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the Week of Proper 5 / Ordinary 10
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Good News Translation

2 Kings 3:23

"It's blood!" they exclaimed. "The three enemy armies must have fought and killed each other! Let's go and loot their camp!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Moabites;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jehoshaphat;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Moabites;   Valleys;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mesha;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moab;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jehoshaphat;   Kir-Haraseth;   Moabite Stone;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dibon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Kings, 1 and 2;   Kir-Hareseth;   Mesha;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Edom, Edomites;   Jehoshaphat;   Medeba;   Mesha;   Plagues of Egypt;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Joram, Jehoram;   Mesha ;   Moab, Moabites ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Kirharaseth;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armor;   Arms;   Jehoshaphat;   Mesha;   Moab;   Samaria;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Eli'sha;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fellow;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have crossed swords and their men have killed one another. So, to the spoil, Moab!”
Hebrew Names Version
and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each man his fellow: now therefore, Mo'av, to the spoil.
King James Version
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
English Standard Version
And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together and struck one another down. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!"
New Century Version
Then they said, "This is blood! The kings must have fought and killed each other! Come, Moabites, let's take the valuables from the dead bodies!"
New English Translation
The Moabites said, "It's blood! The kings are totally destroyed! They have struck one another down! Now, Moab, seize the plunder!"
Amplified Bible
And they said, "This is blood! Clearly the kings have fought together, and have killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil [and the plunder of the dead soldiers]!"
New American Standard Bible
So they said, "This is blood; the kings must have fought each other, and they have killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoils!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they saide, This is blood the Kings are surely slaine, and one hath smitten another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoyle.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have struck down one another. So now, Moab, to the spoil!"
Contemporary English Version
and shouted, "Look at that blood! The armies of those kings must have fought and killed each other. Come on, let's go take what's left in their camp."
Complete Jewish Bible
said, "That's blood! The kings must have quarreled, and their soldiers killed each other. Mo'av! To the plunder!"
Darby Translation
And they said, This is blood: the kings are entirely destroyed, and have smitten one another; and now, Moab, to the spoil!
Easy-to-Read Version
They said, "Look at the blood! The kings must have fought against each other. They must have destroyed each other. Let's go take the valuable things from the dead bodies!"
George Lamsa Translation
And they said. This is blood; the kings are surely slain, and they have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
Lexham English Bible
Then they said, "This is blood! Certainly the kings have fought one another, and each has killed his neighbor. Now, to the war booty, O Moab!"
Literal Translation
And they said, This is blood. The kings fighting have fought one another, and they each man struck his neighbor. And now to the plunder, Moab!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& they sayde: It is bloude, ye kynges haue destroyed them selues wt the swerde, & one hath smytten another. Now Moab get the vp to the spoyles.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they saide, This is the blood of slaughter: The kinges are slaine, & one haue smitten another: Now therefore Moab get thee to the spoyle.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and they said: 'This is blood: the kings have surely fought together, and they have smitten each man his fellow; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.'
King James Version (1611)
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slaine, and they haue smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoile.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they said, This is the blood of the sword; and the kings have fought, and each man has smitten his neighbour; now then to the spoils, Moab.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
"This is blood!" they exclaimed. "The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei seiden, It is the blood of swerd, `that is, sched out bi swerd; kyngis fouyten ayens hem silf, and thei ben slayn togider; now go thou, Moab, to the prey.
Young's Literal Translation
and say, `Blood this [is]; the kings have been surely destroyed, and they smite each his neighbour; and now for spoil, Moab!'
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they said, This [is] blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
World English Bible
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.
New King James Version
And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!"
New Living Translation
"It's blood!" the Moabites exclaimed. "The three armies must have attacked and killed each other! Let's go, men of Moab, and collect the plunder!"
New Life Bible
They said, "This is blood. For sure the kings have fought and killed one another. So now, Moab, let us take what is left!"
New Revised Standard
They said, "This is blood; the kings must have fought together, and killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They said therefore - Blood, - this! Destroyed! The kings have destroyed each other! Yea they have smitten every man his neighbour, - Now, then, to the spoil, O Moab!
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said: It is the blood of the sword: the kings have fought among themselves, and they have killed one another: go now, Moab, to the spoils.
Revised Standard Version
And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and slain one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!"
THE MESSAGE
"Blood! Look at the blood!" they said. "The kings must have fought each other—a bloody massacre! Go for the loot, Moab!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have slain one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!"

Contextual Overview

20 The next morning, at the time of the regular morning sacrifice, water came flowing from the direction of Edom and covered the ground. 21 When the Moabites heard that the three kings had come to attack them, all the men who could bear arms, from the oldest to the youngest, were called out and stationed at the border. 22 When they got up the following morning, the sun was shining on the water, making it look as red as blood. 23 "It's blood!" they exclaimed. "The three enemy armies must have fought and killed each other! Let's go and loot their camp!" 24 But when they reached the camp, the Israelites attacked them and drove them back. The Israelites kept up the pursuit, slaughtering the Moabites 25 and destroying their cities. As they passed by a fertile field, every Israelite would throw a stone on it until finally all the fields were covered; they also stopped up the springs and cut down the fruit trees. At last only the capital city of Kir Heres was left, and the slingers surrounded it and attacked it. 26 When the king of Moab realized that he was losing the battle, he took seven hundred swordsmen with him and tried to force his way through the enemy lines and escape to the king of Syria, but he failed. 27 So he took his oldest son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him on the city wall as a sacrifice to the god of Moab. The Israelites were terrified and so they drew back from the city and returned to their own country.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

This is blood: 2 Kings 6:18-20, 2 Kings 7:6

slain: Heb. destroyed

now therefore: Exodus 15:9, Judges 5:30, 2 Chronicles 20:25, Isaiah 10:14

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 10:8 - to strip

Cross-References

Genesis 2:5
there were no plants on the earth and no seeds had sprouted, because he had not sent any rain, and there was no one to cultivate the land;
Genesis 3:19
You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again."
Genesis 4:2
Later she gave birth to another son, Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer.
Genesis 4:12
If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth."
Genesis 9:20
Noah, who was a farmer, was the first man to plant a vineyard.
Ecclesiastes 5:9
Even a king depends on the harvest.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they said, this is blood,.... They were very confident of it, having no notion of water, there having been no rain for some time; and perhaps it was not usual to see water at any time in this place:

the kings are surely slain; they and their forces:

and they have smitten one another; having quarrelled either about their religion, or about want of water, and the distress they were come into through it, laying the blame of their coming out to war, or of their coming that way, on one another; and the Moabites might rather think something of this kind had happened, from what had lately been done among themselves, and their allies, 2 Chronicles 20:23

now therefore, Moab, to the spoil; having no occasion to fight, or prepare for it; all they had to do was to march directly to the enemy's camp, and plunder it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The sun had risen with a ruddy light, as is frequently the case after a storm (compare Matthew 16:3), nearly over the Israelite camp, and the pits, deep but with small mouths, gleaming redly through the haze which would lie along the newly moistened valley, seemed to the Moabites like pools of blood. The preceding year, they and their allies had mutually destroyed each other 2 Chronicles 20:23. It seemed to them, from their knowledge of the jealousies between Judah, Israel, and Edom, not unlikely that a similar calamity had now befallen their foes.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 3:23. Therefore, Moab, to the spoil. — Thus they came on in a disorderly manner, and fell an easy prey to their enemies.


 
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