Bible Commentaries
2 Kings 3

Verse 2

evil = the evil. Hebrew. ra a. App-44 .

his mother. Jezebel, who lived through the whole of his reign (2 Kings 9:30 ).

image = pillar, or statue (which Ahab had made. Compare 2 Kings 10:18 ). 1 Kings 19:18 . Others remained (2 Kings 10:26 , 2 Kings 10:27 ).

Verse 3

made Israel to sin. See note on 1 Kings 14:16 .

Verse 4

Meslia. See App-54 on "the Moabite stone".

Verse 5

Ahab was dead. Compare 2 Kings 1:1 . He and his son Ahaziah both died in the same year (800 B. C). See App-50 .

Verse 7

I am, &c. Compare 1 Kings 22:4 .

Verse 8

he said: i.e. Jehoram.

Which way . . . ? Either by crossing Jordan north of the Dead Sea and attacking Moab from the north; or by Edom, which was under Judah (1 Kings 22:47 ).

he answered: i.e. Jehoshaphat answered.

Verse 9

fetched a compass = made a circuit. Compare Acts 28:13 .

Verse 11

Is there not here . . . ? A similar question asked before by Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:7 ).

poured water, &c. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for being an attendant.

Verse 12

Jehoshaphat. Some codices, with Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, add "king of Judah".

Verse 13

What . . . ? See note on 2 Samuel 16:10 . Figure of speech Erotesis . App-6 .

Nay = Say not so.

Verse 14

before, &c. Implying Elisha's priesthood.

not look. Jehoram was wicked in himself (2 Kings 3:2 ), as well as being the son of Ahab. Elisha less austere later (2 Kings 6:0 ).

Verse 15

minstrel = harper. From Hebrew. nagan, to harp.

hand. Figure of speech Prosopopoeia ( App-6 ). But some codices, with Aramaean, read "the Spirit".

Verse 16

valley = a dry watercourse.

ditches = trenches. Hebrew ditches ditches. Figure of speech Epizeuxi s ( App-6 ) = full of.

Verse 17

wind. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .

Verse 19

mar = spoil.

Verse 20

meat offering = meal offering. Hebrew. minhah. See App-43 . = gift offering.

offered = offered up. there came water. Elisha's fourth miracle. See note on 2 Kings 2:15 .

Verse 21

put on armour. Hebrew gird a girdle.

Verse 22

red as blood. Implied as owing to the action of the sun. Equally a miracle.

Verse 23

slain = destroyed.

Verse 24

went forward. Some codices, &c, add "still further", and connect this with entering. Other codices, with six early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, connect these words with the smiting, and read "still further smote", or "went on smiting".

Verse 25

Kir-haraseth = The city of the hill. The capital of Moab.

stones [in the wall] thereof. Supply Figure of speech Ellipsis. App-6 .

howbeit, &c. = and [till] the slingers should surround and smite it.

Verse 27

offered him = offered him up. App-43 .

a burnt offering. App-43 . Recording a fact on which Mesha is silent on the Moabite stone. App-54 .

the wall. i.e., the higher of the two. Hebrew. homah not kir as in verses: 2 Kings 3:4 , 2 Kings 3:10 .

indignation = wrath. This led probably to Moab ' s subsequent success.

they departed. This expresses the failure of Israel ' s expedition, while Mesha goes on to record his subsequent successes, which were great all the cities taken by him ( App-54 ) being those belonging to Reuben and Gad.

from him: i.e. from the king of Moab.

their own. The Syriac and Vulgate have these words in the text.