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Texts -- 2 Kings 3:4-27 (NET)

Context
3:4 Now King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder . He would send as tribute to the king of Israel 100,000 male lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams . 3:5 When Ahab died , the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel . 3:6 At that time King Jehoram left Samaria and assembled all Israel for war. 3:7 He sent this message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah : “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you fight with me against Moab ?” Jehoshaphat replied , “I will join you in the campaign; my army and horses are at your disposal.” 3:8 He then asked , “Which invasion route are we going to take ?” Jehoram answered , “By the road through the Desert of Edom .” 3:9 So the kings of Israel , Judah , and Edom set out together. They wandered around on the road for seven days and finally ran out of water for the men and animals they had with them. 3:10 The king of Israel said , “Oh no! Certainly the Lord has summoned these three kings so that he can hand them over to the king of Moab !” 3:11 Jehoshaphat asked , “Is there no prophet of the Lord here that we might seek the Lord’s direction ?” One of the servants of the king of Israel answered , “Elisha son of Shapat is here ; he used to be Elijah’s servant.” 3:12 Jehoshaphat said , “The Lord speaks through him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to visit him. 3:13 Elisha said to the king of Israel , “Why are you here? Go to your father’s prophets or your mother’s prophets !” The king of Israel replied to him, “No , for the Lord is the one who summoned these three kings so that he can hand them over to Moab .” 3:14 Elisha said , “As certainly as the Lord who rules over all lives (whom I serve ), if I did not respect King Jehoshaphat of Judah , I would not pay attention to you or acknowledge you. 3:15 But now , get me a musician .” When the musician played , the Lord energized him, 3:16 and he said , “This is what the Lord says , ‘Make many cisterns in this valley ,’ 3:17 for this is what the Lord says , ‘You will not feel any wind or see any rain , but this valley will be full of water and you and your cattle and animals will drink .’ 3:18 This is an easy task for the Lord ; he will also hand Moab over to you. 3:19 You will defeat every fortified city and every important city . You must chop down every productive tree , stop up all the springs , and cover all the cultivated land with stones .” 3:20 Sure enough, the next morning , at the time of the morning sacrifice , water came flowing down from Edom and filled the land . 3:21 Now all Moab had heard that the kings were attacking , so everyone old enough to fight was mustered and placed at the border . 3:22 When they got up early the next morning , the sun was shining on the water . To the Moabites , who were some distance away, the water looked red like blood . 3:23 The Moabites said , “It’s blood ! The kings are totally destroyed ! They have struck one another down ! Now , Moab , seize the plunder !” 3:24 When they approached the Israelite camp , the Israelites rose up and struck down the Moabites , who then ran from them. The Israelites thoroughly defeated Moab . 3:25 They tore down the cities and each man threw a stone into every cultivated field until they were covered . They stopped up every spring and chopped down every productive tree . Only Kir Hareseth was left intact , but the slingers surrounded it and attacked it. 3:26 When the king of Moab realized he was losing the battle , he and 700 swordsmen tried to break through and attack the king of Edom , but they failed . 3:27 So he took his firstborn son , who was to succeed him as king , and offered him up as a burnt sacrifice on the wall . There was an outburst of divine anger against Israel , so they broke off the attack and returned to their homeland .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Zoar

    [ebd] small, a town on the east or south-east of the Dead Sea, to which Lot and his daughters fled from Sodom (Gen. 19:22, 23). It was originally called Bela (14:2, 8). It is referred to by the prophets Isaiah (15:5) and Jeremiah ...

  • Water

    [isbe] WATER - wo'-ter (mayim; hudor): (1) The Greek philosophers believed water to be the original substance and that all things were made from it. The Koran states, "From water we have made all things." In the story of the creati...
    [nave] WATER Creation of, Psa. 148:4, 5. Covered the whole earth, Gen. 1:9. Daily allowance of, Ezek. 4:11. City waterworks, 2 Kin. 20:20. Vision of, by Ezekiel, Ezek. 47:1-5. Of separation, Num. 19:2-22. Libation of, 1 Sam. ...

  • Stone

    [ebd] Stones were commonly used for buildings, also as memorials of important events (Gen. 28:18; Josh. 24:26, 27; 1 Sam. 7:12, etc.). They were gathered out of cultivated fields (Isa. 5:2; comp. 2 Kings 3:19). This word is also u...

  • Omri

    [ebd] servant of Jehovah. When Elah was murdered by Zimri at Tirzah (1 Kings 16:15-27), Omri, his captain, was made king (B.C. 931). For four years there was continued opposition to his reign, Tibni, another claimant to the throne...

