2 Kings 3:4-27

B. THE JOINT CAMPAIGN AGAINST MOAB 3:4-27

The one major effort of Jehoram's twelve-year reign was his effort to resubjugate Moab. In this effort Jehoram was able to enlist the services of Jehoshaphat of Judah. The good king from Jerusalem does not seem to have learned anything from his disastrous military alliance with Ahab (1 Kings 22) and his equally disastrous commercial alliance with Ahaziah of Israel (2 Chronicles 20:35 f.). In the present section, the Moabite campaign unfolds. The author discusses (1) how the joint effort came to be undertaken (2 Kings 3:4-8); (2) the plight of the allied forces (2 Kings 3:9-15 a); (3) the prophecy of Elisha (2 Kings 3:15 b - 2 Kings 3:20); (4) the defeat of Moab (2 Kings 3:21-25); and (5) the siege of the Moabite capital at Kir-hareseth (2 Kings 3:26-27).

1. THE PLANNING OF THE CAMPAIGN (2 Kings 3:4-8)

TRANSLATION

(4) Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep raiser, and he rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams with regard to wool. (5) And it came to pass when Ahab died, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. (6) And King Jehoram went out in that day from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. (7) And he went and sent unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go up with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up. I am like you, my people like your people, my horses like your horses. (8) And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he said, By the way of the wilderness of Edom.

COMMENTS

Before describing the war to resubjugate Moab, the historian repeats a bit of information as background to what he is about to narrate. In 2 Kings 1:1 he has already related that Moab revolted at the death of Ahab. Here he suggests the reason for that revolt: Moab had been treated oppressively. The Moabites had been forced to render as tribute to Samaria the wool of a hundred thousand sheep and goats annually (2 Kings 3:4). This extraordinarily heavy tribute drove the Moabites to rebellion at the first opportunity which, as it turned out, was the death of the powerful Ahab (2 Kings 3:5).

In response to the Moabite rebellion, King Jehoram mobilized his forces for an effort to resubjugate that region (2 Kings 3:6). Jehoram knew that he would need help, and so he appealed to the old friend and ally of his father, Jehoshaphat of Judah. In spite of the disastrous results of his two previous joint enterprises with the kings of the North; Jehoshaphat still maintained amicable relations with the Omride dynasty. Since Judah had, it would appear, recently suffered an attack by the combined forces of Moab and Ammon (2 Chronicles 20:1-35), the Southern king was eager to participate in the operations against Moab. Jehoshaphat responded to the request of his Northern neighbor with a formula which is expressive of his willingness to enter into the closest possible alliance (2 Kings 3:7).

There were two routes by which Moab could be approached by the allied forces. The kings might cross the Jordan and press southward across the Arnon river, the northern border of Moab; or they might elect to take the circuitous route down around the southern tip of the Dead Sea, and attack Moab from the south. Jehoram sought the advice of Jehoshaphat in determining the direction of the campaign, and Jehoshaphat recommended the circuitous route. There were at least two reasons for this recommendation. First, the king of Edom, being a vassal[517] of Jehoshaphat, could add a contingent of troops to the allied cause if the two kings took the southern route. Then, too, Moab was probably far less fortified on the southern frontier, and an attack from that direction would perhaps catch Mesha off guard (2 Kings 3:8).

[517] When last mentioned, Edom was ruled by a deputy appointed by the king of Judah (1 Kings 22:4; 1 Kings 22:7). There may have been a brief revolt by Edom during the reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:22). But the fact that Jehoshaphat could sail his navy out of the Edomite port of Ezion-geber (1 Kings 22:48) suggests that he was in control of that area.

The events in chapter 3 are chronologically prior to the translation of Elijah recorded in the previous chapter.[518] Even before he became the official leader of the prophetic schools, Elisha was functioning as a prophet. His ministry began, it would seem, during the reign of Jehoram. While at this time Elisha was known primarily as an assistant to Elijah (cf. 2 Kings 3:11), in this chapter he functions independently of his master.

