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2 Kings Chapter
Three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 3
This
chapter gives the character of Jehoram king of Israel
2 Kings 3:1
relates the rebellion of the king of Moab against him
2 Kings 3:4
the
war that he and his allies entered into on that account
2 Kings 3:6 the
distress the combined army were in for want of water
their application upon
this to Elisha
who promised them water
and they had it in a wonderful manner
2 Kings 3:10 and
the chapter is concluded with the rout of the Moabites
and the barbarity of
their king to his eldest son
2 Kings 3:21.
2 Kings 3:1 Now
Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth
year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah
and reigned twelve years.
YLT
1And Jehoram son of Ahab
hath reigned over Israel
in Samaria
in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat
king of Judah
and he reigneth twelve years
Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria
the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah
.... So that the two
years of the reign of his brother Ahaziah were not complete
only part of the
seventeenth and part of the eighteenth of Jehoshaphat
since he began to reign
in his seventeenth year
at the beginning of that
and died towards the close
of the eighteenth
when Jehoram succeeded him
see 1 Kings 22:51
and
reigned twelve years.
2 Kings 3:2 2 And he did evil in the
sight of the Lord
but not like his father and mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of
Baal that his father had made.
YLT
2and doth the evil thing in
the eyes of Jehovah
only not like his father
and like his mother
and he
turneth aside the standing-pillar of Baal that his father made;
And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord
.... Was
guilty of idolatry:
but not like his father
and like his mother; his father
Ahab
and his mother Jezebel:
for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made; he did not
destroy it
only removed it from the temple of Baal where it was set
that it
might not be worshipped
at least publicly
see 1 Kings 16:31 this
he did
either moved to it by his own conscience
observing the sudden deaths
of his father and brother
which he might suppose was for their idolatry; or in
order to obtain success in his war with Moab he was entering into; or being
instigated by Jehoshaphat to do it
or otherwise he might refuse to join him.
2 Kings 3:3 3 Nevertheless he persisted
in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat
who had made Israel sin; he did not
depart from them.
YLT
3only to the sins of
Jeroboam son of Nebat that he caused Israel to sin he hath cleaved
he hath not
turned aside from it.
Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of
Nebat
which made Israel to sin
.... He closely adhered to the worship of
the calves set up by him:
he departed not therefrom: that being a piece of
state policy
to keep up the division of the two kingdoms.
2 Kings 3:4 4 Now Mesha king of Moab was
a sheepbreeder
and he regularly paid the king of Israel one hundred thousand
lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.
YLT
4And Mesha king of Moab was
a sheep-master
and he rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs
and a hundred thousand rams
[with] wool
And Mesha king of Moab was a sheep master
.... With
which his country abounded; he kept great numbers of them
and shepherds to
take care of them; he traded in them
and got great riches by them; his
substance chiefly consisted in them:
and rendered unto the king of Israel: either as a
present
or as an annual tribute:
an hundred thousand lambs
and an hundred thousand rams
with the
wool; that is
upon them
unshorn
and so the more valuable; and it
was usual for tributary nations to pay their tribute to those to whom they were
subject in such commodities which they most abounded with; so the Cappadocians
as StraboF3Geograph. l. 11. p. 362. relates
used to pay
as a
tribute to the Persians
every year
1500 horses and 2000 mules
and five
myriads of sheep
or 50
000; and formerly
PlinyF4Nat. Hist. l. 18.
c. 3. says
the only tribute was from the pastures.
2 Kings 3:5 5 But it happened
when Ahab
died
that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
YLT
5and it cometh to pass at
the death of Ahab
that the king of Moab transgresseth against the king of
Israel.
But it came to pass
when Ahab was dead
that the king of Moab
rebelled against the king of Israel. Who then was Ahaziah; but
either through the pusillanimity of his temper
or the sickness that attended
him
or the shortness of his reign
he took no steps to the reduction of him
or to oblige him to pay his tribute
which he neglected to do
and is meant by
his rebellion.
2 Kings 3:6 6 So King Jehoram went out
of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel.
YLT
6And king Jehoram goeth out
in that day from Samaria
and inspecteth all Israel
And King Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time
As soon as he
came to the throne:
and numbered all Israel; who were fit to bear
arms
got them together at some certain place
and mustered them
and prepared
for a war with Moab
to reduce them.
2 Kings 3:7 7 Then he went and sent to
Jehoshaphat king of Judah
saying
“The king of Moab has rebelled against me.
Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” And he said
“I will go up; I am
as you are
my people as your people
my horses as your horses.”
