Jeroboam, i.e., the calf-worship, that he adhered. Joram therefore wished to abolish the worship of Baal and elevate the worship of Jehovah, under the image of the calf (ox), into the region of his kingdom once more. For the singular suffix ממּנּה see Ewald, §317, a . He did not succeed, however, in exterminating the worship of Baal. It not only continued in Samaria, but appears to have been carried on again in the most shameless manner (cf. 2 Kings 10:18.); at which we cannot be surprised, since his mother Jezebel, that fanatical worshipper of Baal, was living throughout the whole of his reign (2 Kings 9:30).
War of Joram, in Alliance with Jehoshaphat, against the Moabites. - 2 Kings 3:4, 2 Kings 3:5. The occasion of this war was the rebellion of the Moabites, i.e., the refusal to pay tribute to Israel since the death of Ahab. Mesha the (vassal-) king of Moab was a possessor of flocks, and paid to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and 100,000 rams; not merely at the commencement of each new reign (Cler.), but as a yearly tribute ( השׁיב , to bring again = to bring repeatedly, as in Numbers 18:9, etc.). This yearly tribute could not be exorbitant for the land of the Moabites, which abounded in good pasture, and was specially adapted for the rearing of flocks. The payment of tribute in natural objects and in the produce of the land was very customary in ancient times, and is still usual among the tribes of Asia.
(Note: Pecunia ipsa a pecore appellabatur. Etiam nunc in tabulis Censoriis pascua dicuntur omnia, ex quibus populus reditus habet, quia diu hoc solum vectigal fuit. Mulctatio quoque nonnisi ovium boumque impendio dicebatur . - Plinii h. nat. xviii. 3.)
נוקד signifies both a shepherd (Amos 1:1) and also a possessor of flocks. In Arabic it is properly the possessor of a superior kind of sheep and goats (vid., Boch. Hieroz . i. p. 483f. ed. Ros.). צמר may either be taken as a second object to השׁיב , or be connected with אילים htiw as an accusative of looser government (Ewald, §287, h .). In the first case the tribute would consist of the wool (the fleeces) of 100,000 lambs and 100,000 rams; in the second, of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. In support of the latter we may quote Isaiah 16:1, where lambs are mentioned as tribute.
2 Kings 3:5-7
The statement concerning the rebellion of the Moabites, which has already been mentioned in 2 Kings 1:1, is repeated here, because it furnished the occasion for the expedition about to be described. Ahaziah had been unable to do anything during his short reign to renew the subjugation of Moab; Joram was therefore anxious to overtake what had been neglected immediately after his ascent of the throne. He went to Samaria ההוּא בּיּום , at that time, namely, when he renewed his demand for the tribute and it was refused (Thenius), and mustered all Israel, i.e., raised an army out of the whole kingdom, and asked Jehoshaphat to join in the war, which he willingly promised to do (as in 1 Kings 22:4), notwithstanding the fact that he had been blamed by prophets for his alliance with Ahab and Ahaziah (2 Chronicles 19:2 and 2 Chronicles 20:37). He probably wished to chastise the Moabites still further on this occasion for their invasion of Judah (2 Chron 20), and to do his part by bringing them once more under the yoke of Israel, to put it out of their power to make fresh incursions into Judah.
2 Kings 3:8
In reply to Joram's question, “By which way shall we advance (against Moab)?” Jehoshaphat decided in favour of “the way through the desert of Edom.” There were two ways by which it was possible to enter the land of the Moabites; namely, either by going above the Dead Sea, and crossing the Jordan and the boundary river Arnon, and so entering it from the north, or by going round the southern point of the Dead Sea, and advancing through the northern portion of the mountains of Edom, and thus entering it from the south. The latter way was the longer of the two, and the one attended with the greatest difficulties and dangers, because the army would have to cross mountains which were very difficult to ascend. Nevertheless Jehoshaphat decided in its favour, partly because, if they took the northern route, they would have the Syrians at Ramoth in Gilead to fear, partly also because the Moabites, from their very confidence in the inaccessibility of their southern boundary, would hardly expect any attack from that side, and might therefore, if assailed at that point, be taken off their guard and easily defeated, and probably also from a regard to the king of Edom, whom they could induce to join them with his troops if they took that route, not so much perhaps for the purpose of strengthening their own army as to make sure of his forces, namely, that he would not make a fresh attempt at rebellion by a second invasion of the kingdom of Judah while Jehoshaphat was taking the field against the Moabites.
