2 Kings 3:14-24

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 3:22

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. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 3:23

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 3:24

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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 3:14

Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat - He worshipped the true God; Jehoram was an idolater. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 3:15

Bring me a minstrel - A person who played on the harp. The rabbins, and many Christians, suppose that Elisha's mind was considerably irritated and grieved by the bad behavior of the young men at Beth-el, and their tragical end, and by the presence of the idolatrous king of Israel; and therefore called for Divine psalmody, that it might calm his spirits, and render him more susceptible of the prophetic influence. To be able to discern the voice of God, and the operation of his hand, it... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 3:16

Make this valley full of ditches - The word נחל nachal may be translated brook, as it is by the Vulgate and Septuagint. There probably was a river here, but it was now dry; and the prophet desires that they would enlarge the channel, and cut out various canals from it, and reservoirs, where water might be collected for the refreshment of the army and of the cattle; and these were to be made so wide that the reflection of the sun's rays from this water might be the means of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 3:17

Ye shall not see wind - There shall be no wind to collect vapours, and there shall be no showers, and yet the whole bed of this river, and all the new made canals, shall be filled with water. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 3:19

Shall fell every good tree - Every tree by which your enemies may serve themselves for fortifications, etc. But surely fruit trees are not intended here; for this was positively against the law of God, Deuteronomy 20:19 , Deuteronomy 20:20 ; : "When thou shalt besiege a city - thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof - for the tree of the field is man's life - only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down." Stop all ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 3:20

When the meat-offering was offered - This was the first of all offerings, and was generally made at sun-rising. There came water - This supply was altogether miraculous, for there was neither wind nor rain, nor any other natural means by which it could be supplied. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 3:22

Saw the water on the other side as red as blood - This might have been an optical deception; I have seen the like sight when there was no reason to suspect supernatural agency. The Moabites had never seen that valley full of water, and therefore did not suspect that their eyes deceived them, but took it for the blood of the confederate hosts, who they thought might have fallen into confusion in the darkness of night and destroyed each other, as the Midianites had formerly... read more

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