YLT
7and goeth and sendeth unto
Jehoshaphat king of Judah
saying
`The king of Moab hath transgressed against
me; dost thou go with me unto Moab for battle?' and he saith
`I go up
as I
so thou; as my people
so thy people; as my horses
so thy horses.
And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah
saying
the
king of Moab hath rebelled against me
.... By refusing to pay
him tribute:
wilt thou go up with me against Moab to battle? and he said
I
will go up; which he agreed to
partly to encourage in the reformation of
religion which he had begun
and partly to chastise the Moabites for their
invasion of his country
2 Chronicles 20:1.
I am as thou art
my people as thy people
and my horses as thy
horses; the same answer he returned to Ahab; see Gill on 1 Kings 22:4.
2 Kings 3:8 8 Then he said
“Which way
shall we go up?” And he answered
“By way of the Wilderness of Edom.”
YLT
8And he saith
`Where [is]
this -- the way we go up?' and he saith
`The way of the wilderness of Edom.'
And he said
which way shall we go up.... That is
Jehoram said so to Jehoshaphat
consulting with him which was the best way to
take to the land of Moab
whether the shortest way
over Jordan; or some other:
and he answered
the way through the wilderness of Edom; which
bordered upon it
and the same through which the Israelites passed; for Kadesh
was on the extreme border of Edom
whither they came
Numbers 20:1 and
this Jehoshaphat proposed
partly that they might come upon Moab unawares
and
attack them where they were weakest
and not on their guard; and partly
to
take the king of Edom with them
who was no other than Jehoshaphat's deputy
and so be assisting to them
and prevent him from revolting
which otherwise he
might take this opportunity of doing.
2 Kings 3:9 9 So the king of Israel went
with the king of Judah and the king of Edom
and they marched on that
roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army
nor for the
animals that followed them.
YLT
9And the king of Israel
goeth
and the king of Judah
and the king of Edom
and they turn round the way
seven days
and there hath been no water for the camp
and for the cattle that
[are] at their feet
So the king of Israel went
and the king of Judah
.... The way
of the wilderness of Edom
proposed by the latter:
and the king of Edom; whom they took with them
in their way
who was not properly a king
but a viceroy or deputy
see 1 Kings 22:47.
and they fetched a compass of seven days journey; they went
round the Dead Sea
and through the wilderness of Edom
and so to the borders
of Moab:
and there was no water for the host
and for the cattle that
followed them; neither for the soldiers in the army
nor the cattle that drew
the carriages
being in a wilderness.
2 Kings 3:10 10 And the king of Israel
said
“Alas! For the Lord
has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
YLT
10and the king of Israel
saith
`Alas
for Jehovah hath called for these three kings
to give them into
the hand of Moab.'
And the king of Israel said
alas!.... Lamenting their sad
case
as being desperate; and the rather he was the more concerned
as he was
the principal who had drawn the other kings into this affair
though he throws
it upon the Lord and his providence:
that the Lord hath called these three kings together
to deliver
them into the hands of Moab; into whose hands they must inevitably fall
if they could have no water to refresh them; since they would be so weak as not
to be able to stand a battle with them
and be dispersed here and there in
search of water
and so fall into their hands. Extreme thirst is intolerable.
It is reportedF5Plutarch. in Apothegm. of Lysimachus
that he
delivered himself and his army into the hands of the enemy for a draught of
water. Leo AfricanusF6Descriptio Africae
l. 1. p. 75. relates
that
in the desert of Azaoad stand two marble pillars
testifying that a rich
merchant bought of a carrier of wares a cup of water at the price of 10
000
ducats; but there not being water sufficient neither for the one nor the other
they were both died with thirst.
2 Kings 3:11 11 But Jehoshaphat said
“Is
there no prophet of the Lord here
that we may inquire
of the Lord
by him?” So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said
“Elisha the son of Shaphat is here
who poured water on the hands of
Elijah.”
YLT
11And Jehoshaphat saith
`Is
there not here a prophet of Jehovah
and we seek Jehovah by him?' And one of
the servants of the king of Israel answereth and saith
`Here [is] Elisha son
of Shaphat
who poured water on the hands of Elijah.'
