2 Kings 3

King James Version

Full text for 2 Kings Chapter 3

1¶ Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

2And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.

3Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

4And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.

5But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

6¶ And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.

7And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I [am] as thou [art], my people as thy people, [and] my horses as thy horses.

8And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.

9So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.

10And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!

11But Jehoshaphat said, [Is there] not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here [is] Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

12And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

13And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

14And Elisha said, [As] the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.

15But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

16And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.

17For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.

18And this is [but] a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

19And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.

20¶ And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

21And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.

22And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side [as] red as blood:

23And they said, This [is] blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

24And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in [their] country.

25And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about [it], and smote it.

26And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through [even] unto the king of Edom: but they could not.

27Then 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

King Jehoram of Israel, though removing Baal's image, continued in sin. When Moab rebelled, he allied with Jehoshaphat of Judah and the King of Edom, but they faced a severe water shortage in the wilderness. The prophet Elisha, out of respect for Jehoshaphat, miraculously provided water and prophesied victory over Moab. The allied forces defeated the Moabites, who were deceived by the water's appearance, but withdrew after the King of Moab offered his eldest son as a burnt offering.

Medium Summary

Jehoram, King of Israel, reigned twelve years, committing evil but removing Baal's image, though he clung to Jeroboam's sins. When Mesha, King of Moab, rebelled, Jehoram sought an alliance with Jehoshaphat of Judah, who agreed to join the campaign through the wilderness of Edom with the King of Edom. The allied armies soon faced a dire water shortage, leading Jehoram to despair. Jehoshaphat suggested consulting the prophet Elisha, who, despite his disdain for Jehoram, agreed to inquire of the LORD for Jehoshaphat's sake. Elisha prophesied that water would miraculously fill the valley without rain or wind, and that Moab would be delivered into their hands, with instructions for widespread destruction. The prophecy was fulfilled the next morning, and the Moabites, mistaking the sunlit water for blood, were ambushed and routed by the Israelites. The allied forces devastated Moabite cities and land as commanded. In a desperate act, the King of Moab sacrificed his eldest son on the city wall, which caused "great indignation" against Israel, prompting the allied kings to withdraw.

Long Summary

King Jehoram, son of Ahab, began his twelve-year reign over Israel in Samaria, doing evil in the sight of the LORD, though he did remove the image of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless, he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin. Mesha, King of Moab, who had been a sheepmaster paying tribute to Israel, rebelled after the death of King Ahab. Consequently, King Jehoram went forth and sought an alliance with Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, to go against Moab in battle. Jehoshaphat readily agreed, pledging his people and horses, and they decided to march through the wilderness of Edom, joined also by the King of Edom. After a seven-day journey, the allied armies and their cattle faced a severe water shortage, causing King Jehoram to lament that the LORD had called them together for their destruction. Jehoshaphat then inquired if a prophet of the LORD was present, and Elisha, who had served Elijah, was identified. Elisha initially rebuffed Jehoram due to his idolatry, but out of respect for Jehoshaphat, he agreed to inquire of the LORD, requesting a minstrel to bring the hand of the LORD upon him. Elisha then prophesied that the valley would be filled with water without wind or rain, and that the LORD would also deliver the Moabites into their hand. He commanded them to smite every fenced city, fell every good tree, stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. The next morning, at the time of the meat offering, water miraculously came by the way of Edom, filling the country. When the Moabites heard of the invading kings, they gathered for battle, but seeing the sun reflecting off the water, they mistook it for blood, believing the allied kings had slain one another. They rushed to the Israelite camp to spoil it, but the Israelites rose up and smote them, pursuing them into their own country, beating down cities, stopping wells, and felling trees, as Elisha had prophesied. In a desperate final act, the King of Moab, seeing the battle was too sore, took his eldest son and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall. This act caused "great indignation against Israel," leading the allied forces to depart from him and return to their own land.

Core Concepts

  • Jehoram's Reign and SinKing Jehoram of Israel, though removing the image of Baal, continued in the idolatrous sins of Jeroboam, indicating a partial but incomplete turning from wickedness.
  • Moabite RebellionMesha, King of Moab, who had paid tribute to Israel, rebelled against the king of Israel after Ahab's death, prompting a military response from Jehoram.
  • Allied Expedition and CrisisJehoram allied with Jehoshaphat of Judah and the King of Edom for the campaign against Moab, but their march through the wilderness led to a severe and life-threatening water shortage for the armies and their livestock.
  • Elisha's Prophetic InterventionThe prophet Elisha, consulted at Jehoshaphat's insistence, miraculously provided water for the armies and prophesied a decisive victory over Moab, demonstrating divine power and guidance.
  • Miraculous Water and DeceptionWater miraculously appeared in the valley without rain or wind, fulfilling Elisha's prophecy. The Moabites, seeing the sunlit water, mistook it for blood, believing the allied kings had destroyed each other, leading to their ambush and defeat.
  • Total Destruction of MoabThe LORD, through Elisha, commanded the allied forces to utterly devastate Moabite cities, wells, trees, and land, a strategy of total war reflecting divine judgment against Moab.
  • Desperate Sacrifice and WithdrawalThe King of Moab, in a desperate act, offered his eldest son as a burnt offering on the city wall. This extreme sacrifice caused "great indignation against Israel," leading the allied forces to withdraw from the land.