1Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2And he did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, but not like his father and mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; he did not depart from them. 4Now Mesha the king of Moab was a raiser of sheep, and he had brought to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. 5But it happened, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6So King Jehoram went out of Samaria that day and mustered all of Israel. 7And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab? And he said, I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses. 8And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, By way of the wilderness of Edom. 9So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they made a circuit of a seven days' journey; and there was no water for the camp, nor for the cattle at their feet. 10And the king of Israel said, Alas! For Jehovah has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab! 11But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not a prophet of Jehovah here, that we may inquire of Jehovah by him? So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah. 12And 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. 13And Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother. But the king of Israel said to him, No, for Jehovah has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. 14And Elisha said, As Jehovah of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay attention to you, nor look at you. 15But now bring me a minstrel. And it happened, when the minstrel played, that the hand of Jehovah came upon him. 16And he said, Thus says Jehovah: Make this valley full of ditches. 17For thus says Jehovah: You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet the valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink. 18And this is but a slight thing in the eyes of Jehovah; He has also delivered the Moabites into your hand. 19Also you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every spring of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones. 20And it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that behold, water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water. 21And when all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to bear arms and older were gathered; and they took their stand at the border. 22And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. 23And they said, This is blood; the kings have laid waste to make desolate, and have struck down one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoils! 24So when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they entered, striking to kill the Moabites. 25And they tore down the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees. But they left the stones of Kir Haraseth. However the slingers surrounded and struck it. 26And when the king of Moab saw that the battle had prevailed against him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. 27Then he took his firstborn son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great wrath against Israel; so they departed from him and returned to their own land.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 JEHORAM'S EVIL REIGN OVER ISRAEL. (
2Kgs 3:1-3)
Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat--(compare
1Kgs 22:51). To reconcile the statements in the two passages, we must suppose that Ahaziah, having reigned during the seventeenth and the greater part of the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, was succeeded by his brother Joram or Jehoram, in the end of that eighteenth year, or else that Ahaziah, having reigned two years in conjunction with his father, died at the end of that period when Jehoram ascended the throne. His policy was as hostile as that of his predecessors to the true religion; but he made some changes. Whatever was his motive for this alteration--whether dread of the many alarming judgments the patronage of idolatry had brought upon his father; or whether it was made as a small concession to the feelings of Jehoshaphat, his ally, he abolished idolatry in its gross form and restored the symbolic worship of God, which the kings of Israel, from the time of Jeroboam, had set up as a partition wall between their subjects and those of Judah.
4 MESHA, KING OF MOAB, REBELS. (
2Kgs 3:4-5)
Mesha king of Moab, &c.--As his dominions embraced an extensive pasture country, he paid, as annual tribute, the wool of a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams. It is still common in the East to pay custom and taxes in the fruits or natural produce of the land.
5 king of Moab rebelled--This is a repetition of
2Kgs 1:1, in order to introduce an account of the confederate expedition for crushing this revolt, which had been allowed to continue unchecked during the short reign of Ahaziah.
6 ELISHA PROMISES WATER AND VICTORY OVER MOAB. (2Ki. 3:6-24)
King Jehoram . . . numbered Israel--made a levy from his own subjects, and at the same time sought an alliance with Jehoshaphat, which, as on the former occasion with Ahab, was readily promised (
1Kgs 22:4).
8 Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom--This was a long and circuitous route, by the southern bend of the Dead Sea. Jehoshaphat however preferred it, partly because the part of the Moabite territory at which they would arrive, was the most defenseless; and partly because he would thereby enlist, in the expedition, the forces of the king of Edom. But, in penetrating the deep, rocky valley of Ahsy, which forms the boundary between Edom and Moab, the confederate army was reduced, both man and beast, to the greatest extremities for want of water. They were disappointed by finding the wady of this valley, the brook Zered (
Deut 2:13-
Deut 2:18) [ROBINSON], dry. Jehoram was in despair. But the pious mind of Jehoshaphat inquired for a prophet of the Lord; and, on being informed that Elisha was at hand, the three kings "went down to him"; that is, to his tent, which was either in the camp, or close by it. He had been directed thither by the Spirit of God for this special purpose. They went to him, not only as a mark of respect, but to supplicate for his assistance.
11 which poured water on the hands of Elijah--that is, was his servant--this being one of the common offices of a servant. The phrase is used here as synonymous with "a true and eminent prophet," who will reveal God's will to us.
13 What have I to do with thee? &c.--Wishing to produce a deep spirit of humility and contrition, Elisha gave a stern repulse to the king of Israel, accompanied by a sarcastic sneer, in bidding him go and consult Baal and his soothsayers. But the distressed condition, especially the imploring language, of the royal suppliants, who acknowledged the hand of the Lord in this distress, drew from the prophet the solemn assurance, that solely out of respect to Jehoshaphat, the Lord's true servant, did he take any interest in Jehoram.
15 bring me a minstrel--The effect of music in soothing the mind is much regarded in the East; and it appears that the ancient prophets, before entering their work, commonly resorted to it, as a preparative, by praise and prayer, to their receiving the prophetic afflatus.
the hand of the Lord--a phrase significantly implying that the gift of prophecy was not a natural or inherent gift, but conferred by the power and grace of God.
16 Make this valley full of ditches--capable of holding water.
17 Ye shall not see wind--It is common in the East to speak of seeing wind, from the clouds of straw, dust, or sand, that are often whirled into the air, after a long drought.
20 when the meat offering was offered--that is, at the time of the morning sacrifice, accompanied, doubtless, with solemn prayers; and these led, it may be, by Elisha on this occasion, as on a similar one by Elijah (
1Kgs 18:36).
behold, there came water by the way of Edom--Far from the Israelitish camp, in the eastern mountains of Edom, a great fall of rain, a kind of cloudburst, took place, by which the wady was at once filled, but they saw neither the wind nor the rains. The divine interposition was shown by introducing the laws of nature to the determined end in the predetermined way [KEIL]. It brought not only aid to the Israelitish army in their distress, by a plentiful supply of water, but destruction on the Moabites, who, perceiving the water, under the refulgent rays of the morning sun, red like blood, concluded the confederate kings had quarrelled and deluged the field with their mutual slaughter; so that, rushing to their camp in full expectation of great spoil, they were met by the Israelites, who, prepared for battle, fought and pursued them. Their country was laid waste in the way, which has always been considered the greatest desolation in the East (
2Kgs 3:24).
25 Kir-haraseth--(now Kerak)--Castle of Moab--then, probably, the only fortress in the land.
27 took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering, &c.--By this deed of horror, to which the allied army drove the king of Moab, a divine judgment came upon Israel; that is, the besiegers feared the anger of God, which they had incurred by giving occasion to the human sacrifice forbidden in the law (
Lev 18:21;
Lev 20:3), and hastily raised the siege.