But Jehoshaphat said
is there not here a prophet of the Lord
that we may inquire of the Lord by him?.... This the good king
should have done before be set out
but had neglected it; however
it was not
too late:
and one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said; who might be
one that feared the Lord
and was intimate with Elisha
or however had
knowledge of him
as appears by what follows:
here is Elisha the son of Shaphat
which poured water on the hands
of Elijah; or ministered to him
as the Targum; was his menial servant
waited on him
and assisted him when he washed his handsF7See the
like phrase of the business of a servant in Homer
Iliad. 3. ver. 270
&
Iliad. 9. ver. 174. Odyss. 1. ver. 147. & Odyss. 3. ver. 388. & Odyss.
4. ver. 258
261. & passim. ; some Jewish writers understand it of his
pouring water on the hand of Elijah at Carmel
when the altar and trench were
filled with it
and when a miracle was wrought
as they fancy
and the fingers
of Elijah became as fountains of water.
2 Kings 3:12 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.
YLT
12And Jehoshaphat saith
`The
word of Jehovah is with him;' and go down unto him do the king of Israel
and
Jehoshaphat
and the king of Edom.
And Jehoshaphat said
the word of the Lord is with him
.... To give
them an answer
which he concluded from his being a servant and disciple of
Elijah
whom he succeeded in his office
and of whom he had
doubtless
heard;
and from his following the camp
and being in it
which he easily imagined was
not to fight
but to assist by his advice and counsel
and by his prophecies
as there might be occasion for them:
so the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went
down to him; descended from their chariots
and went to the tent in the camp
where he was; they did not send for him to come to them
but
in honour of him
went to him themselves.
2 Kings 3:13 13 Then Elisha said to the
king of Israel
“What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father
and the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him
“No
for
the Lord
has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of
Moab.”
YLT
13And Elisha saith unto the
king of Israel
`What -- to me and to thee? go unto the prophets of thy father
and unto the prophets of thy mother;' and the king of Israel saith to him
`Nay
for Jehovah hath called for these three kings to give them into the hand
of Moab.'
And Elisha said unto the king of Israel
what have I to do with
thee?.... An idolater; I can hold no discourse nor have any
conversation with thee
nor give thee any advice or assistance:
get thee to the prophets of thy father
and to the prophets of thy
mother; the prophets of Baal
and of the groves:
and the king of Israel said unto him
nay; meaning
he
would not apply to them
who he was sensible could give him no relief
only to
the Lord God
from whom this affliction was
and therefore begs he would pray
to him to have mercy on them; so the Targum
"I beseech thee remember not
the sins of that wickedness
pray for mercy for us:"
for the Lord hath called these three kings together
to deliver
them into the hand of Moab; signifying
that he should not perish
alone
but the other two kings with him
who had no connection with the
prophets of his father and mother in their idolatry
and therefore hoped for
their sakes mercy would be shown.
2 Kings 3:14 14 And Elisha said
“As
the Lord
of hosts lives
before whom I stand
surely were it not that I regard the
presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah
I would not look at you
nor see you.
YLT
14And Elisha saith
`Jehovah
of Hosts liveth
before whom I have stood; for unless the face of Jehoshaphat
king of Judah I am lifting up
I do not look unto thee
nor see thee;
Elisha said
as the Lord of hosts liveth
before whom I stand
.... Whose
minster and prophet he was
to whom he prayed
and whose service he was ready
to perform:
surely
were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the
king of Judah; revere him not only as a king
but as a pious prince
and a
worshipper of the true God:
I would not look toward thee
nor see thee; give him no
countenance at all
pay no regard to his request
not so much as to look at him
in a civil way; but turn away his face from him with contempt and disdain
as
unworthy to be conversed with by a prophet of the Lord.
2 Kings 3:15 15 But now bring me a
musician.” Then it happened
when the musician played
that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
YLT
15and now
bring to me a
minstrel; and it hath been
at the playing of the minstrel
that the hand of
Jehovah is on him
But now bring me a minstrel
.... A piper
a man that
knows how to play upon the harp
as the Targum; according to Procopius Gazaeus
this was one of the Levites he ordered to be fetched
who was used to the
spiritual melody of David
and could play on musical instruments as he directed.
This he did to allay his passion
and compose his spirits
ruffled at the sight
of Jehoram
and to fit him to receive prophetic inspiration
which sometimes
came upon the Lord's prophets when thus employed
see 1 Samuel 10:5. Some
thinkF8Weemse's Christ. Synagog. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 4. p. 143. the
music the prophet called for is that sort the Greeks call "harmony"
which is the gravest and saddest
and settles the affections:
and it came to pass
when the minstrel played
that the hand of
the Lord came upon him; the spirit of prophecy
as the Targum
which came by the power
of God
and as a gift from his hand.
