1-3 Jehoram's reign 4,5 Mesha rebels 6-20 Jehoram, with Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom, being distressed for want of water, by Elisha obtains water, and promise of victory 21-25 The Moabites, deceived by the colour of the water, coming to spoil, are overcome 26,27 The king of Moab, failing in his attempt to break through to the king of Edom, sacrifices his son, and raises the siege

Jehoram 2Ki 1:17 8:16

Joram 1Ki 22:51

2 And 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.

wrought 2Ki 6:31,32 21:6,20 1Sa 15:19 1Ki 16:19

but not 1Ki 16:33 21:20,25

and like 2Ki 9:22,34 1Ki 21:5-15,25

image [heb] statue
Baal 2Ki 10:18,26-28 1Ki 16:31,32

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

he cleaved 2Ki 10:20-31 1Ki 12:28-33

which made 1Ki 14:16 15:26,34 16:31

he departed 2Ki 13:2,6,11 14:24 15:9,18 17:22 1Ki 12:26-28 13:33 1Co 1:19,20

4 And 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.

a sheepmaster Ge 13:2 26:13,14 2Ch 26:10 Job 1:3 42:12

rendered 2Sa 8:2 1Ch 18:2 Ps 60:8 108:9,10

lambs Isa 16:1

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

2Ki 1:1 8:20 2Ch 21:8-10

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

A.M. 3109 B.C. 895
numbered 1Sa 11:8 15:4 2Sa 24:1 1Ki 20:27

7 And 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.

wilt thou go 1Ki 22:4,32,33 2Ch 18:3,29-32 19:2 21:4-7 22:3,4,10-12

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

the wilderness of Edom. The wilderness of Edom was probably the same as that of {Zin} or {Kadesh}, through which the children of Israel passed; extending southward from the Dead Sea, to the eastern branch of the Red Sea. See note on Nu 13:21 Nu 13:21 21:4 Mal 1:2,3

9 So 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.

Edom 1Ki 22:27

no water Ex 15:22 17:1 Nu 20:2,4 21:5 33:14

that followed them [heb] at their feet Ex 11:8 Jud 4:10

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

the Lord 2Ki 6:33 Ge 4:13 Ps 78:34-36 Pr 19:3 Isa 8:21 51:20

11 But 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.

Is there not here 1Ki 22:7 Ps 74:9 Am 3:7

that we may 2Ki 3:1,3 Jos 9:14 Jud 20:8-11 18:23,26-28 1Ch 10:13 14:10,14 15:13

poured water That is, was his constant and confidential servant. Mr. Hanway, speaking of a Persian supper, says, `Supper being now brought in, a servant presented a basin of water, and a napkin hung over his shoulders; he went to every one in the company, and {poured water} on their hands to wash.' Ge 18:4 Jos 1:1 1Ki 19:21 Lu 22:26,27 Joh 13:4,5,13,14 1Ti 5:10 Php 2:22

12 And 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.

The word 2Ki 2:14,15,21,24 1Sa 3:19-21

Israel 2Ki 2:25 5:8,9,15 Isa 49:23 60:14 Re 3:9

13 And 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.

What Eze 14:3-5 Mt 8:29 Joh 2:4 2Co 5:16 6:15

get Jud 10:14 Ru 1:15 Pr 1:28 Jer 2:27,28

the prophets 1Ki 18:19 22:6,10,11,22-25

Nay 2Ki 3:10 De 32:37-39 Ho 6:1

14 And 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.

As the Lord 2Ki 5:16 1Ki 17:1 18:15

I regard 2Ch 17:3-9 19:3,4 Ps 15:4

I would not look 1Sa 15:26-31 1Ki 14:5 21:20 Jer 1:18 Da 5:17-23 Mt 22:16

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

bring me This was evidently intended to soothe and tranquillize the prophet's mind, which had been agitated and discomposed with holy indignation by the presence of the idolatrous king, and the recollection of his abomination. The soothing influence of music is generally acknowledged in every civilized nation. 1Sa 10:5 16:23 18:10 1Ch 25:2,3 Eph 5:18,19

the hand 1Ki 18:46 Eze 1:3 3:14,22 8:1 Ac 11:21

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

Make this valley 2Ki 4:3 Nu 2:18,16-18

17 For 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.

Ye shall not 1Ki 18:36-39 Ps 84:6 107:35 Isa 41:17,18 43:19,20 48:21

that ye may Ex 17:6 Nu 20:8-11

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

And this 1Ki 3:13 Jer 32:17,27 Lu 1:37 Eph 3:20

a light 2Ki 20:10 1Ki 16:31 Isa 7:13 49:6 Eze 8:17

he will 1Ki 20:13,28 Isa 7:1-9

19 And 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.

And ye 2Ki 13:17 Nu 24:17 Jud 6:16 1Sa 15:3 23:2

fell De 20:19,20

mar [heb] grieve 2Ki 3:25

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.

when the meat Ex 29:39,40 1Ki 18:36 Da 9:21

there came water This supply was altogether miraculous; for there was neither wind nor rain, nor any other natural means to furnish it.

filled Ps 78:15,16,20 Isa 35:6,7

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

gathered [heb] were cried together
put on armour [heb] gird himself with a girdle 1Ki 20:11 Eph 6:14

22 And 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:

This is blood 2Ki 6:18-20 7:6

slain [heb] destroyed
now therefore Ex 15:9 Jud 5:30 2Ch 20:25 Isa 10:14

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

This is blood 2Ki 6:18-20 7:6

slain [heb] destroyed
now therefore Ex 15:9 Jud 5:30 2Ch 20:25 Isa 10:14

24 And 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.

smote the Jos 8:20-22 Jud 20:40-46 1Th 5:3,4

went forward. or, smote in it even

25 And 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.

beat down 2Ki 3:19 Jud 9:45 2Sa 8:2 Isa 37:26,27

stopped Ge 26:15,18 2Ch 32:4

and felled De 20:19,20

only in, etc. [heb] until he left the stones thereof in Kir-haraseth.

Kir-haraseth Supposed to be the same as {Ar}, or Areopolis, the capital of Moab De 2:9 Isa 16:7,11 Jer 48:31,36

Kir-heres

26 And 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.

unto the king of Edom 2Ki 3:9 Am 2:1

27 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.

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 any thing was to them, the more acceptable those idolaters thought the sacrifice, and therefore burnt their children in the fire to their honour. Ge 22:2,13 De 12:31 Jud 11:31,39 Ps 106:36,38 Eze 16:20 Mic 6:7

they departed 1Sa 14:36-46 1Ki 20:13,28,43