2 Kings 3
TSK
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.
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.
Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
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.
But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.
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.
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

Numbers 13:21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin …

Numbers 13:21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin …

Numbers 21:4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass …

Malachi 1:2,3 I have loved you, said the LORD. Yet you say, Wherein have you loved …

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.
And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire 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

1 Kings 22:7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, …

Psalm 74:9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there …

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he reveals his secret to …

that we may

2 Kings 3:1,3 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria …

Joshua 9:14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the …

Judges 20:8-11 And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us …

Judges 18:23,26-28 And they cried to the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, …

1 Chronicles 10:13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the …

1 Chronicles 14:10,14 And David inquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? …

1 Chronicles 15:13 For because you did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a …

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.'

Genesis 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and …

Joshua 1:1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, …

1 Kings 19:21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew …

Luke 22:26,27 But you shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him …

John 13:4,5,13,14 He rises from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, …

1 Timothy 5:10 Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, …

Philippians 2:22 But you know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he …

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.
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.
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.
But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.
And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.
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.
And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
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 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.
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 armour, and upward, and stood in the border.
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:
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Genesis 22:2,13 And he said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, …

Deuteronomy 12:31 You shall not do so to the LORD your God: for every abomination to …

Judges 11:31,39 Then it shall be, that whatever comes forth of the doors of my house …

Psalm 106:36,38 And they served their idols: which were a snare to them…

Ezekiel 16:20 Moreover you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have …

Micah 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands …

they departed

1 Samuel 14:36-46 And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and …

1 Kings 20:13,28,43 And, behold, there came a prophet to Ahab king of Israel, saying, …

Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge by R. A. Torrey [ca. 1880]
Expanded version courtesy INT Bible ©2013, Used by permission

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