2 Kings Chapter 3
War Against Moab
Historical Note:
The Moabite Stone, also called the Mesha Stele, discovered in 1868, contains a long Moabite inscription written by King Mesha. It confirms many of the historical events recorded in 2 Kings 3, though from a distinctly pro Moabite perspective. It is one of the most important archaeological discoveries verifying Old Testament history.
A. Three kings gather against the Moabites
1. (2 Kings 3:1-3) A summary of Jehoram’s reign
2 Kings 3:1-3
“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.”
a. “Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel”
Jehoram inherited a profoundly corrupt spiritual legacy. His father Ahab was one of the most wicked kings in Israel’s history, and his mother Jezebel was the most wicked queen ever to influence the nation. Their dynasty was steeped in idolatry, bloodshed, and rebellion against the Lord.
Jehoram therefore comes from a lineage that had long rejected the authority of God’s Word. His reign is framed within that larger context. Though he made superficial reforms, he never embraced the true worship of the Lord.
b. “But not like his father, and like his mother”
Jehoram is described with a rare qualifier. He did evil, yet not to the extent of Ahab and Jezebel. He removed the Baal pillar that Ahab had installed, which shows he was not as militantly committed to Baalism as his parents had been.
However, he was still evil. He was still idolatrous. He was still spiritually compromised. The Northern Kingdom had nineteen kings and not one godly ruler among them. Jehoram continues the long chain of wicked leadership.
i. The sins of Jeroboam
As Dilday notes, Jehoram continued the state sponsored false worship started by Jeroboam. This was not open Baalism. It was a corrupt version of Yahweh worship through golden calf images at Dan and Bethel. Jeroboam invented this system to prevent Israel from worshiping at Jerusalem. It was politically motivated idolatry masquerading as true religion.
ii. A spiritually undecided man
Knapp described Jehoram well. He was a man who tried to appear moderate. He was religiously neutral. He removed the Baal statue but refused to fully follow the Lord. Such men are spiritually dangerous because they look halfway righteous but never truly submit to God.
iii. A hollow reform
Poole suggests Jehoram’s removal of Baal worship was politically motivated. Perhaps he feared judgment because of what happened to Ahab and Ahaziah. Perhaps he wanted to impress Jehoshaphat to secure military alliance. Whatever his motives, his heart was unchanged. Elisha certainly did not respect his reforms, as shown later in 2 Kings 3:13.
Jehoram cleaned up outward idolatry while continuing inward rebellion. His change was political, not spiritual.
2. (2 Kings 3:4-5) Moab’s rebellion
2 Kings 3:4-5
“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.”
a. “Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster”
The Moabites lived east of the Dead Sea. Their land was suitable for grazing, which allowed them to raise vast numbers of sheep and rams. They were under Israelite control during much of the monarchy, beginning with David’s conquest, and later were taxed heavily by the Northern Kingdom.
Mesha’s tribute was immense. One hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams is a staggering amount. It indicates that Moab was economically productive and that Israel’s dominance brought substantial revenue.
When Ahab died, Moab saw an opportunity. Ahab’s dynasty was spiritually weak and politically divided. His son Ahaziah died after only a two year reign. Jehoram was inexperienced and spiritually compromised. Mesha decided it was the perfect moment to overthrow Israelite control.
This rebellion sets the stage for the coalition of Israel, Judah, and Edom that will form to bring Moab back under subjection.
3. (2 Kings 3:6-8) Israel and Judah join together to fight Moab
2 Kings 3:6-8
“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.”
a. “He went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah”
Jehoshaphat was a godly king who followed the example of his father Asa. Scripture praises him for walking in the ways of the Lord and removing idolatry from Judah. Despite this, he continued to make unwise alliances with the Northern Kingdom, especially with the house of Ahab.
Asa had been in conflict with Israel, but Jehoshaphat took a different path, establishing peace between Judah and Israel. His alliances with Ahab, Ahaziah, and now Jehoram were spiritually dangerous compromises. This pattern of alliances brought several rebukes from prophets during his lifetime.
