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2 Kings 1-3
New English Translation

Elijah Confronts the King and His Commanders

1 After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.[a] 2 Ahaziah fell through a window lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria and was injured. He sent messengers with these orders,[b] “Go, ask[c] Baal Zebub,[d] the god of Ekron, if I will survive this injury.”

3 But the angel of the Lord told Elijah the Tishbite, “Get up; go to meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Say this to them: ‘You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are on your way to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub the god of Ekron.[e] 4 Therefore this is what the Lord has said, “You will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die!”’” So Elijah went on his way.

5 When the messengers returned to the king,[f] he asked them, “Why have you returned?” 6 They replied,[g] “A man came up to meet us. He told us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are sending for an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron.[h] Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.’”’” 7 The king[i] asked them, “Describe the appearance[j] of this man who came up to meet you and told you these things.” 8 They replied,[k] “He was a hairy[l] man and had a leather belt[m] tied around his waist.” The king[n] said, “He is Elijah the Tishbite.”

9 The king[o] sent a captain and his fifty soldiers[p] to retrieve Elijah.[q] The captain[r] went up to him while he was sitting on the top of a hill.[s] He told him, “Prophet,[t] the king says, ‘Come down!’” 10 Elijah replied to the captain,[u] “If I am indeed a prophet, may fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty soldiers!” Fire then came down[v] from the sky and consumed him and his fifty soldiers.

11 The king[w] sent another captain and his fifty soldiers to retrieve Elijah. He went up and told him,[x] “Prophet, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’”[y] 12 Elijah replied to them,[z] “If I am indeed a prophet, may fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty soldiers!” Fire from God[aa] came down from the sky and consumed him and his fifty soldiers.

13 The king[ab] sent a third captain and his fifty soldiers. This third captain went up and fell[ac] on his knees before Elijah. He begged for mercy, “Prophet, please have respect for my life and for the lives of these fifty servants of yours. 14 Indeed,[ad] fire came down from the sky and consumed the two captains who came before me, along with their men.[ae] So now, please have respect for my life.” 15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.” So he got up and went down[af] with him to the king.

16 Elijah said to the king,[ag] “This is what the Lord has said, ‘You sent messengers to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron. Is it because there is no God in Israel from whom you can seek a message? Therefore[ah] you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.’”[ai]

17 And he did die in keeping with the Lord’s message that he had spoken through Elijah. In the second year of the reign of King Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat over Judah, Ahaziah’s brother Jehoram replaced him as king of Israel, because he had no son.[aj] 18 The rest of the events of Ahaziah’s reign, including his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[ak]

Elijah Makes a Swift Departure

2 Just before[al] the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. 2 Elijah told Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Some members of the prophetic guild[am] in Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take your master from you?”[an] He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he replied, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. 5 Some members of the prophetic guild in Jericho approached Elisha and said, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take your master from you?” He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

6 Elijah said to him, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he replied, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they traveled on together. 7 The fifty members of the prophetic guild went and stood opposite them at a distance, while Elijah and Elisha[ao] stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, folded it up, and hit the water with it. The water divided, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you,[ap] before I am taken away from you?” Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of the prophetic spirit that energizes you?”[aq] 10 Elijah[ar] replied, “That’s a difficult request![as] If you see me taken from you, may it be so, but if you don’t, it will not happen.”

11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a fiery chariot[at] pulled by fiery horses appeared.[au] They went between Elijah and Elisha,[av] and Elijah went up to heaven in a windstorm. 12 While Elisha was watching, he was crying out, “My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!”[aw] Then he could no longer see him. He grabbed his clothes and tore them in two. 13 He picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen off him, and went back and stood on the shore of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen off Elijah,[ax] hit the water with it, and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water, it divided and Elisha crossed over.

