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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 3:20-27

I. We have here the divine gift of both those things which God had promised by Elisha?water and victory, and the former not only a pledge of the latter, but a means of it. God, who created, and commands, all the waters, both above and beneath the firmament, sent them an abundance of water on a sudden, which did them double service. 1. It relieved their armies, which were ready to perish, 2 Kgs. 3:20. And, which was very observable, this relief came just at the time of the offering of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 3:26

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 3:27

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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 3:26

Seven hundred men - These were no doubt the choice of all his troops, and being afraid of being hemmed up and perhaps taken by his enemies, whom he found on the eve of gaining possession of the city, he made a desperate sortie in order to regain the open country; and supposing that the quarter of the Edomites was weakest, or less carefully guarded, he endeavored to make his impression there; but they were so warmly received by the king of Edom that they failed in the attempt, and were... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 3:27

Took his eldest son - The rabbins account for this horrible sacrifice in the following way: - When the king of Moab found himself so harassed, and the royal city on the point of being taken, he called a council of his servants, and asked them how it was these Israelites could perform such prodigies, and that such miracles were wrought for them? His servants answered, that it was owing to their progenitor Abraham, who, having an only son, was commanded by Jehovah to offer him in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 3:1-27

THE GENERAL CHARACTER OF JEHORAM 'S REIGN OVER ISRAEL ; HIS WAR WITH MOAB . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 3:4-27

THE WAR WITH MOAB . The historian goes back to the origin of the war. He had already, in 2 Kings 1:1 , mentioned the revolt of Moab at the death of Ahab; but he now recalls his readers' attention to the fact, and to some extent explains it and accounts for it. Moab had been treated oppressively—had been forced to pay an extraordinarily heavy tribute—and was in a certain sense driven into rebellion ( 2 Kings 1:4 , 2 Kings 1:5 ). Jehoram, when he came to the kingdom, determined to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 3:13-27

Aspects of a godly man. "And Elisha said unto the King of Israel, What have I to do with thee?' etc. Elisha was confessedly a godly man of a high type, and these verses reveal him to us in three aspects. I. AS RISING SUPERIOR TO KINGS . When these three kings—Jehoshaphat the King of Judah, Jehoram the King of Israel, and the King of Edom—approached Elisha, was he overawed by their splendor? or was he elated by their visit? No. He was no flunkey ; no true man ever is. Here... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 3:18-27

The defeat of Moab. This also was foretold by Elisha as a mercy from the Lord, in comparison with which the supply of water was "a light thing." If these are God's "light things," surely we need not fear to ask from him all that we require. Our sin is, not in asking too much, but in asking too little ( John 16:24 ). "He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" ( Ephesians 3:20 ). I. LOST THROUGH ILLUSION . The manner in which the defeat of the Moabites... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 3:26

And when the King of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him— i.e. that he could not hope to maintain the defense much longer, but would be forced to surrender the fortress— he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the King of Edom. Perhaps he regarded the King of Edom as the weakest of the three confederates, and the least likely to offer effectual resistance; perhaps he viewed him as a traitor, since Edom had been his ally a little earlier (... read more

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