[518] 2 Chronicles 21:12 refers to a letter written by Elijah to Jehoram of Judah apparently after the death of Jehoshaphat. In the present text Jehoshaphat is an active participant in the campaign against Moab.

2. THE PLIGHT OF THE ALLIES (2 Kings 3:9-15 a)

TRANSLATION

(9) And the king of Israel went up, along with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they went around in the way seven days; and there was no water for the camp, nor for the beasts which followed them. (10) And the king of Israel said, Alas! for the LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab. (11) And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire of the LORD from him? And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, Elisha the son of Shaphat who poured water upon the hands of Elijah is here. (12) And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with Urn. And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down unto him. (13) And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What is there between us? Go unto the prophets of your father and unto the prophets of your mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, No, for the LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab. (14) And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts lives before whom I stand, surely, except for the fact that I respect Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look unto, nor see you. (15) But now bring a musician.

COMMENTS

It took the allied kings seven days to travel the torturous hundred miles through the barren wilderness of Judah and around the Dead Sea to the borders of Moab. What was thought to be a perennial stream in that region had failed due to a lengthy drought, and the allies found themselves facing a desperate situation without water (2 Kings 3:9). The impious Jehoram was ready to blame their plight upon Yahweh in spite of the fact that there is no record of any prophet of God having sanctioned the expedition. It was not God who had called together these three kings; they had come together on their own accord, guided strictly by their own political interests. Jehoram assumed that the Lord meant to deliver this army into the hands of the king of Moab (2 Kings 3:10).

Jehoshaphat, being a man of faith, was not ready to throw up his hands in despair. Even though he had neglected to consult a prophet of God prior to the expeditiona tragic oversight on his parthe was in this desperate hour anxious to turn to the Lord for guidance. When he inquired as to the availability of a prophet, one of the servants of Jehoram informed the kings that Elisha had accompanied the expedition. Apparently King Jehoram was not aware of Elisha's presence with the army. Whether the prophets of God normally accompanied the troops into battle, or whether this was a unique mission of Elisha directed by the Spirit is uncertain. In either case, it was God's good pleasure to deliver the allies through the instrumentality of this man of God. Elisha had been known in time past as the one who poured water on the hands of Elijah, i.e., had been his minister and servant (2 Kings 3:11). Now God would demonstrate His power through this man for the first time before the leadership of both Israel and Judah.

Jehoshaphat was delighted to learn that Elisha was present. He was convinced that the word of the Lord is with him, i.e., that he was a true prophet of the Lord. Just how Jehoshaphat had come to have such regard for Elisha is uncertain. The present incident seems to be chronologically prior to the miracles recorded in chapter two. Perhaps it was the mere fact of Elisha's close association with Elijah which led Jehoshaphat to enthusiastically endorse him as the authorized exponent of God's will at that time. In any case, the allied kings were so humbled by the circumstances that they sought out Elisha rather than merely summoning him to their pavilion (2 Kings 3:12).

Upon the approach of the three supplicants, Elisha unleashed a sarcastic verbal barrage against Jehoram of Israel. The halfhearted and partial repentance of this monarch had not ingratiated him to this uncompromising man of God. The king had no ground of appeal to the prophet. The two had nothing in common. If Jehoram wanted prophetic counsel, let him seek out the four hundred court prophets of his father, or the pagan prophets still maintained by Jezebel the queen mother.
Jehoram responded to the prophetic sarcasm with meek deportment. In effect, he begged the prophet that his initial response not be his final response. After all, it was not just the king of Israel who was in desperate straits. Three kings were in danger of being delivered into the hand of Moab (2 Kings 3:13). To this Elisha responded with solemn adjuration that it was only because of the presence of the godly Jehoshaphat that he would condescend to help the expedition (2 Kings 3:14). The prophet then called for a musician to play some soothing song so that he could bring himself into the proper frame of mind to receive the divine revelation. While the musician played, the hand of the Lord, i.e., the power of the Spirit of God, came upon Elisha (2 Kings 3:16).