15 When the members of the prophetic guild in Jericho, who were standing at a distance,[ay] saw him do this, they said, “The spirit that energized Elijah[az] rests upon Elisha.” They went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. 16 They said to him, “Look, there are fifty capable men with your servants. Let them go and look for your master, for the wind sent from the Lord[ba] may have carried him away and dropped him on one of the hills or in one of the valleys.” But Elisha[bb] replied, “Don’t send them out.” 17 But they were so insistent that he became embarrassed. So he said, “Send them out.” They sent the fifty men out, and they looked for three days, but could not find Elijah.[bc] 18 When they came back, Elisha[bd] was staying in Jericho. He said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go’?”

Elisha Demonstrates His Authority

19 The men of the city said to Elisha, “Look, the city has a good location, as our[be] master can see. But the water is bad and the land doesn’t produce crops.”[bf] 20 Elisha[bg] said, “Get me a new jar and put some salt in it.” So they got it. 21 He went out to the spring and threw the salt in. Then he said, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘I have purified[bh] this water. It will no longer cause death or fail to produce crops.’”[bi] 22 The water has been pure to this very day, just as Elisha prophesied.[bj]

23 He went up from there to Bethel. As he was traveling up the road, some young boys[bk] came out of the city and made fun of him, saying, “Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!” 24 When he turned around and saw them, he called God’s judgment down on them.[bl] Two female bears came out of the woods and ripped forty-two of the boys to pieces. 25 From there he traveled to Mount Carmel and then back to Samaria.[bm]

Moab Fights with Israel

3 In the eighteenth year of King Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahab’s son Jehoram became king over Israel in Samaria; he ruled for twelve years. 2 He did evil in the sight of[bn] the Lord, but not to the same degree as his father and mother. He did remove the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3 Yet he persisted in[bo] the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who encouraged Israel to sin; he did not turn from them.[bp]

4 Now King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder.[bq] He would send as tribute[br] to the king of Israel 100,000 male lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. 5 When Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 At that time King Jehoram left Samaria and assembled all Israel for war. 7 He sent[bs] this message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you fight with me against Moab?” Jehoshaphat[bt] replied, “I will join you in the campaign; my army and horses are at your disposal.”[bu] 8 He then asked, “Which invasion route are we going to take?”[bv] Jehoram[bw] answered, “By the road through the wilderness of Edom.” 9 So the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom[bx] set out together. They wandered around on the road for seven days and finally ran out of water for the men and animals they had with them. 10 The king of Israel said, “Oh no![by] Certainly the Lord has summoned these three kings so that he can hand them over to the king of Moab!” 11 Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here that we might seek the Lord’s direction?”[bz] One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shapat is here; he used to be Elijah’s servant.”[ca] 12 Jehoshaphat said, “Yes, he receives the Lord’s messages.”[cb] So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to visit him.

13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why are you here?[cc] Go to your father’s prophets or your mother’s prophets!” The king of Israel replied to him, “No, for the Lord is the one who summoned these three kings so that he can hand them over to Moab.” 14 Elisha said, “As certainly as the Lord of Heaven’s Armies[cd] lives (whom I serve),[ce] if I did not respect King Jehoshaphat of Judah,[cf] I would not pay attention to you or acknowledge you.[cg] 15 But now, get me a musician.”[ch] When the musician played, the Lord energized him,[ci] 16 and he said, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘Make many cisterns in this valley,’[cj] 17 for this is what the Lord has said, ‘You will not feel[ck] any wind or see any rain, but this valley will be full of water, and you and your cattle and animals will drink.’ 18 This is an easy task for the Lord;[cl] he will also hand Moab over to you. 19 You will defeat every fortified city and every important[cm] city. You must chop down[cn] every productive[co] tree, stop up all the springs, and cover all the cultivated land with stones.”[cp]

20 Sure enough, the next morning, at the time of the morning sacrifice, water came flowing down from Edom and filled the land.[cq] 21 Now all Moab had heard that the kings were attacking,[cr] so everyone old enough to fight was mustered and placed at the border.[cs] 22 When they got up early the next morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites, who were some distance away, the water looked red like blood. 23 The Moabites[ct] said, “It’s blood! The kings must have fought one another![cu] The soldiers have struck one another down![cv] Now, Moab, seize the plunder!” 24 When they approached the Israelite camp, the Israelites rose up and struck down the Moabites, who then ran from them. The Israelites[cw] thoroughly defeated[cx] Moab. 25 They tore down the cities, and each man threw a stone into every cultivated field until they were covered.[cy] They stopped up every spring and chopped down every productive tree.