2 Kings 3:9-12
But however cleverly this plan may have been contrived, when the united army had been marching round for seven days and was passing through the deep rocky valley of the Ahsy ,
(Note: The usual route from southern Judaea to the land of the Moabites, which even the Crusaders and more recent travellers took, runs round the Dead Sea up to the mouth of the Wady ed Deraah or Kerak , and then up this wady to Kerak (vid., Rob. ii. p. 231). The allied kings did not take this route however, but went through the Wady el Kurahy or es-Safieh , which opens into the southern end of the Dead Sea, and which is called the Wady el Ahsy farther up in the mountains, by Seetzen ( R . ii. pp. 355,356) erroneously the Wady el Hössa (Rob. ii. p. 488), a ravine through which Burckhardt passed with the greatest difficulty ( Syrien , ii. p. 673). That they advanced by this route is a necessary inference from the fact, that when they first suffered from want of water they were on the border of the Moabitish territory, of which this very wady forms the boundary (2 Kings 3:21; see Burckh. p. 674, and Rob. Pal . ii. p. 555), and the water came flowing from Edom (2 Kings 3:20). Neither of these circumstances is applicable to the Wady el Kerak . - Still less can we assume, with O. v. Gerlach, that they chose the route through the Arabah that they might approach Moab from the south, as the Israelites under Moses had done. For it would have been impossible for them to reach the border of Moab by this circuitous route. And why should they go so far round, with the way through Edom open to them?)
which divided the territories of Edom and Moab, it was in the greatest danger of perishing from want of water for men and cattle, as the river which flows through this valley, and in which they probably hoped to find a sufficient supply of water, since according to Robinson ( Pal . ii. pp. 476 and 488) it is a stream which never fails, was at that time perfectly dry.
In this distress the hearts of the two kings were manifested. - 2 Kings 3:10-12. Joram cried out in his despair: “Woe, that Jehovah has called these three kings, to give them into the hand of Moab!” ( כּי , that , serves to give emphasis to the assurance; see Ewald, §330, b .) Jehoshaphat, on the other hand, had confidence in the Lord, and inquired whether there was no prophet there, through whom they could seek counsel of the Lord (as in 1 Kings 22:7); whereupon one of the servants of the Israelitish king answered that Elisha was there, who had poured water upon the hands of Elijah, i.e., had been with him daily as his servant, and therefore could probably obtain and give a revelation from god. Elisha may perhaps have come to the neighbourhood of the army at the instigation of the Spirit of God, because the distress of the kings was to be one means in the hand of the Lord, not only of distinguishing the prophet in the eyes of Joram, but also of pointing Joram to the Lord as the only true God. The three kings, humbled by the calamity, went in person to Elisha, instead of sending for him.
2 Kings 3:13-14
In order still further to humble the king of Israel, who was already bowed down by the trouble, and to produce some salutary fruit of repentance in his heart, Elisha addressed him in these words: “What have I to do with thee? Go to the (Baal-) prophets of thy father and thy mother! Let them help thee.” When Joram replied to this in a supplicatory tone: על , no, pray (as in Ruth 1:13), i.e., speak not in this refusing way, for the Lord has brought these three kings - not me alone, but Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom also - into this trouble; Elisha said to him with a solemn oath (cf. 1 Kings 17:1): “If I did not regard Jehoshaphat, I should not look at thee and have respect to thee,” i.e., I should not deign to look at thee, much less to help thee.
