Christian Standard Bible
2 Kings 3:25
25They would destroy the cities, and each of them would throw a stone to cover every good piece of land. They would stop up every spring and cut down every good tree. This went on until only the buildings of Kir-hareseth were left. Then men with slings surrounded the city and attacked it.
2 Kings 3:25 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And 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 Kir–haraseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
- New International Version (NIV)They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And they overthrew the cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a stone until it was covered. They stopped every spring of water and felled all the good trees, till only its stones were left in Kir-hareseth, and the slingers surrounded and attacked it.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then they destroyed the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees. But they left the stones of Kir Haraseth intact. However the slingers surrounded and attacked it.
Context of 2 Kings 3:25
23“This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have crossed swords and their men have killed one another. So, to the spoil, Moab!” 24However, when the Moabites came to Israel’s camp, the Israelites attacked them, and they fled from them. So Israel went into the land attacking the Moabites. They would destroy the cities, and each of them would throw a stone to cover every good piece of land. They would stop up every spring and cut down every good tree. This went on until only the buildings of Kir-hareseth were left. Then men with slings surrounded the city and attacked it. 26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took seven hundred swordsmen with him to try to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not do it. 27So he took his firstborn son, who was to become king in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. Great wrath was on the Israelites, and they withdrew from him and returned to their land.
Read all of 2 Kings 32 Kings 3:25 word by word
וְהֶעָרִ֣ים יַהֲרֹ֡סוּ וְכָל־חֶלְקָ֣ה ט֠וֹבָה יַשְׁלִ֨יכוּ אִישׁ־אַבְנ֜וֹ וּמִלְא֗וּהָ וְכָל־מַעְיַן־מַ֤יִם יִסְתֹּ֙מוּ֙ וְכָל־עֵֽץ־ט֣וֹב יַפִּ֔ילוּ עַד־הִשְׁאִ֧יר אֲבָנֶ֛יהָ בַּקִּ֖יר חֲרָ֑שֶׂת וַיָּסֹ֥בּוּ הַקַּלָּעִ֖ים וַיַּכּֽוּהָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they beat downהָרַסhâras · to overthrowH2040
- the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and on every goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- pieceחֶלְקָהchelqâh · portionH2513
- of land castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
- every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- his stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
- and filledמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
- it; and they stoppedסָתַםsâtham ώâtham · to closeH5640
- all the wellsמַעְיָןma‛yân ma‛yenô ma‛yânâh · springH4599
- of waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- and felledנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fell(trees)H5307
- treesעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
- only in Kir–harasethקִיר חֶרֶשׂqîyr chereώ qîyr chăreώeth · Kir-haresethH7025
- leftשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
- thereof; howbeit the slingersקַלָּעqallâ‛ · slingerH7051
- went aboutסָבַבsâbab · to turn: surroundH5437
- and smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
Cross-references for 2 Kings 3:25
- 2 Kings 3:19Then you will attack every fortified city and every choice city. You will cut down every good tree and stop up every spring. You will ruin every good piece of land with stones.”
- Judges 9:45So Abimelech fought against the city that entire day, captured it, and killed the people who were in it. Then he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.
- 2 Samuel 8:2He also defeated the Moabites, and after making them lie down on the ground, he measured them off with a cord. He measured every two cord lengths of those to be put to death and one full length of those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.
- Isaiah 37:26Have you not heard? I designed it long ago; I planned it in days gone by. I have now brought it to pass, and you have crushed fortified cities into piles of rubble.
- Genesis 26:15Philistines stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham, filling them with dirt.
- 2 Chronicles 32:4Many people gathered and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land; they said, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?”
- Deuteronomy 20:19“When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it in order to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can get food from them. Do not cut them down. Are trees of the field human, to come under siege by you?
- Deuteronomy 2:9The Lord said to me, ‘Show no hostility toward Moab, and do not provoke them to battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, since I have given Ar as a possession to the descendants of Lot.’”
- Isaiah 16:7Therefore let Moab wail; let every one of them wail for Moab. You who are completely devastated, mourn for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth.
- Jeremiah 48:31Therefore, I will wail over Moab. I will cry out for Moab, all of it; he will moan for the men of Kir-heres.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 3:25
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25On every good piece of land - On all cultivated ground, and especially fields that were sown. Only in Kir-haraseth - This was the royal city of the Moabites, and, as we learn from Scripture, exceedingly strong; (see Isaiah 16:7, Isaiah 16:11;); so that it is probable the confederate armies could not easily reduce it. The slingers, we are informed, went about the wall, and smote all the men that appeared on it, while no doubt the besieging army was…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25Kir-Haraseth, also Kir-Hareseth, is identified almost certainly with the modern Kerak, a strong city on the highland immediately east of the southern part of the Dead Sea. It was the great fortress of Moab, though not the capital, which was Rabbath or Rabbah. It was an important strong-hold at the time of the Crusades, and is still a place of great strength. Kir seems to have meant “fortress.” It is found in Cir-cesium, Car-chemish, etc. Kir-Haraseth…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. 24-25The army of Israel destroyed the towns. Elisha's prophecy came true, but Kir-hareseth was not completely destroyed.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2525. Kir-haraseth--(now Kerak)--Castle of Moab--then, probably, the only fortress in the land.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 3:25
In the dictionaries
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
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