2 Kings 3:16 16 And he said
“Thus says
the Lord:
‘Make this valley full of ditches.’
YLT
16and he saith
`Thus said
Jehovah
Make this valley ditches -- ditches;
And he said
thus saith the Lord
make this valley full of
ditches. In which the allied army lay encamped
that they might be ready
to receive large quantities of water
sufficient for the whole army and cattle
when it came.
2 Kings 3:17 17 For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall
not see wind
nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with
water
so that you
your cattle
and your animals may drink.’
YLT
17for thus said Jehovah
Ye
do not see wind
nor do ye see rain
and that valley is full of water
and ye
have drunk -- ye
and your cattle
and your beasts.
For thus saith the Lord
ye shall not see wind
neither shall ye
see the rain
.... Neither perceive the south wind blow
which usually brings
rain
nor clouds gathering in the heavens
as portending it
nor any filling
from thence:
yet that valley shall be filled with water; and all the
ditches dug in it:
that ye may drink
both ye and your cattle
and all your beasts; there would
be such a quantity as would be enough for them all
the soldiers
the horses
they rode on
and the beasts that drew their wagons.
2 Kings 3:18 18 And this is a simple
matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the
Moabites into your hand.
YLT
18`And this hath been light
in the eyes of Jehovah
and he hath given Moab into your hand
And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord
.... To give
them such a plenty of water in such an extraordinary manner: he would do for
them what was greater
not only save them from falling into the hand of Moab
which they feared
but he wilt deliver the Moabites into your hands; which was
more than was asked for
or expected.
2 Kings 3:19 19 Also you shall attack
every fortified city and every choice city
and shall cut down every good tree
and stop up every spring of water
and ruin every good piece of land with
stones.”
YLT
19and ye have smitten every
fenced city
and every choice city
and every good tree ye cause to fall
and
all fountains of waters ye stop
and every good portion ye mar with stones.'
And ye shall smite every fenced city and every choice city
.... That is
the inhabitants of them with the sword
and demolish them also
2 Kings 3:25
and
shall fell every good tree; which seems contrary to the law in Deuteronomy 20:19
but that may respect trees belonging to a city when besieged only
or only to
Canaanitish cities; or the law was now dispensed with
and that for this time
only
to make the punishment of Moab the greater
for their rebellion and other
sins:
and stop all wells of water; which must be very
distressing to those that survived the calamity of the sword:
and mar every good piece of land with stones; as that it
could not be ploughed and sowed
nor anything spring up and grow upon it.
2 Kings 3:20 20 Now it happened in the
morning
when the grain offering was offered
that suddenly water came by way
of Edom
and the land was filled with water.
YLT
20And it cometh to pass in
the morning
at the ascending of the [morning]-present
that lo
waters are
coming in from the way of Edom
and the land is filled with the waters
And it came to pass in the morning
when the meat offering was
offered
.... At Jerusalem; which always went along with the daily burnt
offering of the lamb
which might not indeed be offered before break of day
yet quickly after; for no sacrifice could be offered before that; see Gill on Exodus 29:39
that
behold
there came water by the way of Edom; not from the
heavens
but it may be out of some rock
rolling along on the earth from the
hills and mountains
down into the valleys
where the armies were:
and the country was filled with water; all round
about them. Who has not heard of the "thundering" legion
as it was
called by the Emperor M. Aurelius
who
when the army under him was about to
engage with the Germans and Sarmatians
and sadly distressed with thirst
fell
down on their knees and prayed
upon which a large shower of rain came down to
the refreshment of the army
and thunder bolts
which annoyed and put the enemy
to flightF9Euseb. Hist. Eccl. l. 5. c. 5. Orosii Hist. l. 7. c. 15.
p. 120. ? at the battle of the Romans with Jugurtha
a sudden and unexpected
shower of rain fell
to the refreshment of the Romans
in intolerable thirstF11Orosii
Hist. l. 5. c. 15. p. 77. .
2 Kings 3:21 21 And when all the Moabites
heard that the kings had come up to fight against them
all who were able to bear
arms and older were gathered; and they stood at the border.
YLT
21and all Moab have heard
that the kings have come up to fight against them
and they are called
together
from every one girding on a girdle and upward
and they stand by the
border.
And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to
fight against them
.... The kings of Israel
Judah
and Edom:
they gathered all that were able to put on armour
and upward; that were of
an age capable of that
and all who were more grown; or "girt on a
girdle"F12חגר חגרה
"eingente cingulo"
Montanus.
a military one
with which the sword
was girt
who were at age to wear and knew how to wield a sword: and stood in
the border; of their land
between Edom and them
to defend themselves and their
country against these invaders.