2 Kings 3:15-17
He then sent for a minstrel, to collect his mind from the impressions of the outer world by the soft tones of the instrument, and by subduing the self-life and life in the external world to become absorbed in the intuition of divine things. On this influence of music upon the state of the mind, see the remark on 1 Samuel 16:16, and Passavant's Untersuchungen über den Lebens-magnetismus , p. 207 (ed. 2). - As the minstrel was playing, the hand of the Lord came upon him ( והיה according to the later usage for ויהי , as in 1 Samuel 17:48, etc.; compare Ewald, §345, b ., and יהוה יד as in 1 Kings 18:46), so that he said in the name of the Lord: “Make this valley full of trenches ( עשׂה , inf. abs . for the imperative; for גּבים גּבים see Ges. §108, 4); for thus saith the Lord, ye will see neither wind nor rain, and this valley will be filled with water, that ye may be able to drink, and your flocks and your cattle.” גּבים are trenches for collecting water (vid., Jeremiah 14:3), which would suddenly flow down through the brook-valley. This large quantity of water came on the (following) morning “by the way of Edom” (2 Kings 3:20), a heavy fall of rain or violent storm having taken place, as is evident from the context, in the eastern mountains of Edom, at a great distance from the Israelitish camp, the water of which filled the brook-valley, i.e., the Wady el Kurahy and el Ahsy (see at 2 Kings 3:9) at once, without the Israelites observing anything either of the wind, which always precedes rain in the East (Harmar, Beobb . i. pp. 51, 52), or of the rain itself. מקניכם are the flocks intended for slaughtering, בּהמתּכם the beasts of burden.
2 Kings 3:18-19
Elisha continued: “and this is too little for Jehovah (the comparative force of נקל is implied in the context, especially in the alternating combination of the two clauses, which is indicated by ו ... ו , see Ewald, §360, c .): He will also give Moab into your hand, and ye will smite all the fortified and choice cities, fell all the good trees (fruit-trees), stop up all the springs of water, and spoil all the good fields with stones.” מבצר and מבחור are intended to produce a play upon words, through the resemblance in their sound and meaning (Ewald, §160, c .). In the announcement of the devastation of the land there is an allusion to Deuteronomy 20:19-20, according to which the Israelites were ordered to spare the fruit-trees when Canaan was taken. These instructions were not to apply to Moab, because the Moabites themselves as the arch-foes of Israel would not act in any other way with the land of Israel if they should gain the victory. הכאב , to add pain, is a poetical expression for spoiling a field or rendering it infertile through the heaping up of stones.
2 Kings 3:20-23
The water came in the morning at the time of the morning sacrifice (see 1 Kings 18:36), to indicate that the Lord was once more restoring His favour to the people on account of the sacrifice presented to Him in His temple.
The help of God, which preserved the Israelitish army from destruction, also prepared destruction for the Moabites. 2 Kings 3:21-23. On hearing the report of the march of the allied kings, Moab had raised all the men that were capable of bearing arms, and stationed them on the frontier. In the morning, when the sun had risen above the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite to them like blood, and said: “That is blood: the (allied) kings have destroyed themselves and smitten one another; and now to the spoil, Moab!” Coming with this expectation to the Israelitish camp, they were received by the allies, who were ready for battle, and put to flight. The divine help consisted, therefore, not in a miracle which surpassed the laws of nature, but simply in the fact that the Lord God, as He had predicted through His prophet, caused the forces of nature ordained by Him to work in the predetermined manner. As the sudden supply of an abundance of water was caused in a natural way by a heavy fall of rain, so the illusion, which was so fatal to the Moabites, is also to be explained in the natural manner indicated in the text. From the reddish earth of the freshly dug trenches the water collected in them had acquired a reddish colour, which was considerably intensified by the rays of the rising sun, so that when seen from a distance it resembled blood. The Moabites, however, were the less likely to entertain the thought of an optical delusion, from the fact that with their accurate acquaintance with the country they knew very well that there was no water in the wady at that time, and they had neither seen nor heard anything of the rain which had fallen at a great distance off in the Edomitish mountains. The thought was therefore a natural one, that the water was blood, and that the cause of the blood could only have been that their enemies had massacred one another, more especially as the jealousy between Israel and Judah was not unknown to them, and they could have no doubt that Edom had only come with them as a forced ally after the unsuccessful attempt at rebellion which it had made a short time before; and, lastly, they cannot quite have forgotten their own last expedition against Judah in alliance with the Edomites and Ammonites, which had completely failed, because the men composing their own army had destroyed one another. But if they came into collision with the allied army of the Israelites under such a delusion as this, the battle could only end in defeat and in a general flight so far as they were concerned.