Only Kir Hareseth was left intact,[cz] but the soldiers armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it. 26 When the king of Moab realized he was losing the battle,[da] he and 700 swordsmen tried to break through and attack[db] the king of Edom, but they failed. 27 So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him up as a burnt sacrifice on the wall. There was an outburst of divine anger against Israel,[dc] so they broke off the attack[dd] and returned to their homeland.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 1:1 sn This statement may fit better with the final paragraph of 1 Kgs 22.
  2. 2 Kings 1:2 tn Heb “and he sent messengers and said to them.”
  3. 2 Kings 1:2 tn That is, “seek an oracle from.”
  4. 2 Kings 1:2 sn Apparently Baal Zebub refers to a local manifestation of the god Baal at the Philistine city of Ekron. The name appears to mean “Lord of the Flies,” but it may be a deliberate scribal change of Baal Zebul, “Baal, the Prince,” a title known from the Ugaritic texts. For further discussion and bibliography, see HALOT 261 s.v. זְבוּב בַּעַל and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 25.
  5. 2 Kings 1:3 tn Heb “Is it because there is no God in Israel [that] you are going to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?” The translation seeks to bring out the sarcastic tone of the rhetorical question.
  6. 2 Kings 1:5 tn Heb “to him.”sn The narrative is elliptical and telescoped here. The account of Elijah encountering the messengers and delivering the Lord’s message is omitted; we only hear of it as the messengers report what happened to the king.
  7. 2 Kings 1:6 tn Heb “said to him.”
  8. 2 Kings 1:6 tn Heb “Is it because there is no God in Israel [that] you are sending to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?” The translation seeks to bring out the sarcastic tone of the rhetorical question. In v. 3 the messengers are addressed (in the phrase “you are on your way” the second person plural pronoun is used in Hebrew), but here the king is addressed (in the phrase “you are sending” the second person singular pronoun is used).
  9. 2 Kings 1:7 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  10. 2 Kings 1:7 tn Heb “What was the manner…?”
  11. 2 Kings 1:8 tn Heb “said to him.”
  12. 2 Kings 1:8 tn Heb “an owner of hair.” This idiomatic expression indicates that Elijah was very hairy. For other examples where the idiom “owner of” is used to describe a characteristic of someone, see HALOT 143 s.v. בַּעַל. For example, an “owner of dreams” is one who frequently has dreams (Gen 37:19) and an “owner of anger” is a hot-tempered individual (Prov 22:24).
  13. 2 Kings 1:8 tn Heb “belt of skin” (i.e., one made from animal hide).
  14. 2 Kings 1:8 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  15. 2 Kings 1:9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  16. 2 Kings 1:9 tn Heb “officer of fifty and his fifty.”
  17. 2 Kings 1:9 tn Heb “to him.”
  18. 2 Kings 1:9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the captain) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  19. 2 Kings 1:9 sn The prophet Elijah’s position on the top of the hill symbolizes his superiority to the king and his messengers.
  20. 2 Kings 1:9 tn Heb “man of God” (also in vv. 10, 11, 12, 13).
  21. 2 Kings 1:10 tn Heb “answered and said to the officer of fifty.”
  22. 2 Kings 1:10 tn Wordplay contributes to the irony here. The king tells Elijah to “come down” (Hebrew יָרַד, yarad), but Elijah calls fire down (יָרַד) on the arrogant king’s officer.
  23. 2 Kings 1:11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  24. 2 Kings 1:11 tc The MT reads, “he answered and said to him.” The verb “he answered” (וַיַּעַן, vayyaʿan) probably should be emended to “he went up” (וַיַּעַל, vayyaʿal). See v. 9. One Hebrew ms, the LXX, and Vulgate support וַיַּעַל (vayyaʿal, “he went up”).
  25. 2 Kings 1:11 sn In this second panel of the three-paneled narrative, the king and his captain are more arrogant than before. The captain uses a more official sounding introduction (“this is what the king says”) and the king adds “at once” to the command.
  26. 2 Kings 1:12 tc Two medieval Hebrew mss, the LXX, and the Syriac Peshitta have the singular “to him.”