  • Moabites

    [nave] MOABITES Descendants of Lot through his son Moab, Gen. 19:37. Called the people of Chemosh, Num. 21:29. The territory E. of Jordan, bounded on the N. by the river Arnon, Num. 21:13; Judg. 11:18. Children of Israel command...

  • MOABITE STONE

    [ebd] a basalt stone, bearing an inscription by King Mesha, which was discovered at Dibon by Klein, a German missionary at Jerusalem, in 1868. It was 3 1/2 feet high and 2 in breadth and in thickness, rounded at the top. It consis...
    [isbe] MOABITE STONE - A monument erected at Dibon (Dhiban) by Mesha, king of Moab (2 Ki 3:4,5), to commemorate his successful revolt from Israel and his conquest of Israelite territory. It was discovered, August 19, 1868, by a Ger...

  • MINSTREL

    [ebd] (Matt. 9:23), a flute-player. Such music was a usual accompaniment of funerals. In 2 Kings 3:15 it denotes a player on a stringed instrument.
    [smith] The Hebrew word in (2 Kings 3:15) properly signifies a player upon a stringed instruments like the harp or kinnor [HARP], whatever its precise character may have been, on which David played before Saul, (1 Samuel 16:16;...

  • Jehoshaphat

    [ebd] Jehovah-judged. (1.) One of David's body-guard (1 Chr. 11:43). (2.) One of the priests who accompanied the removal of the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chr. 15:24). (3.) Son of Ahilud, "recorder" or annalist under David and Solomon (2...
    [nave] JEHOSHAPHAT 1. David's recorder, 2 Sam. 8:16; 20:24; 1 Kin. 4:3; 1 Chr. 18:15. 2. One of Solomon's commissariat officers, 1 Kin. 4:17. 3. King of Judah. Succeeds Asa, 1 Kin. 15:24; 22:41; 1 Chr. 3:10; 2 Chr. 17:1; Matt. 1:...

  • Jehoram

    [ebd] Jehovah-exalted. (1.) Son of Toi, king of Hamath, sent by his father to congratulate David on the occasion of his victory over Hadadezer (2 Sam. 8:10). (2.) A Levite of the family of Gershom (1 Chr. 26:25). (3.) A priest sen...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Horse

    [ebd] always referred to in the Bible in connection with warlike operations, except Isa. 28:28. The war-horse is described Job 39:19-25. For a long period after their settlement in Canaan the Israelites made no use of horses, acco...

  • Girdle

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. hagor, a girdle of any kind worn by soldiers (1 Sam. 18:4; 2 Sam. 20:8; 1 Kings 2:5; 2 Kings 3:21) or women (Isa. 3:24). (2.) Heb. 'ezor, something "bound," worn by prophets (2 Kings 1:8; Jer. 13:1), soldiers (Isa....

  • ELIJAH

    [isbe] ELIJAH - e-li'-ja ('eliyahu or (4 times) 'eliyah, "Yah is God"; Septuagint Eleiou, New Testament Eleias or Elias, the King James Version of New Testament Elias): I. THE WORKS OF ELIJAH 1. The Judgment of Drought 2. The Ordea...

  • DEAD SEA, THE

    [isbe] DEAD SEA, THE - || I. PRESENT AREA II. FORMER ENLARGEMENT III. LEVEL OF THE DEAD SEA IN EARLY HISTORIC TIMES IV. CONSTITUTION OF THE WATER V. CLIMATE VI. ROADS VII. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS 1. The Plain of the Jordan 2. Ain Jidi ...

  • Colour

    [ebd] The subject of colours holds an important place in the Scriptures. White occurs as the translation of various Hebrew words. It is applied to milk (Gen. 49:12), manna (Ex. 16:31), snow (Isa. 1:18), horses (Zech. 1:8), raiment...

  • CHEMOSH

    [ebd] the destroyer, subduer, or fish-god, the god of the Moabites (Num. 21:29; Jer. 48:7, 13, 46). The worship of this god, "the abomination of Moab," was introduced at Jerusalem by Solomon (1 Kings 11:7), but was abolished by Jo...
    [isbe] CHEMOSH - ke'-mosh (kemosh; Chamos): 1. Moabites, the People of Chemosh 2. Solomon and Chemosh Worship 3. Josiah Putting Down Chemosh Worship 4. Chemosh and Ammonites 5. Moabite Stone 6. Mesha's Inscription and the Old Testa...

  • Assyria

    [ebd] the name derived from the city Asshur on the Tigris, the original capital of the country, was originally a colony from Babylonia, and was ruled by viceroys from that kingdom. It was a mountainous region lying to the north of...