2 Kings 3:24-25
The Israelites followed the fugitives into their own land and laid it waste, as Elisha had prophesied (2 Kings 3:25 compared with 2 Kings 3:19). The Chethîb ויבו־בהּ is to be read בהּ ויּבו (for ויּבוא as in 1 Kings 12:12): and (Israel) came into the land and smote Moab. The Keri ויּכּוּ is a bad emendation. הכּות is either the infinitive construct used instead of the infin. absolute (Ewald, §351, c .), or an unusual form of the inf. absol. (Ewald, §240, b .). עד־השׁאיר , till one (= so that one only) left its stones in Kir-chareseth . On the infinitive form השׁאיר see at Joshua 8:22. The suffix in אבניה probably points forward to the following noun (Ewald, §309, c .). The city called חרשׂת קיר here and Isaiah 16:7, and חרשׂ קיר in Isaiah 16:11 and Jeremiah 48:31, Jeremiah 48:36, i.e., probably city of potsherds, is called elsewhere מואב קיר , the citadel of Moab (Isaiah 15:1), as the principal fortress of the land (in the Chaldee Vers. דמואב כרכּא ), and still exists under the name of Kerak , with a strong castle build by the Crusaders, upon a lofty and steep chalk rock, surrounded by a deep and narrow valley, which runs westward under the name of Wady Kerak and falls into the Dead Sea (vid., Burckhardt, Syr . pp. 643ff., C. v. Raumer, Pal . pp. 271,272). This fortress the allied kings besieged. “The slingers surrounded and smote it,” i.e., bombarded it.
2 Kings 3:26
When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too strong for him, he attempted to fight a way through the besiegers with 700 men with drawn swords ( להבקיע , lit., to split them) to the king of Edom, i.e., on the side which was held by this king, from whom he probably hoped that he should meet with the weakest resistance.
2 Kings 3:27
But when this attempt failed, in his desperation he took his first-born son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice upon the wall, i.e., in the sight of the besiegers, not to the God of Israel (Joseph. Ephr. Syr., etc.), but to his own god Camos (see at 1 Kings 11:7), to procure help from him by appeasing his wrath; just as the heathen constantly sought to appease the wrath of their gods by human sacrifices on the occasion of great calamities (vid., Euseb. praepar. ev . iv. 16, and E. v. Lasaulx, die Sühnopfer der Griechen und Römer , pp. 8ff.). - “And there was (came) great wrath upon Israel, and they departed from him (the king of Moab) and returned into their land.” As על קצף היה is used of the divine wrath or judgment, which a man brings upon himself by sinning, in every other case in which the phrase occurs, we cannot understand it here as signifying the “human indignation,” or ill-will, which broke out among the besieged (Budd., Schulz, and others). The meaning is: this act of abomination, to which the king of the Moabites had been impelled by the extremity of his distress, brought a severe judgment from God upon Israel. The besiegers, that is to say, felt the wrath of God, which they had brought upon themselves by occasioning human sacrifice, which is strictly forbidden in the law (Leviticus 18:21; Leviticus 20:3), either inwardly in their conscience or in some outwardly visible signs, so that they gave up the further prosecution of the siege and the conquest of the city, without having attained the object of the expedition, namely, to renew the subjugation of Moab under the power of Israel.