Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, November 27th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

2 Kings 3:27

So he took his firstborn son who was to have reigned in his stead, and offered him up as an ascending-sacrifice upon the wall. And so it came to pass that there was great indignation against Israel. And they brake up from against him, and returned to their own land.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blindness;   Idolatry;   Moabites;   Offerings;   Thompson Chain Reference - Human;   Jehoshaphat;   Sacrifices;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Burnt Offering, the;   Moabites;   Murder;   Walls;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mesha;   Moabites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Chemosh;   Jephthah;   Moab;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jehoshaphat;   Kir-Haraseth;   Mesha;   Moabite Stone;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dibon;   Isaac;   Moab;   Moloch;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Gods, Pagan;   Human Sacrifice;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Kir-Hareseth;   Medeba;   Mesha;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chemosh;   Edom, Edomites;   Firstborn;   Jehoshaphat;   Kir (1);   Medeba;   Mesha;   Moab, Moabites;   Sacrifice and Offering;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Firstborn;   Sacrifices ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - 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 - Chemosh;   Divide;   Firstborn;   Hiel;   Moab;   Sacrifice, Human;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Burnt Offering;   Chemosh;   Dimi;   Moabite Stone;  

Parallel Translations

Update Bible Version
Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt-offering on the wall. And there was great wrath against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
New Living Translation
Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. So there was great anger against Israel, and the Israelites withdrew and returned to their own land.
English Revised Version
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.
New Century Version
Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would have been king after him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. So there was great anger against the Israelites, who left and went back to their own land.
New English Translation
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then he took his eldest son that was to reign 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.
World English Bible
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.
Amplified Bible
Then the king of Moab took his eldest son, who was to reign in his place, and offered him [publicly] as a burnt offering [to Chemosh] on the [city] wall [horrifying everyone]. And there was great wrath against Israel, and Israel's allies [Judah and Edom] withdrew from King Jehoram and returned to their own land.
English Standard Version
Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel. And they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he took his firste gendrid sone, that schulde regne for hym, and offride brent sacrifice on the wal; and greet indignacioun was maad in Israel; and anoon thei yeden awei fro hym, and turneden ayen in to her lond.
Berean Standard Bible
So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. And there was great fury against the Israelites, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.
Contemporary English Version
He then grabbed his oldest son who was to be the next king and sacrificed him as an offering on the city wall. The Israelite troops were so horrified that they left the city and went back home.
American Standard Version
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 in Basic English
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then he took his firstborn son, who was to have succeeded him as king, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. Following this, such great anger came upon Isra'el that they left him and went back to their own land.
Darby Translation
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.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would become the next king after him. On the wall around the city, the king of Moab offered his son as a burnt offering. This upset the Israelites very much. So the Israelites left the king of Moab and went back to their own land.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 came great wrath upon Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
King James Version (1611)
Then hee tooke his eldest sonne that should haue reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering vpon the wall: and there was great indignation against Israel, and they departed from him, and returned to their owne land.
New Life Bible
Then he took his oldest son who was to rule in his place, and gave him as a burnt gift on the wall. And many became very angry toward Israel. They left him and returned to their own land.
New Revised Standard
Then he took his firstborn son who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And great wrath came upon Israel, so they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then he tooke his eldest sonne, that should haue reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offring vpon the wall: so that Israel was sore grieued, and they departed from him, and returned to their countrey.
George Lamsa Translation
Then he took his eldest son who was to reign in his stead and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel; and kings departed from Moab and returned to their own country.
Good News Translation
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.
Douay-Rheims Bible
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 in Israel, and presently they departed from him, and returned into their own country.
Revised Standard Version
Then he took his eldest son who was to reign in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there came great wrath upon Israel; and they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And then he toke his eldest sonne that should haue raigned in his steade, and offered him for a burnt offering vpon the wall: And there was great indigtion against Israel, and they departed from him, and returned to their owne lande.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he took his eldest son whom he had designed to reign in his stead, and offered him up for a whole-burnt-offering on the walls. And there was a great indignation against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their land.
Christian Standard Bible®
So he took his firstborn son, who was to become king in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. Great wrath was on the Israelites, and they withdrew from him and returned to their land.
Hebrew Names Version
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 Yisra'el: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
He took his firstborn son who was to become king in his place and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. Great wrath came upon Israel, and they withdrew from him and returned to the land.
Literal Translation
And he took his son, the firstborn who would reign in his place and caused him to go up for a burnt offering on the wall. And there was great wrath against Israel. And they left him and returned to the land.
Young's Literal Translation
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.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then toke he his first sonne, which shulde haue bene kynge in his steade, and offred him for a burntofferynge vpon the wall. Then came there a greate wrath ouer Israel, that they departed from him, and turned agayne into their londe.
New American Standard Bible
Then the king of Moab took his oldest son who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And great anger came upon Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land.
New King James Version
Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great indignation against Israel. So they departed from him and returned to their own land.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land.
Legacy Standard Bible
So he took his oldest son, who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel, and they set out from him and returned to their own land.

