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Verse 26
Theosis · English Bible
4 Kingdoms (2 Kings)

4 Kingdoms (2 Kings) 3

Old TestamentTheosis · English Bible

1And Joram the son of Achaab began to reign in Israel in the eighteenth year of Josaphat king of Juda, and he reigned twelve years. 2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, only not as his father, nor as his mother: and he removed the pillars of Baal which his father had made. 3Only he adhered to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who made Israel to sin; he departed not from it. 4And Mosa king of Moab was a sheep-master, and he rendered to the king of Israel in the beginning of the year, a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool. 5And it came to pass, after the death of Achaab, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6And king Joram went forth in that day out of Samaria, and numbered Israel. 7And he went and sent to Josaphat king of Juda, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to war? And he said, I will go up: thou art as I, I am as thou; as my people, so is thy people, as my horses, so are thy horses. 8And he said, What way shall I go up? and he said, The way of the wilderness of Edom. 9And the king of Israel went, and the king of Juda, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey; and there was no water for the army, and for the cattle that went with them. 10And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord should have called the three kings on their way, to give them into the hand of Moab. 11And Josaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, There is here Elisaie son of Saphat, who poured water on the hands of Eliu. 12And Josaphat said, He has the word of the Lord. And the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, and the king of Edom, went down to him. 13And Elisaie said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? go to the prophets of thy father, and the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said to him, Has the Lord called the three kings to deliver them into the hands of Moab? 14And Elisaie said, As the Lord of hosts before whom I stand lives, unless I regarded the presence of Josaphat the king of Juda, I would not have looked on thee, nor seen thee. 15And now fetch me a harper. And it came to pass, as the harper harped, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. 16And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of trenches. 17For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet this valley shall be filled with water, and ye, and your flocks, and your cattle shall drink. 18And this is a light thing in the eyes of the Lord: I will also deliver Moab into your hand. 19And ye shall smite every strong city, and ye shall cut down every good tree, and ye shall stop all wells of water, and spoil every good piece of land with stones. 20And it came to pass in the morning, when the sacrifice was offered, that, behold! waters came from the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water. 21And all Moab heard that the three kings were come up to fight against them; and they cried out on every side, even all that were girt with a girdle, and they said, Ho! and stood upon the border. 22And they rose early in the morning, and the sun rose upon the waters, and Moab saw the waters on the opposite side red as blood. 23And they said, This is the blood of the sword; and the kings have fought, and each man has smitten his neighbour; now then to the spoils, Moab. 24And they entered into the camp of Israel; and Israel arose and smote Moab, and they fled from before them; and they went on and smote Moab as they went. 25And they razed the cities, and cast every man his stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped every well, and cut down every good tree, until they left only the stones of the wall cast down; and the slingers compassed the land, and smote it. 26And the king of Moab saw that the battle prevailed against him; and he took with him seven hundred men that drew sword, to cut through to the king of Edom: and they could not. 27And he took his eldest son whom he had designed to reign in his stead, and offered him up for a whole-burnt-offering on the walls. And there was a great indignation against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their land.

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4 Kingdoms (2 Kings) 3:26

Ephraem the Syrian

Ephraem the Syrian4th century

Consequently, Mesa, who had abandoned all hope in his armies, refrained from seeking assistance from the divine, for he believed no one could aid him. Some learned men in his land advised him to implore the grace of the God of Israel by presenting a remarkable offering, akin to the sacrifice made by Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, a tradition revived by the Canaanites (cf. Gen. 22:1-18). The supremacy and might of God were recognized with great joy, as evidenced by His miraculous acts before the Moabites. It was indeed He who had provided water for His people in the desolate wilderness of Edom, and they knew of no other deity who bestowed such great blessings upon His worshippers. Thus, the king, unable to reject the wondrous signs he had witnessed, sought the divine aid that he greatly needed amid his troubles. He strengthened his resolve and turned away from idol worship, instead placing his trust in the Almighty God who had created a new sea in that barren land. He took heed of the counsel from the wise men and nobles of Moab, who urged him to make a significant offering—his firstborn son, the cornerstone of his household and the hope of his realm—on the city walls before the advancing army. He intended for the Israelites to witness the sacrifice he was about to present to the God of Abraham, following the teachings of the patriarch. Consequently, hostility toward the Israelites intensified (cf. 4 Sam. 3:27), as the calamities foretold in Scripture soon befell them once again. They recognized how God had safeguarded them, the miraculous abundance of water He had provided, and the defeat they had witnessed of their adversaries. Yet, they clung to their dishonor, and their hearts remained devoted to the golden calf.

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People often emulate those who perform virtuous acts, but not out of genuine love for those deeds, rather for gain. For instance, Balaam elevated God by constructing seven altars, having learned that their sacrifices might lead to prayers being heard (cf. Num. 22:2-24:25). The king of Moab recalled Jephthah, but as it was his firstborn son whom he sacrificed—rather than an animal—God displayed compassion towards him because his actions stemmed from misfortune, not devotion. In Jephthah's case, had he first encountered one of his servants, he would have slain him. Yet, for the protection of human life and to dissuade others from offering their fellow countrymen in sacrifice, he was met by his own daughter; this served as a warning to others who might vow to God (cf. Judg. 11:29-40).