3. THE PROPHECY OF ELISHA (2 Kings 3:15 b - 2 Kings 3:20)

TRANSLATION

(15) And it came to pass when the musician played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. (16) And he said, Thus says the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. (17) For thus says the LORD, You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; but that valley shall be full of water, that you may drink, you and your cattle and your beasts. (18) And this is a light thing in the eyes of the LORD, for he will give Moab into your hands. (19) And you shall smite every fortified city and every choice city, and every good tree you shall fell, and every well of water you shall cover over, and every good portion of land you shall ruin with stones. (20) And it came to pass in the morning when the sacrifice was offered up, that behold water continued to come from the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.

COMMENTS

Under the influence of the Spirit of God, Elisha revealed to the royal petitioners the means by which the Lord would deliver them from their plight. The kings were to order ditches or pits dug throughout the valley by means of which the precious water which they were seeking might be detained (2 Kings 3:16). The reason for this command was simple: A great storm would arise many miles from the allied camp, so far away that they would neither see any rain nor feel any wind. The parched valley where the kings were camped would shortly be filled with the runoff of that storm, and both man and beast would find relief from the gnawing thirst (2 Kings 3:17). To the Lord of nature such manipulation of the natural phenomena was really a very easy matter. But not only would He deliver the allies from their present danger, He would also deliver Moab into their hands (2 Kings 3:18).

2 Kings 3:19 is properly interpreted as a prophetic prediction of how the allies would completely overwhelm Moab. At the same time the verse is instructive as to the tactics employed in ancient warfare. The destruction of the fruit trees in an enemy's country was a common feature of the wars of that period.[519] The stoppage of springs and wells was another common practice in ancient times.[520] Still another tactic was the ruination of the farm land by spreading stones over the surface of the ground. In the rocky regions of Palestine the stones had to first be cleared from a field. These stones, heaped up at the edges of the field, were to be spread afresh over the surface of the ground. Of course the purpose in all of these actions was to make the enemy suffer as much as possible.

[519] It has sometimes been wrongly asserted that the Law of Moses forbade the cutting of enemy fruit trees during war. But the law in Deuteronomy 20:19 only restricts the use of such trees in siege works. Furthermore, the grounds of this law are not moral but prudential. If the Israelites spared the fruit trees, then they would be able to enjoy the fruit of these trees.

[520] The Philistines stopped up the wells of Isaac (Genesis 26:18). Hezekiah stopped up the springs outside Jerusalem when he expected to be besieged by the Assyrians (2 Chronicles 32:3-4).s

True to the word of the prophet, the next morning about sunrise (when the meal offering was offered) a mighty stream surged through the channel near the allied camp. The water came by the way of Edom which suggests that the nocturnal storm had arisen in the mountains of Edom far distant from the borders of Moab. The rushing stream would rapidly have run off had not the allied soldiers prepared in advance the detaining ditches (2 Kings 3:21).

4. THE DEFEAT OF MOAB (2 Kings 3:21-25)

TRANSLATION

(21) And when all of Moab had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they had gathered all who were able to gird on girdles, and upward, and they stood upon the border. (22) And they arose early in the morning, and the sun was shining upon the waters, and Moab saw the water on the other side red like blood, (23) And they said, This is blood; the kings have surely been slam, and they have smitten each man his companion, and now to the spoil, O Moab. (24) And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote Moab, so that they fled from before them, but they went forward smiting the Moabites. (25) And the cities they tore down, and on every good portion each man threw stones, and filled it; and every well of water they covered, and every good tree they felled until only in Kir-hareseth the stones were left; but the slingers surrounded it and smote it.

