3:3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the b sins of Jeroboam the
son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not
therefrom.
(b) He sacrificed to the golden calves that Jeroboam had
made.
3:4 And c Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered
unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an
hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
(c) This was done after David had made the Moabites
tributaries to his successors.
3:7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah,
saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou
go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go
up: d I [am] as thou [art], my people as thy people, [and]
my horses as thy horses.
3:9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the
e king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days'
journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the
cattle that followed them.
(e) Meaning the viceroy, or lieutenant of the king of Judah,
(1Ki 22:47).
3:11 But Jehoshaphat said, [Is there] not here a prophet of the
LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of
the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here [is]
Elisha the son of Shaphat, which f poured water on the
hands of Elijah.
(f) That is, who was his servant.
3:12 And Jehoshaphat said, g The word of the LORD is with him.
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom
went down to him.
(g) He is able to instruct us what God's will is in this
point.
3:13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, h What have I to
do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and
to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said
unto him, i Nay: for the LORD hath called these three
kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
(h) He knew that this wicked king would have but used his
counsel to serve his turn, and therefore, he disdained
to answer him.
(i) The wicked do not esteem the servants of God unless
they are driven by every necessity and fear of the
present danger.
3:14 And Elisha said, [As] the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom
I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of
Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would k not look toward
thee, nor see thee.
(k) God suffers his word to be declared to the wicked
because of the godly that are among them.
3:15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the
minstrel l played, that the hand of the LORD came upon
him.
(l) He sang songs to God's glory, and so stirred up the
prophets heart to prophecy.
3:18 And this is [but] a m light thing in the sight of the
LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
(m) He will not only miraculously give you waters, but your
enemies also into your hand.
3:19 And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice
city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of
water, and n mar every good piece of land with stones.
(n) Though God bestows his benefits for a time on the
enemies, yet he has his seasons, when he will take them
away to the intent they might see his vengeance which
is prepared for them.
3:23 And they said, o This [is] blood: the kings are surely
slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore,
Moab, to the spoil.
(o) The sudden joy of the wicked is but a preparation for
their destruction, which is at hand.
3:24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites
rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before
them: but they p went forward smiting the Moabites, even
in [their] country.
(p) Meaning, they followed them into the towns.
3:25 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 q Kirharaseth left they the stones
thereof; howbeit the slingers went about [it], and smote
it.
(q) Which was one of the principle cities of the Moabites,
in which they left nothing but the walls.
3:27 Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his
stead, and r 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.
(r) Some refer it to the king of Edom's son, whom they say
he had taken in that skirmish: but rather it seemed to
be his own son, whom he offered to his gods to pacify
them: which barbarous cruelty moved the Israelites
hearts of pity to depart.
