2 Kings 3:9 BSB — MannaFest

2 Kings 3:9

So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out, and after they had traveled a roundabout route for seven days, they had no water for their army or for their animals.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, nor for the beasts that followed them.

KJV

So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the 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.

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Commentary

3 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

Seven days’ journey - The distance of the route probably followed is not much more than 100 miles. But the difficulties of the way are great; and the army might not be able to move along it at a faster rate than about 15 miles a day. No water - The kings had probably expected to find sufficient water for both men and baggage animals in the Wady-el-Ahsy, which divides Edom from Moab, and which has a stream that is now regarded as perennial.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

King of Edom - That is, the vice-roy under Jehosaphat, 1 Kings xxii, 47, here called king: because that word is sometimes used for any prince or chief ruler. Seven days - Because they made a great army, which could move but slowly; and they fetched a greater compass than was usual, for some advantage which they expected by it.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

They were disappointed by finding the wady of this valley, the brook Zered (De 2:13-18) [ROBINSON], dry. But the pious mind of Jehoshaphat inquired for a prophet of the Lord; and, on being informed that Elisha was at hand, the three kings "went down to him"; that is, to his tent, which was either in the camp, or close by it.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

18 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וַיֵּלֶךְ֩	vai.ye.leKh	and he went	H1980 →
מֶ֨לֶךְ	Me.lekh	[the] king of	H4428 →
יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל	Yis.ra.'El	Israel	H3478 →
וּמֶֽלֶך־	u.Me.lekh-	and [the] king of	H4428 →
יְהוּדָה֙	ye.hu.Dah	Judah	H3063 →
וּמֶ֣לֶךְ	u.Me.lekh	and [the] king of	H4428 →
אֱד֔וֹם	'e.Dom	Edom	H123 →
וַיָּסֹ֕בּוּ	vai.ya.So.bu	and they went around	H5437 →
דֶּ֖רֶךְ	De.rekh	a journey of	H1870 →
שִׁבְעַ֣ת	shiv.'At	seven	H7651 →
יָמִ֑ים	ya.Mim	days	H3117 →
וְלֹא־	ve.lo'-	and not	H3808 →
הָיָ֨ה	ha.Yah	it belonged	H1961 →
מַ֧יִם	Ma.yim	water	H4325 →
לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֛ה	la.ma.cha.Neh	to the army	H4264 →
וְלַבְּהֵמָ֖ה	ve.la.be.he.Mah	and to the animal[s]	H929 →
אֲשֶׁ֥ר	'a.Sher	which	H834 →
בְּרַגְלֵיהֶֽם׃	be.rag.lei.Hem	[was] at feet their	H7272 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
1 Kings 22:27
and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”
leads to
- 2 Chronicles 16:10
  Asa was angry with the seer and became so enraged over this matter that he put the man in prison. And at the same time Asa oppressed some of the people.
- 2 Chronicles 18:25–27
  And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
Through
Judges 4:10
where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.
leads to
- Judges 5:18
  Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
- Judges 5:15
  The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
Through
Exodus 15:22
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water.
leads to
- Genesis 16:7
  Now the angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water in the desert—the spring along the road to Shur.
Through
1 Kings 22:47
And there was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king.
leads to
- 2 Samuel 8:14
  He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
- 2 Kings 8:20
  In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king.
Through
Numbers 20:2
Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron.
leads to
- Numbers 16:19
  When Korah had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation.

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Walks through 2 Kings 3

Archaeology and the Bible (the Evidence Ledger), MannaFest

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About 2 Kings

Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

2 Kings: the study guide →Read chapter 3 →The featured study →

Continue: 2 Kings 3 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 2 Kings

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 2 Kings