  • Armies

    [nave] ARMIES Who of the Israelites were subject to service in, Num. 1:2, 3; 26:2; 2 Chr. 25:5; who were exempt from service in, Num. 1:47-50; 2:33; Deut. 20:5-9; Judg. 7:3. Enumeration of Israel's military forces, Num. 1:2, 3; 26...

  • Ahaziah

    [ebd] held by Jehovah. (1.) The son and successor of Ahab. He followed the counsels of his mother Jezebel, and imitated in wickedness the ways of his father. In his reign the Moabites revolted from under his authority (2 Kings 3:5...

  • ARMY

    [isbe] ARMY - ar'-mi (chayil, "army," tsabha', "host," ma`arakhah, "army in battle array" gedhudh, "troop"): 1. The First Campaign of History 2. In the Wilderness 3. The Times after the Conquest 4. In the Early Monarchy 5. From the...

Arts

Questions

  • They were the descendants of Lot and were neighbors of the Amorites on the opposite side of the River Arnon (Num. 21:13). They were governed by kings and possessed many great cities (Num. 21:28-30; Is. 15:1; Num. 23:7). They ...
  • I'm going to copy some articles on this subject, but let me give you my summation of all of them. In the Old Testament, the firstborn son was the one who normally received a double inheritance, and was the one who would inher...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The context of this section is significant as usual. Verses 1-8 deal with people who ministered to Yahweh in various ways for the people, and verses 15-22 concern the delivery of God's revelations to His people. Verses 9-14 c...
  • 5:13-15 "Despite Joshua's long military experience he had never led an attack on a fortified city that was prepared for a long siege. In fact, of all the walled cities in Palestine, Jericho was probably the most invincible. T...
  • Verses 1-33 record Jephthah's success. The rest of his story (11:34-12:7) relates his failure. The writer likewise recorded Gideon's success first (6:1-8:23) and then his failure (8:24-9:57). We shall find a similar pattern w...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Kings)3. Ahaziah's evil reign in Israel -1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:184. Jehoram's evil reign in Israel 2:1-8:155. Jehoram's evil reign in Judah 8:16-246. Ahaziah's evil reign in Judah 8:25-9:29C. The ...
  • Second Kings begins with Ahaziah's reign that fell during the 33-year period of Israel and Judah's alliance (874-841 B.C.; -1 Kings 16:29-2 Kings 9:29). This period in turn fits within the larger context of the divided kingdo...
  • Even though Jehoram was better spiritually than Ahab (v. 2) he was still so much of an idolater that Elisha had no use for him (vv. 13-14).Mesha had rebelled against Israel earlier (v. 3), but he continued to do so. This upri...
  • Hazael was the governor of Damascus.50The Gentile King of Aram had more interest in inquiring of Yahweh than Jehoram's predecessor did (v. 8; cf. 1:2). It was customary in the Near East to make a great show of giving gifts. I...
  • Jehoash (Joash) had respect and affection for Elisha. He anticipated the loss that the death of God's spiritual warrior would be to Israel (v. 14). He recognized that Israel's real defense lay in Yahweh's angelic army and in ...
  • 35:18 Jeremiah then took a promise from the Lord back to the Rechabites. The Lord praised them for their tenacity in clinging to what they believed to be right, not because He approved their puritanical ideals.35:19 Someone f...
  • This oracle is similar to the one in Isaiah 15 and 16.555Other oracles against Moab appear in Ezekiel 25:8-11, Amos 2:1-3, and Zephaniah 2:9, but this is the longest one. It is very difficult to say when Jeremiah gave this or...
  • "The setting of the Mesopotamian dream-visions--which occurred in both the Assyrian period and the Babylonian period . . . --consisted of four elements: (1) the date, (2) the place of reception, (3) the recipient, and (4) the...
  • The date of Joel is its largest introductory problem. There are four most likely possibilities. First, some scholars advocate an early pre-exilic dateduring the reign of King Jehoshaphat (872-848 B.C.) or possibly his grandso...
  • The title of the book comes from its writer. The prophet's name means "burden-bearer"or "load-carrier."Amos was a sheepherder (Heb. noqed; cf. 2 Kings 3:4) or sheep breeder, and he described himself as a herdsman (Heb. boqer;...
  • Yahweh promised not to revoke His punishment of Moab, another nation descended from Lot (cf. Gen. 19:30-38), because of its brutal treatment of an Edomite king's corpse (cf. 2 Kings 3:26-27). Burning the bones of a dead perso...
  • 2:8 Probably Zephaniah linked Moab and Ammon because both nations descended from Lot (Gen. 19:30-38) as well as because both lay to Judah's east. Both nations had taunted and reviled the Israelites from their earliest history...
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