Jehoram takes advantage of Jehoshaphat’s goodwill. He appeals to him as a brother, even though Jehoram’s spiritual character is far from godly.
b. “Will you go with me to fight against Moab”
Despite the history of division and civil war between Israel and Judah, they now join together because of a common enemy. This alliance represents political unity but not spiritual unity. Jehoshaphat responds quickly and positively, perhaps too quickly, echoing the same words he spoke earlier when he joined with Ahab at Ramoth Gilead.
“I am as thou art” reflects unity of purpose, but Jehoram is spiritually compromised. Jehoshaphat’s willingness to join an ungodly king shows a pattern of misplaced loyalty. He often partnered with unrighteous rulers for political or military purposes, even though he loved the Lord.
c. “Which way shall we go up”
Jehoram defers to Jehoshaphat for military guidance. The king of Israel recognizes that Jehoshaphat is more seasoned in warfare. Jehoshaphat proposes a southern approach through the wilderness of Edom. This route avoids a direct frontal assault from the north and would take Moab by surprise.
However, this path leads them through a harsh and dry desert environment. This choice will soon bring crisis, testing all three armies.
4. (2 Kings 3:9-10) The armies are stranded in the desert
2 Kings 3:9-10
“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.”
a. “They fetched a compass of seven days journey”
The combined forces of Israel, Judah, and Edom traveled a long and winding route through rugged terrain. The wilderness of Edom is dry, barren, and unforgiving. Their southern march required seven days of travel, and during that time they exhausted their water supply.
Dilday notes that although the text speaks of a “king of Edom,” Edom did not have an independent king at this time. Judah had appointed a vice ruler or governor over Edom, and this is likely the man referenced as king. Judah exercised control over Edom during the reign of Jehoshaphat.
The length of the march and difficulty of the terrain show that the coalition was attempting a strategic surprise attack. However, their planning was inadequate. They did not secure water for the long desert journey, and now they face a crisis threatening the survival of the entire army.
b. “Alas, the LORD hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab”
Jehoram immediately interprets the crisis through the lens of guilt and unbelief. His conscience is troubled. He knows he does evil in the sight of the Lord. Therefore he assumes any adversity is divine judgment. His theology is shallow. He blames God rather than examining his own failure in leadership.
His panic contrasts sharply with Jehoshaphat, who consistently turns to the Lord in times of crisis. Jehoram’s guilt leads him to fatalistic despair, while godly men respond by seeking God’s help.
Jehoram’s statement also shows that he knows about God, but does not know God. He reduces the Lord to a doom bringer, not the covenant keeping God who delivers His people. His spiritual condition is revealed by his hopeless interpretation of the events.
This crisis will provide the opportunity for Elisha to speak the word of the Lord, revealing the difference between godly leadership and ungodly leadership.
B. Elisha speaks for the LORD
1. (2 Kings 3:11-12) The godly Jehoshaphat seeks God’s word in the matter
2 Kings 3:11-12
“But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire 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.
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.”
a. “Is there not here a prophet of the LORD”
Jehoshaphat stands out as the righteous voice in a moment of crisis. When Jehoram panicked and blamed God for their hardship, Jehoshaphat immediately turned to the Lord. This shows the difference between a guilty conscience and a godly conscience.
Jehoram feared God as an enemy. Jehoshaphat sought God as a refuge.
Both believed the crisis had a spiritual cause, but only the godly king sought divine direction.
This is the pattern of a righteous man. When difficulty arises, he seeks the Word of God first. Jehoshaphat understood that military strategy, political alliance, and human reasoning were insufficient without divine guidance.
b. “Who poured water on the hands of Elijah”
A servant identifies Elisha by one of the most humble titles in Scripture. Elisha is described not as the miracle worker, not as the man who parted Jordan, not as the prophet who inherited Elijah’s mantle, but simply as the man who washed Elijah’s hands.
This speaks volumes about biblical ministry.
Elisha served before he led. He performed lowly tasks before he performed mighty works. His humility prepared him for prophetic authority. In the kingdom of God, faithful service precedes public anointing.
