Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 2 King 3:1 - 3:8

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Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 2 King 3:1 - 3:8


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The Campaign Undertaken

v. 1. Now Jehoram, the son of Ahab, began to reign ever Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, who had evidently made his son Jehoram coregent the year before, 2Ki_1:17, and reigned twelve years.

v. 2. And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father and like his mother,
Jezebel, the idolater and tyrant; for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made, 1Ki_16:3 l. 32. His object was evidently to make the worship of the golden calves the only national religion.

v. 3. Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom
No matter what the original intention of the calf-statues had been, their worship had degenerated to the lowest form of idolatry.

v. 4. And Mesha, king of Moab,
was a sheepmaster, his well-watered country being particularly fitted for purposes of pasturage and his own wealth consisting largely of flocks, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, these probably being delivered alive for food, and an hundred thousand rams with the wool, the fleeces alone being included in the tribute in this case. The payment was a very considerable one, even for a wealthy country.

v. 5. But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel,
as noted above, 2Ki_1:1.

v. 6. And King Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time and numbered all Israel,
he mustered all his forces for the purpose of overthrowing the rebellion of Moab.

v. 7. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me,
a fact which endangered the welfare of Judah as well; wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, agreeing to the alliance, I will go up; I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses, 1Ki_22:4, thus pledging himself and all his resources for the assistance of Israel.

v. 8. And he, Jehoram, said, Which way shall we go up?
They could either cross the Jordan and move against the country from the north, or march down on the western side of the Dead Sea and attack from the east and south. And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom. On this side the Moabites had no strong fortifications, the attacking army would not be exposed to a possible assault by the Syrians, and the two kings might count on the help of the Edomites. As our Lord also advises, it is always a safe matter to count the cost before attempting any serious matter.