2 Kings 3:27

_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._ Then he took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering, х_ WAYA`ªLEEHUW_ (H5927) _ `OLAAH_ (H5930)] - and offered an ascension offering. The most natural way of understanding this act is, that it was done by Mesha, king of Moab, who immolated his own son to Chemesh, the tutelary deity of his kingdom. And so Josephus regarded it ('Antiquities,' b. 9:, ch. 3:, sec. 2). [The Septuagint, however, has: kai elabe ton huion autou ton proototokon, took his oldest (first-born) son, not _ HEAUTOU_ (G1438) (his own), but _ AUTOU_ ...

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 3:27. _TOOK HIS ELDEST SON_] The rabbins account for this horrible sacrifice in the following way:- When the king of Moab found himself so harassed, and the royal city on the point of being taken, he called a council of his servants, and asked them how it was these Israelites could perform such prodigies, and that such miracles were wrought for them? His servants answered, that it was owing to their progenitor Abraham, who, having an only son, was commanded by Jehovah to offer him in sacrifice. Abraham instantly obeyed, and offered his only son for a burnt-offering; and the Israelites being his descendants, through his merits the holy blessed God wrought such miracles in their behalf. The king of Moab answered, I also have an only son, and I will go and offer him to my God. Then he offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall. Upon

Compare the marginal reference. Mesha, when his sally failed, took, as a last resource, his first born son, and offered him as a burnt-offering to appease the manifest anger of his god Chemosh, and obtain his aid against his enemies. This act was thoroughly in accordance with Moabitish notions. AND THERE WAS GREAT INDIGNATION AGAINST ISRAEL - Either the Israelites were indignant with themselves, or the men of Judah and the Edomites were indignant at the Israelites for having caused the pollution of this sacrifice, and the siege was relinquished....

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 ...

THEN HE TOOK HIS ELDEST SON, THAT SHOULD HAVE REIGNED IN HIS STEAD,.... Not the eldest son of the king of Edom, whom the king of Moab had in his hands before, which made the king of Edom the more willing to join in this expedition for the recovery of his son, as Joseph Kimchi thinks; or whom he took now in his sally out upon him, as Moses Kimchi and Ben Gersom, proceeding upon a mistaken sense of Amos 2:1 for the king of Edom could have no son that had a right, or was designed to succeed him, since he was but a deputy king himself; and besides, the sacrificing of him was not the way to cause the kings to raise the siege, but rather to provoke them to press it the more closely: it was the king of Moab that took his son and heir to the crown, AND OFFERED HIM FOR A BURNT OFFERING UPON THE WALL; that it might be seen by the camp of Israel, and move their compassion; or rather this was

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

OFFERED HIM. offered him up. App-43. A BURNT OFFERING. App-43. Recording. fact on which Mesha is silent on the Moabite stone. App-54. THE WALL. i.e., the higher of the two. Hebrew. _homah_ not _kir_ as in verses: 2 Kings 3:4; 2 Kings 3:10. INDIGNATION. wrath. This led probably to Moab _'_. subsequent success. THEY DEPARTED. This expresses the failure of Israel _'_. expedition, while Mesha goes on to record his subsequent successes, which were great all the cities taken by him (App-54) being those belonging to Reuben and Gad. FROM HIM: i.e. from the king of Moab. THEIR OWN. The Syriac and Vulgate have these words in the text....

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