The phrase shows that Elisha was known by his faithfulness. Even the household of the king of Israel knew that Elisha had been Elijah’s trusted assistant.
c. “The word of the LORD is with him”
Jehoshaphat immediately recognizes Elisha’s legitimacy. Elisha’s power is not in personality or position but in the presence of the Word of God. Though Jehoshaphat had made unwise alliances, he retained spiritual discernment. He knew that prophetic authority rests on whether God speaks through the man.
The three kings then humble themselves by going down to Elisha. This is remarkable. Kings normally summon prophets. Here kings seek the prophet. The Lord uses this moment to demonstrate that earthly authority must bow before divine authority.
2. (2 Kings 3:13-15) Elisha agrees to speak with the three kings
2 Kings 3:13-15
“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.”
a. “Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother”
Elisha speaks with the same fearless boldness that characterized Elijah. He openly rebukes Jehoram and exposes the king’s hypocrisy.
Jehoram had rejected the Lord and embraced idolatry for years. Now, when in crisis, he seeks the Lord only because he fears defeat. Elisha’s rebuke confronts Jehoram’s shallow spirituality. If Jehoram desired counsel, he should have sought help from the false prophets he always preferred.
i. “What have I to do with thee”
This Hebrew expression communicates strong separation or repudiation. It is found elsewhere in Scripture to show a decisive break in purpose or relationship.
Elisha makes it clear that Jehoram has no right to expect divine guidance after consistently rejecting the Lord. His harsh rebuke exposes the spiritual emptiness of the king of Israel.
b. “Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat”
Elisha honors Jehoshaphat, not Jehoram. God’s blessing falls upon the coalition entirely because of the presence of one righteous king.
This teaches a vital truth. The ungodly often benefit temporarily from the presence and prayers of the godly. The Lord shows mercy to the unrighteous for the sake of the righteous in their midst. Jehoram is spared because Jehoshaphat stands beside him.
Elisha states plainly that without Jehoshaphat, he would not even acknowledge Jehoram. The prophet’s loyalty is to God and to God’s people, not to political power.
c. “Bring me a musician”
Before delivering God’s word, Elisha asks for music. This reveals the powerful role of worship in preparing the heart. Music can calm the spirit, focus the mind, and create an environment of reverence.
i. Elisha had been stirred with righteous anger
The presence of Jehoram provoked Elisha’s holy indignation. His spirit needed to settle before receiving prophetic revelation. Music helped align his heart with God.
ii. Worship can prepare the believer to hear from God
As Trapp notes, the way to be filled with the Spirit is to edify ourselves with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Poole explains that music helped Elisha unite his mind, settle his emotions, and approach God with focused devotion.
iii. A nameless musician is used by God
Dilday’s observation is profound. A simple musician, whose name is never recorded, plays a role in the unfolding of God’s plan for nations. His music becomes the instrument through which the prophetic word comes.
This reinforces an essential truth. Any believer using their God given gifts, no matter how small or unnoticed, can become an instrument of divine purpose.
3. (2 Kings 3:16-19) The word from God
2 Kings 3:16-19
“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.”
a. “Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water”
This promise is remarkable. God intends to provide water supernaturally, without any visible signs of rain or storm. Human logic would expect clouds, wind, and weather changes before water appears. God bypasses all natural explanations.
The Lord demonstrates His sovereignty. He is not limited to natural processes, although He often uses them. Here He chooses to display His power by providing water without a storm. The armies will not see rain, yet they will experience abundant water.
This miracle also tests faith. God promises provision without visible evidence. They must trust His word. The absence of wind and rain removes natural explanations, ensuring that the people recognize the source of their deliverance.
b. “Make this valley full of ditches”
Before God sends the blessing, He commands the armies to dig ditches in the desert. These trenches would collect the coming water. This instruction reveals several important spiritual principles.
i. Faith prepares for what God promises before it arrives
The soldiers were exhausted, thirsty, and weak. Digging ditches in hard desert soil would have seemed unreasonable. Yet God required obedience before provision. They had to prepare for what God would send.