  27. 2 Kings 1:12 tn Or “intense fire.” The divine name may be used idiomatically to emphasize the intensity of the fire. Whether one translates אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) here as a proper name or idiomatically, this addition to the narrative (the name is omitted in the first panel, v. 10b) emphasizes the severity of the judgment and is appropriate given the more intense command delivered by the king to the prophet in this panel.
  28. 2 Kings 1:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  29. 2 Kings 1:13 tn Heb “went up and approached and kneeled.”
  30. 2 Kings 1:14 tn Heb “look.”
  31. 2 Kings 1:14 tn Heb “their fifty.”
  32. 2 Kings 1:15 sn In this third panel the verb “come down” (יָרַד, yarad) occurs again, this time describing Elijah’s descent from the hill at the Lord’s command. The moral of the story seems clear: Those who act as if they have authority over God and his servants just may pay for their arrogance with their lives; those who, like the third commander, humble themselves and show the proper respect for God’s authority and for his servants will be spared and find God quite cooperative.
  33. 2 Kings 1:16 tn Heb “he spoke to him,”
  34. 2 Kings 1:16 tn Heb “Because you sent… therefore you will not leave.” The rhetorical question is a parenthetical remark inserted into the proposition for dramatic effect.
  35. 2 Kings 1:16 sn For the third time in this chapter we read the Lord’s sarcastic question to the king and the accompanying announcement of judgment. The repetition emphasizes one of the chapter’s main themes. Israel’s leaders should seek guidance from their own God, not a pagan deity, for Israel’s sovereign God is the one who controls life and death.
  36. 2 Kings 1:17 tn Heb “Jehoram replaced him as king…because he had no son.” Some ancient textual witnesses add “his brother,” perhaps to clarify that it is not the contemporary Jehoram of Judah.
  37. 2 Kings 1:18 tn Heb “As for the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not recorded in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
  38. 2 Kings 2:1 tn Or “when.”
  39. 2 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “the sons of the prophets.”
  40. 2 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “from your head.” The same expression occurs in v. 5.
  41. 2 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “the two of them.” The referents (Elijah and Elisha) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
  42. 2 Kings 2:9 tn Heb “Ask! What can I do for you….?”
  43. 2 Kings 2:9 tn Heb “May a double portion of your spirit come to me.”
  44. 2 Kings 2:10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  45. 2 Kings 2:10 tn Heb “You have made difficult [your] request.”
  46. 2 Kings 2:11 tn Though the noun is singular here, it may be collective, in which case it could be translated “chariots.”
  47. 2 Kings 2:11 tn Heb “look, a chariot of fire and horses of fire.”
  48. 2 Kings 2:11 tn Heb “and they made a division between the two of them.”
  49. 2 Kings 2:12 sn Elisha may be referring to the fiery chariot(s) and horses as the Lord’s spiritual army that fights on behalf of Israel (see 2 Kgs 6:15-17; 7:6). However, the juxtaposition with “my father” (clearly a reference to Elijah as Elisha’s mentor), and the parallel in 2 Kgs 13:14 (where the king addresses Elisha with these words), suggest that Elisha is referring to Elijah. In this case Elijah is viewed as a one man army, as it were. When the Lord spoke through him, his prophetic word was as powerful as an army of chariots and horses. See M. A. Beek, “The Meaning of the Expression ‘The Chariots and Horsemen of Israel’ (II Kings ii 12),” The Witness of Tradition (OTS 17), 1-10.
  50. 2 Kings 2:14 tn Heb “Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen off him.” The wording is changed slightly in the translation for the sake of variety of expression (see v. 13).
  51. 2 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “and the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho, [who were standing] opposite, saw him and said.”
  52. 2 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “the spirit of Elijah.”
  53. 2 Kings 2:16 tn Or “the spirit of the Lord.”