Contextual Overview

20 And it came to pass, in the morning, when the offering ascended, that lo! waters, were coming in from the way of Edom, - and the land was filled with the water. 21 Now, all Moab, had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, - so they came together, from all who could gird on a girdle and upwards, and took their stand at the border. 22 And, when they rose early in the morning, the sun, shone forth upon the waters, - and so the Moabites beheld over against them, the waters, red as blood. 23 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! 24 And, when they came into the camp of Israel, Israel arose and smote Moab, and they fled from before them, - so they entered thereinto, yea still farther entered Moab; 25 And, the cities, they pulled down, and, on every goodly heritage, they cast every man his stone, and filled it, and, all fountains of waters, they closed up, and, every goodly tree, they felled, and, though they left the stones thereof in Kir-haraseth, yet the slingers surrounded and smote it. 26 And, when the king of Moab saw that, the battle, prevailed against him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through against the king of Edom, but they could not. 27 So he took his firstborn son who was to have reigned in his stead, and offered him up as an ascending-sacrifice upon the wall. And so it came to pass that there was great indignation against Israel. And they brake up from against him, and returned to their own land.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

offered him: In cases of great extremity, it was customary in various heathen nations, to offer human sacrifices, and even their own children. This was frequent among the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Scythians, Gauls, Africans, and others; and was the natural fruit of a religious system, which had for the objects of its worship cruel and merciless divinities. The king of Moab, in this case, sacrificed his son to obtain the favour of Chemosh his god, who, being a devil, delighted in blood and murder, and the destruction of mankind. The dearer anything was to them, the more acceptable those idolaters thought the sacrifice, and therefore burnt their children in the fire to their honour. Genesis 22:2, Genesis 22:13, Deuteronomy 12:31, Judges 11:31, Judges 11:39, Psalms 106:37, Psalms 106:38, Ezekiel 16:20, Micah 6:7

they departed: 1 Samuel 14:36-46, 1 Kings 20:13, 1 Kings 20:28, 1 Kings 20:43

Reciprocal: Numbers 24:17 - Moab 2 Kings 8:20 - Edom Isaiah 16:12 - he shall

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then he took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his stead,.... Not the eldest son of the king of Edom, whom the king of Moab had in his hands before, which made the king of Edom the more willing to join in this expedition for the recovery of his son, as Joseph Kimchi thinks; or whom he took now in his sally out upon him, as Moses Kimchi and Ben Gersom, proceeding upon a mistaken sense of Amos 2:1 for the king of Edom could have no son that had a right, or was designed to succeed him, since he was but a deputy king himself; and besides, the sacrificing of him was not the way to cause the kings to raise the siege, but rather to provoke them to press it the more closely: it was the king of Moab that took his son and heir to the crown,

and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall; that it might be seen by the camp of Israel, and move their compassion; or rather this was done as a religious action, to appease the deity by an human sacrifice so dear and precious, to give success, and cause the enemy to break up the siege; and was either offered to the true God, the God of Israel, in imitation of Abraham, as some Jewish writers fancy n, or to his idol Chemosh, the sun; and Jarchi observes, out of an exposition of theirs, that "vau" is wanting in the word for wall, and so may be interpreted of the sun, towards which this burnt offering was offered; and it is observed, from various Heathen authors, that it was usual with the Heathens, when in calamity and distress, to offer up to their gods what was most dear and valuable to them; and particularly the Phoenicians o, and from them the Carthaginians had this custom, who at one time offered up two hundred sons of their nobility, to appease their gods p:

and there was great indignation against Israel; not of the king of Edom against them, for not rescuing his son, or because they were the means of this disaster which befell him; but of the king of Moab, who was quite desperate, and determined to hold out the siege to the utmost extremity: and they departed, and returned to their own land; the three kings, the one to Edom, the other to Israel, and the third to Judah; when they saw the Moabites would sell their lives so dear, and hold out to the last man, they thought fit to break up the siege; and perhaps were greatly affected with the barbarous shocking sight they had seen, and might fear, should they stay, something else of the like kind would be done.

n T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 39. 2. Pesikta in Abarbinel in loc. o Vid. Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 1. c. 10. p. 40. l. 4. c. 16. p. 156. Porphyr. de Abstinentia, l. 2. sect. 56. Vid. Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 28. p Diodor. Sicul. Bibliothec. l. 20. p. 756.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare the marginal reference. Mesha, when his sally failed, took, as a last resource, his first born son, and offered him as a burnt-offering to appease the manifest anger of his god Chemosh, and obtain his aid against his enemies. This act was thoroughly in accordance with Moabitish notions.

And there was great indignation against Israel - Either the Israelites were indignant with themselves, or the men of Judah and the Edomites were indignant at the Israelites for having caused the pollution of this sacrifice, and the siege was relinquished.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 3:27. Took his eldest son — The rabbins account for this horrible sacrifice in the following way:-

When the king of Moab found himself so harassed, and the royal city on the point of being taken, he called a council of his servants, and asked them how it was these Israelites could perform such prodigies, and that such miracles were wrought for them? His servants answered, that it was owing to their progenitor Abraham, who, having an only son, was commanded by Jehovah to offer him in sacrifice. Abraham instantly obeyed, and offered his only son for a burnt-offering; and the Israelites being his descendants, through his merits the holy blessed God wrought such miracles in their behalf. The king of Moab answered, I also have an only son, and I will go and offer him to my God. Then he offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall.

Upon the wall — על החמה al hachamah. Rab. Sol. Jarchi says that the letter ו vau is wanting in this word, as it should be written חומה chomah, to signify a wall; but חמה chammah signifies the sun, and this was the god of the king of Moab: "And he offered his first-born son for a burnt-offering unto the sun." This is not very solid.

There was great indignation — The Lord was displeased with them for driving things to such an extremity: or the surrounding nations held them in abomination on the account; and they were so terrified themselves at this most horrid sacrifice, that they immediately raised the siege and departed. In cases of great extremity it was customary in various heathen nations to offer human sacrifices, or to devote to the infernal gods the most precious or excellent thing or person they possessed. This was frequent among the Phoenicians, Romans, and Greeks; and it was the natural fruit of a religious system which had for the objects of its worship cruel and merciless divinities. How different the Christian system! "Wilt thou that we shall bring down fire from heaven and destroy them? Ye know not what manner of spirits ye are of; the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."


 
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