2 Kings 3

2 Kings · Chapter 3

2 Kings 3:1

1Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.2And 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.3Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.4And 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.5But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.6And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.7And 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.8And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.9So 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.10And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!11But 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.12And 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.13And 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.14And 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.15But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.16And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.17For 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.18And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.19And 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.20And 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.21And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.22And 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:23And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.24And 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.25And 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.26And 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.27Then 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Jehoram son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twelve years.Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

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Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and Jehoramוִיהוֹרָ֣םvi-ho-RAMH3088I
Jehoram

יְהוֹרָם (ye.ho.ram) A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.22.50; son of: Jehoshaphat (H3092I); brother of: Azariah (H5838Q), Jehiel (H3171J), Zechariah (H2148J), Azariahu (H5838R), Michael (H4317O) and Shephatiah (H8203K); married to Athaliah (H6271); father of: Ahaziah (H0274H) and Jehosheba (H3089); also called Joram at 2Ki.8.21,23,24; 11.2; 2x § Jehoram or Joram = "Jehovah is exalted" …

[the] son ofבֶּן־ben-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Ahabאַחְאָ֗ב'ach-'AVH0256G
Ahab

אַחְאָב (ach.av) A king of the Kingdom of Israel, living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.16.28; son of: Omri (H6018); married to Jezebel (H0348); father of: Joash (H3101H), Ahaziah (H0274), Joram (H3141H), Athaliah (H6271) § Ahab = "father's brother" 1) king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel 2) false prophet executed by Nebuchadrezzar, time of Jeremiah

he became kingמָלַ֤ךְma-LAKHH4427A
to reign

מָלַךְ (ma.lakh) 1) to be or become king or queen, reign 1a) (Qal) to be or become king or queen, reign 1b) (Hiphil) to make one king or queen, cause to reign 1c) (Hophal) to be made king or queen

overעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

Israelיִשְׂרָאֵל֙YIS-ra-'ELH3478
Jacob

יַעֲקֹב (ya.a.qov) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently Another name of yis.ra.el (יִשְׂרָאֵל "Israel" H3478) § Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter" …

in Samariaבְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹןbe-SHO-me-RONH8111
Samaria

שֹׁמְרוֹן (sho.me.ron) § Samaria = "watch mountain" 1) the region of northern Palestine associated with the northern kingdom of the 10 tribes of Israel which split from the kingdom after the death of Solomon during the reign of his son Rehoboam and were ruled by Jeroboam 2) the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel located 30 miles (50 km) north of Jerusalem and 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Shechem

in yearבִּשְׁנַת֙bish-NATH8141
year

שְׁנָה (she.nah) year Aramaic of sha.neh (שָׁנָה "year" H8141)

eight-שְׁמֹנֶ֣הshe-mo-NEHH8083
eight

שְׁמֹנֶה (she.mo.neh) 1) eight, eighth 1a) eight (as cardinal number) 1b) eighth (as ordinal number) 1c) in combination with other numbers

teenעֶשְׂרֵ֔ה'es-REHH6240
ten

עָשָׂר (a.sar) 1) ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers) 1a) used only in combination to make the numbers 11-19

of Jehoshaphatלִיהוֹשָׁפָ֖טli-ho-sha-FATH3092I
Jehoshaphat

יְהוֹשָׁפָט (ye.ho.sha.phat) A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.15.24; son of: Asa (H0609) and Azubah (H5806); father of: Jehoram (H3088), Azariah (H5838Q), Jehiel (H3171J), Zechariah (H2148J), Azariahu (H5838R), Michael (H4317O) and Shephatiah (H8203K) Also named: Iōsaphat (Ἰωσαφάτ "Jehoshaphat" G2498) § Jehoshaphat = "Jehovah has judged" 1) son of king Asa and himself king of Judah for 25 years; one of the best, most pious, and prosperous kings of Judah 2) son of Nimshi and father of king Jehu of the northern kingdom of Israel …

[the] king ofמֶ֣לֶךְME-lekhH4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

Judahיְהוּדָ֑הye-hu-DAHH3063G
Judah

יְהוּד (ye.hud) A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.35; son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812); brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783); half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); married to Bath-shua (H1323I) and Tamar (H8559); father of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209), Shelah (H7956), Perez (H6557) and Zerah (H2226I) Aramaic of ye.hu.dah (יְהוּדָה "Judah" H3063) Judah-the territory of the tribe of Judah

and he reignedוַיִּמְלֹ֖ךְvai-yim-LOKHH4427A
to reign

מָלַךְ (ma.lakh) 1) to be or become king or queen, reign 1a) (Qal) to be or become king or queen, reign 1b) (Hiphil) to make one king or queen, cause to reign 1c) (Hophal) to be made king or queen

two [plus]שְׁתֵּים־she-teim-H8147
two

שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) 1) two 1a) two (the cardinal number) 1a1) two, both, double, twice 1b) second (the ordinal number) 1c) in combination with other numbers 1d) both (a dual number)

tenעֶשְׂרֵ֥ה'es-REHH6240
ten

עָשָׂר (a.sar) 1) ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers) 1a) used only in combination to make the numbers 11-19

year[s]שָׁנָֽה׃sha-NAHH8141
year

שְׁנָה (she.nah) year Aramaic of sha.neh (שָׁנָה "year" H8141)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.