COMMENTS

In the face of this surprise attack, the Moabites had made hasty preparations to defend their land. The king had ordered a total mobilization of all who were able to gird on girdles and upward, i.e., all the male population of full age. These troops assumed a defensive posture on the southern border of Moab, probably on the bank of the Wady-el-Ahsy (2 Kings 3:21). Arising one morning, the Moabites spotted what they thought was blood throughout the camp of the allies (2 Kings 3:22). What they really saw, of course, was the reddish early morning sun reflecting off the water[521] that had been trapped during the night in the ditches prepared by the allies. Since there had been no rain during the night, the Moabites never suspected that the wady near the allied camp was full of water. The confused movement of men and beasts about the trenches seen from a distance suggested hostilities. The Moabite officers concluded that the three invading armies had turned against and had consumed one another[522] in a bloody slaughter. Nothing was left to do but to gather the spoil from the allied camp. For this purpose the hosts of Moab surged forward in a disorderly rush (2 Kings 3:23).

[521] Other commentators think the appearance of the water was due to soil discoloration in the region of Edom where the storm had originated, or to the reddish earth in the freshly dug ditches.

[522] The Moabites knew by personal experience how fragile military alliances could be since they only recently had been involved in a coalition which had dissolved on the eve of battle because of some sharp differences between the members (2 Chronicles 20:1-25).

Apparently the allies anticipated the onrush of Moabites and thus kept the main body of their men concealed within the camp that they might ambush their adversaries. When the first wave of greedy Moabites reached the camp, the allies rose up from their ambush to smite and completely rout them (2 Kings 3:24). True to the prediction of Elisha, the allies destroyed the cities, spread stones over the cultivated land, stopped up the wells, and felled the fruit trees. This devastation continued until finally only the stronghold of Kir-hareseth remained untouched. The allies were forced to leave the stones of this place untouched. Nonetheless, allied slingers hurled their missiles over the wall of Kir-hareseth, thus grievously harassing it(2 Kings 3:25).

5. THE SIEGE OF KIR-HARESETH (2 Kings 3:26-27)

TRANSLATION

(26) When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too strong for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew the sword to break through unto the king of Edom; but he was not able. (27) So he took his firstborn son who would have succeeded him on the throne, and offered him up as a burnt offering upon the wall. And great anger came against Israel, and they departed from him, and returned to the land.

COMMENTS

Even at Kir-hareseth the fortunes of Moab continued to decline, and it soon became apparent to the king that he would not be able much longer to hold even this final fortress. The king of Moab then decided on a desperate gamble. Gathering seven hundred expert swordsmen, he attempted to break through the allied lines to reach the king of Edom. It is not entirely clear what he hoped to gain by this assault. Perhaps he regarded the king of Edom as the weakest member of the coalition and the least likely to offer effective resistance. By a very slight emendation in the text a much more reasonable reconstruction is possible. In Hebrew the words Edom and Aram are quite similar. It is possible that originally the text read break through to the king of Aram, in which case the text would be pointing to a desperate effort on the part of the king of Moab to break through the allied lines to safety in the territories of Aram.

The attempt to break through to the king of Edom (or Aram) failed, and the Moabites were again forced back into their beleaguered fortress (2 Kings 3:26). The Moabite king was still not ready to surrender. Perhaps one supreme act of devotion to the deity would bring miraculous deliverance. With this thought in mind, the king of Moab took the crown prince and offered him up as a burnt offering to Chemosh upon the city wall in full view of both those who defended the city and those who attacked it. The sight of their king sacrificing his own firstborn son so stirred up the fury of the remaining Moabites[523] against Israel that they fought with almost superhuman strength and determination. In the face of the determined opposition the allies began to weaken. Finally, the campaign was called off and each of the confederates returned to his own land (2 Kings 3:27).

[523] Two other interpretations have found support: (1) That it was God who was angry with Israel because of what they had driven the king of Moab to do; and (2) that the allies as a whole, or one of the members of the coalition, became so angry and disgusted with what the king of Moab had done they simply refused to press the attack any further.