2 Kings 3:22 22 Then they rose up early in
the morning
and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the
water on the other side as red as blood.
YLT
22And they rise early in the
morning
and the sun hath shone on the waters
and the Moabites see
from
over-against
the waters red as blood
And they rose up early in the morning
.... To watch
the motions of their enemies
and be upon their guard against them:
and the sun shone upon the water; with which the valley
was filled:
and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood; so it
appeared through the rays of the sun reflected on it.
2 Kings 3:23 23 And they said
“This is
blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now
therefore
Moab
to the spoil!”
YLT
23and say
`Blood this [is];
the kings have been surely destroyed
and they smite each his neighbour; and
now for spoil
Moab!'
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.
2 Kings 3:24 24 So when they came to the
camp of Israel
Israel rose up and attacked the Moabites
so that they fled
before them; and they entered their land
killing the Moabites.
YLT
24And they come in unto the
camp of Israel
and the Israelites rise
and smite the Moabites
and they flee
from their face; and they enter into Moab
so as to smite Moab
And when they came to the camp of Israel
.... Not in an
orderly regular manner
in rank and file
as an army should march
but in a
confused manner
everyone striving who should get thither first
and have the
largest share of the booty:
the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites
so that they fled
before them; being prepared for them
they fell upon them sword in hand
and
soon obliged them to flee:
but they went forward smiting the Moabites
even in their country; they pursued
them closely
and slew them as they fled
and followed them not only to their
borders
but into their own country: though SchultensF13De Defect.
Hod. Ling. Heb. sect. 26.
from the use of the word נבה
in the Arabic language
renders the passage
"and they blunted their
swords in it (in that slaughter)
even by smiting the Moabites".
2 Kings 3:25 25 Then they destroyed the
cities
and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it;
and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees.
But they left the stones of Kir Haraseth intact. However the slingers
surrounded and attacked it.
YLT
25and the cities they break
down
and [on] every good portion they cast each his stone
and have filled it
and every fountain of water they stop
and every good tree they cause to fall
-- till one had left its stones in Kir-Haraseth
and the slingers go round and
smite it.
And they beat down the cities
.... Demolished the walls
of them
and houses in them
wherever they came:
and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone
and
filled it; which they had taken out of the walls and houses they pulled
down; or which they picked up in the highway
as they passed along
being a
stony country; or which being laid in heaps
gathered out of the fields
they
took and scattered them all over them:
and they stopped all the wells of water; with stones
and dirt:
and felled all the good trees; fruit bearing ones; See
Gill on 2 Kings 3:19
only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; not able to
demolish it
it being a strong fortified city
the principal of the kingdom
and into which the king of Moab had thrown himself
and the remains of his
forces; of which see Isaiah 16:7
howbeit
the slingers went about it
and smote it; smote the
soldiers that appeared upon the walls of it; though Kimchi
and other Jewish
writers
understand it of engineers
who cast out large stones from a sort of
machines then in use
to batter down and break through the walls of cities.
2 Kings 3:26 26 And when the king of Moab
saw that the battle was too fierce for him
he took with him seven hundred men
who drew swords
to break through to the king of Edom
but they could not.
YLT
26And the king of Moab seeth
that the battle has been too strong for him
and he taketh with him seven
hundred men
drawing sword
to cleave through unto the king of Edom
and they
have not been able
And when the king of Moab
saw that the battle was too sore for him
.... The siege was so
close
the slingers or engineers did so much execution
that he saw the city
would soon be taken
and he be obliged to deliver it up:
he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords; men expert in
war
bold and daring:
to break through even unto the king of Edom; through his
quarters
and so escape
he lying nearest to the city
and perhaps the weakest
body of men with him; or he might think he was not so hearty in the cause of
the kings
and would make but a feeble resistance
and let him pass:
but they could not; break through they met with a greater
opposition than was expected perhaps the Edomites remembered how they had
lately used them
which made them fight more desperately against them
see 2 Chronicles 20:23.
2 Kings 3:27 27 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.
YLT
27and 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.
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 fancyF14T. Bab. Sanhedrin
fol. 39. 2. Pesikta
in Abarbinel in loc.
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 PhoeniciansF15Vid.
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.
and from
them the Carthaginians had this custom
who at one time offered up two hundred
sons of their nobility
to appease their godsF16Diodor. Sicul. Bibliothec.
l. 20. p. 756. :
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.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》