Wiseman notes that the Hebrew expression means “trenches trenches,” emphasizing many ditches, not just a few. The more they dug, the more water they could gather.
ii. The work was difficult, yet essential
When the kings returned and commanded their army to dig, the men likely found it discouraging. They needed water, not work. Yet God’s blessing would come through obedience, not apart from it. Preparing for the miracle was part of the miracle.
iii. God wants His people to prepare for His blessing
This principle appears repeatedly in Scripture. When God intends to bless, His people must act in anticipation of His work.
Spurgeon powerfully applies this truth. Believers must prepare their hearts, ministries, and churches for the movement of the Holy Spirit. God fills the capacity we create. Empty vessels, cleansed hearts, consecrated lives, and faithful labor make room for the Spirit’s outpouring.
iv. God gives commands that His people can obey
The armies could not create water, but they could dig. God never asks His people to perform the impossible. He requires obedience in what we can do, while He does what only He can do.
v. Faith acts on God’s promises before they are visible
Spurgeon contrasts faith with unbelief. Unbelief waits to see the blessing before preparing for it. Faith prepares first. Faith digs trenches before the water flows.
This is a timeless principle in spiritual life. God’s people must prepare for His blessing before it comes, acting on His Word, not on visible circumstances.
c. “This is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD”
The kings sought water for survival. God intended to do far more. Providing water in the desert without rain was easy for Him. Delivering Moab into their hands was also easy. Nothing is too hard for the Lord.
God shows that His ability is not limited to meeting immediate needs. He can turn crisis into victory. He can provide more than His people ask. While they seek survival, He provides triumph.
The phrase revealing God’s power, “a light thing,” teaches that no obstacle or enemy challenges the omnipotence of God. Water and warfare are both in His control. He grants both provision and victory.
God’s instruction to ruin Moab’s land and resources shows that this was divine judgment. Israel’s victory would be complete. The Lord who fills dry trenches with water is the same Lord who delivers nations according to His sovereign will.
C. The defeat of Moab
1. (2 Kings 3:20) God meets their need for provision
2 Kings 3:20
“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.”
a. “Suddenly water came by way of Edom”
The Lord brings the water at the exact time the morning grain offering was being offered in the temple at Jerusalem. This precise timing highlights two truths. First, God’s provision often aligns with times of worship and sacrifice. Second, the armies in the desert were far removed geographically from Jerusalem, yet God connected their need with the daily worship of His people.
A sudden flash flood appears in the wilderness of Edom. The text does not describe rainfall where the armies were, because the rain fell elsewhere, likely in the distant mountains. This fulfilled the promise that they would see no wind or rain, yet water would come.
The miracle is not the existence of rain but its timing, direction, and target. God controls the waters of distant mountains to deliver three armies stranded in a desert.
b. “The country was filled with water”
The only reason the water could be collected is because the armies obeyed and dug the ditches. The trenches became channels of blessing. Every trench marked an act of faith. Every trench enlarged their capacity to receive what God sent.
i. Obedience prepared the people for blessing
Had they disobeyed, the water would have flowed past them and disappeared into the desert sands. Blessing would have passed them by. The miracle depended on their obedience to God’s previous instruction.
ii. The measure of blessing matched the measure of obedience
More ditches meant more water. Larger trenches meant greater supply. Faith determines capacity. The soldiers prepared for a blessing before they saw any sign of it, and God filled what they prepared.
iii. The ditches were not the blessing but the preparation
They were necessary but not sufficient. The blessing came only from God. Without the divine miracle, the ditches were useless holes in the ground. This teaches that preparation does not produce the blessing. It only receives it.
The miracle illustrates how God uses human obedience as the vessel through which divine power flows. Preparation is real, but the blessing is supernatural.
2. (2 Kings 3:21-25) The Moabites attack and are defeated
2 Kings 3:21-25
“And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, all that were able to put on armour, and upward, were gathered, 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.”
a. “The Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood”
The same trenches that saved the three armies now deceive their enemy. As the sun rises, the light reflects off the water in such a way that it looks like blood. The Moabites interpret this as a sign that the three kings have turned on each other.