  54. 2 Kings 2:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  55. 2 Kings 2:17 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  56. 2 Kings 2:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  57. 2 Kings 2:19 tn Heb “my.”
  58. 2 Kings 2:19 tn Heb “miscarries” or “is barren.”
  59. 2 Kings 2:20 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  60. 2 Kings 2:21 tn Or “healed.”
  61. 2 Kings 2:21 tn Heb “there will no longer be from there death and miscarriage [or, ‘barrenness’].”
  62. 2 Kings 2:22 tn Heb “according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.”
  63. 2 Kings 2:23 tn The word נַעַר (naʿar), here translated “boy,” can refer to a broad age range, including infants as well as young men. But the qualifying term “young” (or “small”) suggests these youths were relatively young. The phrase in question (“young boy”) occurs elsewhere in 1 Sam 20:35; 1 Kgs 3:7 (used by Solomon in an hyperbolic manner); 11:17; 2 Kgs 5:14; and Isa 11:6.
  64. 2 Kings 2:24 tn Heb “he cursed them in the name of the Lord.” A curse was a formal appeal to a higher authority (here the Lord) to vindicate one’s cause through judgment. As in chapter one, this account makes it clear that disrespect for the Lord’s designated spokesmen can be deadly, for it is ultimately rejection of the Lord’s authority.
  65. 2 Kings 2:25 sn The two brief episodes recorded in vv. 19-25 demonstrate Elisha’s authority and prove that he is the legitimate prophetic heir of Elijah. He has the capacity to bring life and blessing to those who recognize his authority, or death and judgment to those who reject him.
  66. 2 Kings 3:2 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  67. 2 Kings 3:3 tn Heb “held tight,” or “clung to.”
  68. 2 Kings 3:3 tc The Hebrew text has the singular, “it.” Some ancient witnesses read the plural, which seems preferable since the antecedent (“sins”) is plural. Another option is to emend the plural “sins” to a singular. One ancient Greek witness has the singular “sin.”
  69. 2 Kings 3:4 tn For a discussion of the meaning of term נֹקֵד (noqed) as “sheep breeder,” see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 43.
  70. 2 Kings 3:4 tn The vav + perfect here indicates customary action contemporary with the situation described in the preceding main clause. See IBHS 533-34 §32.2.3e.
  71. 2 Kings 3:7 tn Heb “went and sent.”
  72. 2 Kings 3:7 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoshaphat) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  73. 2 Kings 3:7 tn Heb “I will go up—like me, like you; like my people, like your people; like my horses; like your horses.”
  74. 2 Kings 3:8 tn Heb “Where is the road we will go up?”
  75. 2 Kings 3:8 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  76. 2 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “the king of Israel and the king of Judah and the king of Edom.”
  77. 2 Kings 3:10 tn Or “ah.”
  78. 2 Kings 3:11 tn Heb “that we might inquire of the Lord through him?”
  79. 2 Kings 3:11 tn Heb “who poured water on the hands of Elijah.” This refers to one of the typical tasks of a servant.
  80. 2 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “the Lord’s message is with him.”
  81. 2 Kings 3:13 tn Or “What do we have in common?” The text reads literally, “What to me and to you?”
  82. 2 Kings 3:14 tn Traditionally “the Lord of hosts.”
  83. 2 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “before whom I stand.”
  84. 2 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “if I did not lift up the face of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah.”
  85. 2 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “I would not look at you or see you.”
  86. 2 Kings 3:15 tn The term used refers to one who plays a stringed instrument, perhaps a harp.
  87. 2 Kings 3:15 tn Heb “the hand of the Lord came on him.” This may refer to what typically happened, “[for] when a musician played, the hand of the Lord would come upon him.”
