2 Kings 3

This chapter appears near the beginning of 2 Kings. In 2 Kings 2, Elijah is taken up to heaven and Elisha succeeds him; this chapter records Elisha's first prophecy before kings.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 Jehoram son of Ahab reigns in Samaria for twelve years. He puts away the image (a pillar-shaped idol) of Baal that his father had made, yet he does not depart from the sins of Jeroboam.
• Verses 4–8 Mesha king of Moab, who had paid Israel an annual tribute of wool, rebels against Israel after Ahab's death. Jehoram asks Jehoshaphat king of Judah to join him in battle, and the two decide to march by way of the wilderness of Edom.
• Verses 9–12 After the three kings make a circuitous march of seven days, there is no water for the army or the livestock. Jehoshaphat asks for a prophet of the LORD, and one of the servants tells them about Elisha.
• Verses 13–19 Elisha rebukes Jehoram but, out of regard for Jehoshaphat, calls for a minstrel. Moved by the LORD, he prophesies that if they dig ditches in the valley, it will be filled with water without wind or rain, and that they will defeat Moab.
• Verses 20–25 At the time of the morning meat offering (grain offering), water comes flowing from the direction of Edom. The Moabites, seeing the water red in the sunlight, take it for blood and come to plunder, but they are defeated. Israel ruins their cities, fields, springs, and trees. Only Kir-hareseth remains.
• Verses 26–27 Mesha attempts to break through toward the king of Edom with seven hundred men. When he fails, he offers his firstborn son as a burnt offering on the city wall. Great "indignation" comes against Israel, and the allied armies withdraw.

Key Verses

• 2 Kings 3:15 "And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him." This passage is often cited as a text in which music and prophecy appear together.
• 2 Kings 3:16 "Make this valley full of ditches." This scene depicts people preparing in advance to receive the water God will provide.
• 2 Kings 3:27 "And offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall." This is the chapter's conclusion and the verse whose interpretation is most disputed.

Characters and Places

• Jehoram – Son of Ahab and king of Israel. He is a different person from the contemporary king of Judah also named Jehoram (the son of Jehoshaphat).
• Jehoshaphat – King of Judah. Elisha responds with a prophecy out of regard for him.
• Elisha – Son of Shaphat and a prophet who had served Elijah.
• Mesha – King of Moab and a sheep breeder.
• The king of Edom – The third king of the alliance; he is not named.
• Kir-hareseth – A fortified city of Moab, generally identified with the area of modern al-Karak (Kerak) in Jordan.

Points for Reflection

• The "indignation" of verse 27 – The text does not state whose wrath this is. Interpretations fall into four main groups:
• The wrath of God
• The anger or horror of the Israelites at witnessing a human sacrifice
• Anger within the alliance itself, such as on the part of Edom
• A description reflecting the ancient belief in the power of Moab's god
• The identity of the son who was sacrificed – Most read him as Mesha's son. Some, connecting the passage with Amos 2:1, regard him as the son of the king of Edom.
• The chronology of verse 1 – The verse appears not to agree with the chronology of 2 Kings 1:17. Many explain this as reflecting a period of coregency.
• Verse 19 and Deuteronomy – The command in verse 19 to "fell every good tree" is discussed alongside Deuteronomy 20:19, which forbids cutting down fruit trees during a siege.
• The source of the water – The water in verse 20 has traditionally been read as a miracle. Another view explains it as runoff from rain that fell in the highlands of Edom.
• The Mesha Stele – An inscription discovered at Dhiban in 1868 that records, from the Moabite perspective, Mesha's resistance against Israel. It is frequently presented alongside this chapter.
• Connection to the New Testament – No New Testament passage is clearly and directly linked to this chapter.

In the Korean Church

The words "make this valley full of ditches" in verse 16 are frequently cited in sermons on the theme of preparing in advance by faith. Verse 15 is also sometimes mentioned in discussions of the significance of praise and worship music.