2 Kings 3:27

2 Kings 3:27 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel. And they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great indignation against Israel. So they departed from him and returned to their own land.

Context of 2 Kings 3:27

25They destroyed the [walls of the] cities, and each man threw a stone on every piece of good land, covering it [with stones]. And they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees, until they left nothing in Kir-hareseth [Moab’s capital city] but its stones. Then the [stone] slingers surrounded the city and destroyed it. 26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. Then the king of Moab took his eldest son, who was to reign in his place, and offered him [publicly] as a burnt offering [to Chemosh] on the [city] wall [horrifying everyone]. And there was great wrath against Israel, and Israel’s allies [Judah and Edom] withdrew from King Jehoram and returned to their own land.

2 Kings 3:27 word by word

וַיִּקַּח֩ אֶת־בְּנ֨וֹ הַבְּכ֜וֹר אֲשֶׁר־יִמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֗יו וַיַּעֲלֵ֤הוּ עֹלָה֙ עַל־הַ֣חֹמָ֔ה וַיְהִ֥י קֶצֶף־גָּד֖וֹל עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּסְעוּ֙ מֵֽעָלָ֔יו וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ לָאָֽרֶץ׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then he tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• his eldestבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060
• sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• that should have reignedמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
• in his stead, and offeredעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: offer upH5927
• a burnt offeringעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930
• upon the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
• And there was greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• indignationקֶ֫צֶףqetseph · wrathH7110
• against Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and they departedנָסַעnâsa‛ · to set outH5265
• from him, and returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776

Cross-references for 2 Kings 3:27

• Genesis 22:2God said, “Take now your son, your only son [of promise], whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
• Deuteronomy 12:31You shall not behave this way toward the Lord your God, for they have done for their gods every repulsive thing which the Lord hates; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire [as sacrifices] to their gods.
• Judges 11:31then whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
• Psalms 106:36And served their idols, Which became a [dreadful] snare to them.
• Ezekiel 16:20“Moreover, you took your sons and your daughters whom you had borne to Me, and you destroyed them as sacrifices [to your man-made gods]. Were your gross immoralities so small a matter?
• Micah 6:7Will the Lord be delighted with thousands of rams, Or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my acts of rebellion, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
• 1 Samuel 14:36Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them [alive].” They said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then the priest said, “Let us approach God here.”
• 1 Kings 20:13Then a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Have you seen all this great army? Behold, I will hand them over to you, and you shall know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord.’ ”

Commentaries on 2 Kings 3:27

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27Took 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27Compare 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…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-27Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27there was great fury against the Israelites: The Hebrew phrase translated as intense anger is also used to describe the Lord’s fury against Israel for breaking their covenant (Jeremiah 21:5; 32:37; Zechariah 7:12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering, &c.--By this deed of horror, to which the allied army drove the king of Moab, a divine judgment came upon Israel; that is, the besiegers feared the anger of God, which they had incurred by giving occasion to the human sacrifice forbidden in the law (Le 18:21; 20:3), and hastily raised the siege.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 3:27

• Blindness
• Idolatry
• Moabites
• Offerings

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Burnt offering
• Colour
• Compass
• Indignation
• Jehoshaphat
• Kirharaseth
• Mesha

Commentaries on 2 Kings 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings