2 Kings 3:26

_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._ When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, х_ CHAAZAQ_ (H2388), strong, violent, obstinate]. For a time he sustained a siege, but perceiving the imminent peril in which his city was placed, and the alarming advances the besiegers were making, he determined to attempt a sally. Putting himself at the head of his 700 men х_ SHOLEEP_ (H8025) _ CHEREB_ (H2719), drawing sword - i:e., armed warriors], he endeavoured to break through the enemy's camp at a point where; as Josephus says, 'the watch seemed to be negligently kept.' TO BREAK THROUGH EVEN UNTO THE KING OF EDOM. His object was not to effect h

20-27 It is a blessing to be favoured with the company of those who have power with God, and can prevail by their prayers. A kingdom may be upheld and prosper, in consequence of the fervent prayers of those who are dear to God. May we place our highest regard upon such as are most precious in his account. When sinners are saying Peace, peace, destruction comes upon them: despair will follow their mad presumption. In Satan's service and at his suggestion, such horrid deeds have been done, as cause the natural feelings of the heart to shudder; like the king of Moab's sacrificing his son. It is well not to urge the worst of men to extremities; we should rather leave them to the judgment of God....

Verse 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 endeavoured to make his impression there; but they were so warmly received by the king of Edom that they failed in the attempt, and were driven back into the city. Hence he was led to that desperate act mentioned in the following verse....

TO BREAK THROUGH, EVEN UNTO THE KING OF EDOM - Either because he thought that the king of Edom would connive at his escape or to take vengeance on him for having deserted his former allies (2 Kings 3:8 note)....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 3:1 THE GENERAL CHARACTER OF JEHORAM'S REIGN OVER ISRAEL; HIS WAR WITH MOAB. 2 KINGS 3:1 NOW JEHORAM THE SON OF AHAB BEGAN TO REIGN OVER ISRAEL IN SAMARIA THE EIGHTEENTH YEAR OF JEHOSHAPHAT KING OF JUDAH. This note of time is not quite in accordance with the chronology of 1 Kings, which gives Jehoshaphat a reign of twenty-five years (1 Kings 22:42), Ahab one of twenty-two years ...

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 think he was not so hearty in the cause of the kings, and would make but a feeble resistance, and let him pass: BUT THEY COULD NOT; break through they met with a greater opposition than was expected perhaps the Edomites remembered how they had lately used them, which made them fight more desperately against them, see 2 Chronicles 20:23

2. JEHORAM, MOAB, AND ELISHA CHAPTER 3 _ 1. Jehoram, King of Israel (2 Kings 3:1)_ 2. Moab's rebellion (2 Kings 3:4) 3. Elisha's message and prediction (2 Kings 3:10) 4. The defeat of Moab (2 Kings 3:21) In chapter 1:17 we read, “And Jehoram reigned in his stead (Ahaziah) in the second year of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah.” (He was associated with his father in the government of the kingdom. See 2 Kings 8:27;...

REIGN OF JEHORAM. WAR WITH MOAB. The only two kings of Israel on whom the censure pronounced is in any way qualified are Jehoram, the last of the house of Omri, and Hoshea (2 Kings 17:2), the last king of Israel. All the others are said to have done evil. The war with Moab is the subject of the famous inscription of Mesha discovered in 1868 (pp. 34, 69). On this Mesha states that Omri occupied the land of Mehedebah (Medeba, Numbers 21:30; Joshua 13:9; Isaiah 15:2) his days, half his son's days, forty years. In Kings it is specially said that Mesha's rebellion was after the death of Ahab. Omri and Ahab together according to Kings reigned on

The Moabites attack the allied armies, but are defeated. The king of Moab sacrifices his eldest son (Not in Chronicles)...

B. THE JOINT CAMPAIGN AGAINST MOAB 3:4-27 The one major effort of Jehoram's twelve-year reign was his effort to resubjugate Moab. In this effort Jehoram was able to enlist the services of Jehoshaphat of Judah. The good king from Jerusalem does not seem to have learned anything from his disastrous military alliance with Ahab (1 Kings 22) and his equally disastrous commercial alliance with Ahaziah of Israel (2 Chronicles 20:35 f.). In the present section, the Moabite campaign unfolds. The author discusses (1) how the joint effort came to be undertaken (2 Kings 3:4-8); (2) the plight of the allied forces (2 Kings 3:9-15 a); (3)