  88. 2 Kings 3:16 tn Heb “making this valley cisterns, cisterns.” The Hebrew noun גֵּב (gev) means “cistern” in Jer 14:3 (cf. Jer 39:10). The repetition of the noun is for emphasis. See GKC 396 §123.e. The verb (“making”) is an infinitive absolute, which has to be interpreted in light of the context. The translation above takes it in an imperatival sense. The command need not be understood as literal, but as hyperbolic. Telling them to build cisterns is a dramatic way of leading into the announcement that he would miraculously provide water in the desert. Some prefer to translate the infinitive as an imperfect with the Lord as the understood subject, “I will turn this valley [into] many pools.”
  89. 2 Kings 3:17 tn Heb “see.”
  90. 2 Kings 3:18 tn Heb “and this is easy in the eyes of the Lord.”
  91. 2 Kings 3:19 tn Heb “choice” or “select.”
  92. 2 Kings 3:19 tn Elisha places the object first and uses an imperfect verb form. The stylistic shift may signal that he is now instructing them what to do, rather than merely predicting what would happen.
  93. 2 Kings 3:19 tn Heb “good.”
  94. 2 Kings 3:19 tn Heb “and ruin every good portion with stones.”
  95. 2 Kings 3:20 tn Heb “and in the morning, when the offering is offered up, look, water was coming from the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.”
  96. 2 Kings 3:21 tn Heb “had come up to fight them.”
  97. 2 Kings 3:21 tn Heb “and they mustered all who tied on a belt and upwards, and they stood at the border.”
  98. 2 Kings 3:23 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Moabites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  99. 2 Kings 3:23 tn The translation assumes the verb is II חָרַב (kharav) meaning “to fight one another” in the Nifal (HALOT 349 s.v. II חרב and BDB 352 s.v. חָרְבָה), a denominative verb based on the noun חֶרֶב (kherev, “sword”). The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb form to emphasize the modality (here indicative mode) of the main verb. (For another example of the Hophal infinitive with a Niphal finite verb, see Lev 19:20. Cf. also IBHS 582 §35.2.1c.) It might also be I חָרַב (kharav) meaning “to be desolate.” But because that describes a result, it makes less sense to precede the verb “then they struck one another down.
  100. 2 Kings 3:23 tn Heb “Each struck down his counterpart.” The presumption is that the armies are wiped out, not just that the kings killed each other.
  101. 2 Kings 3:24 tn Heb “they.”
  102. 2 Kings 3:24 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) suggests, “and they went, striking down,” but the marginal reading (Qere) is “they struck down, striking down.” For a discussion of the textual problem, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 46.
  103. 2 Kings 3:25 tn Heb “and [on] every good portion they were throwing each man his stone and they filled it.” The vav + perfect (“and they filled”) here indicates customary action contemporary with the situation described in the preceding main clause (where a customary imperfect is used, “they were throwing”). See the note at 3:4.
  104. 2 Kings 3:25 tn Heb “until he had allowed its stones to remain in Kir Hareseth.”
  105. 2 Kings 3:26 tn Heb “and the king of Moab saw that the battle was too strong for him.”
  106. 2 Kings 3:26 tn Heb “he took with him seven hundred men, who drew the sword, to break through against.”
  107. 2 Kings 3:27 tn Heb “there was great anger against Israel.”sn The meaning of this statement is uncertain, for the subject of the anger is not indicated. Except for two relatively late texts, the noun קֶצֶף (qetsef) refers to an outburst of divine anger. But it seems unlikely the Lord would be angry with Israel, for he placed his stamp of approval on the campaign (vv. 16-19). D. N. Freedman suggests the narrator, who obviously has a bias against the Omride dynasty, included this observation to show that the Lord would not allow the Israelite king to “have an undiluted victory” (as quoted in M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings [AB], 52, n. 8). Some suggest that the original source identified Chemosh the Moabite god as the subject and that his name was later suppressed by a conscientious scribe, but this proposal raises more questions than it answers. For a discussion of various views, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 47-48, 51-52.
  108. 2 Kings 3:27 tn Heb “they departed from him.”
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