They see what they expect to see. Their assumption reveals pride and overconfidence. Instead of preparing for battle, they rush in to plunder what they think is a defeated coalition.
God uses the ditches for both deliverance and judgment. The trenches were dual purpose. They preserved the armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom, and they misled the Moabites into a fatal mistake.
b. “Israel rose up and smote the Moabites”
The Moabites charge into the Israelite camp expecting easy victory and find armed soldiers waiting. Israel launches a decisive attack, pursuing Moab into their own territory.
God uses the unexpected to defeat the enemy. The army did not win because of greater numbers or strength. They won because of God’s intervention, which began with digging trenches in a desert.
i. Leadership lessons drawn from digging ditches
The commentary draws numerous principles from this act of preparation. These truths apply especially to spiritual leadership.
Leadership is hard work.
Leadership works by faith in future results.
Leadership is blessed beyond reasonable expectation.
Leadership requires delegation and participation from many people.
Leadership is powerless without God’s miracle.
Leadership often feels like work without immediate reward.
Leadership flows from God’s revelation, not human invention.
Leadership will face criticism or unbelief.
Leadership refuses to accept present dryness as permanent.
Leadership may look unimpressive in the moment.
Leadership becomes the tool God uses to accomplish His greater purpose.
Like digging ditches, Christian leadership often involves unseen labor that God later fills with His power.
c. “And cut down all the good trees”
Israel’s destruction of Moab’s agriculture fulfilled God’s command. Clarke observes that Deuteronomy forbids cutting down fruit trees in normal warfare, but here the Lord gave a specific directive for judgment against Moab. The purpose was not conquest but chastisement. The three kings acted under prophetic instruction, not personal anger.
This level of devastation reveals that Moab’s rebellion was not merely political. It was spiritual opposition against the Lord and His covenant people. God used Israel, Judah, and Edom as instruments of divine judgment.
3. (2 Kings 3:26-27) The king of Moab’s desperate move
2 Kings 3:26-27
“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.”
a. “He took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall”
This moment reveals the full spiritual corruption and desperation of Moab’s king. When his last strategic hope fails and the allied armies press in against the final stronghold, he resorts to the darkest expression of pagan worship: human sacrifice. The Moabite god Chemosh demanded such atrocities. The Mesha Stele records Moabite practices of sacrificing sons during military crises as an offering to secure divine intervention.
By sacrificing the crown prince, the king publicly declares total submission to his god and total desperation. Offering the heir was intended to shock the enemy, rally the Moabite people, and appeal to Chemosh for deliverance. It was spiritual warfare expressed in the most grotesque and demonic way. Pagan religion always devalues human life. The king chooses murder rather than repentance before the true God.
This act also reveals a satanic counterfeit to the sacrifice God would one day provide. God gave His Son willingly for the salvation of sinners, not to appease the rage of a false deity. Chemosh demanded a life to preserve a kingdom. The true God provided a life to redeem one.
b. “So they departed from him and returned to their own land”
The shocking sight of the Moabite king burning his own son on the city wall deeply unsettled the allied armies. The text says there was great indignation against Israel, meaning that revulsion, horror, and perhaps a spiritual dread swept through the ranks. The act was so abominable that the coalition interpreted it as a sign to withdraw. They had already achieved military victory and devastated Moab’s land as God commanded. To press further would risk escalating the conflict into something that could provoke greater spiritual consequences among the people.
The armies leave satisfied with the overwhelming victory they had already secured. Moab was crushed. Their cities were broken. Their land was laid waste. Their rebellion was judged. Israel did not fail. They simply refused to press further into a situation so spiritually polluted that its very sight brought indignation upon the watching armies.
i. “Sickened by the maddened spectacle of senseless human sacrifice, the allies lifted the siege and returned to their homes”
As Patterson and Austel note, the combined armies recoiled from what they had witnessed. Even hardened warriors refused to be associated with the abomination. It proved that Moab was spiritually lost in darkness and judgment, and the Lord permitted Israel to withdraw having completed His intended discipline of the nation.
The chapter ends with Israel victorious, Moab broken, God glorified, and the depravity of Chemosh exposed in full.
