2 Kings 3:25
in 2 Kings 3They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the fountains of water, and felled all the good trees, until in Kir-hareseth only they left the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 3
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Kir-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.
This site's exposition
smote the Moabites, so that they fled
on 2 Kings 3:24-25
Israel executes the instructions of verse 19 to the letter, cities beaten down, land marred with stones, wells stopped, good trees felled, until only Kir-haraseth's walls are left standing under siege by slingers. The narrator's one exception, only in Kir-haraseth left they the stones thereof, marks the campaign's edge rather than its failure; the royal city holds while the countryside around it does not. Kir-haraseth is identified with the fortress later called Kerak, east of the Dead Sea.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Kir-haraseth - This was the royal city of the Moabites, into which the remnant of the Moabites were gathered, where also their king was with them. The stones - The walls and buildings of this city only were left; their whole country being destroyed.
And they beat down the cities,....
This they got by rebelling against Israel. Who ever hardened his heart against God and prospered? In the close of the chapter we are told what the king of Moab did when he found himself reduced to the last extremity by the besiegers, and that his capital city was likely to fall into their hands.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
On 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 Isa 16:7, Isa 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 employed in sapping the foundations.
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהֶעָרִ֣ים | vehearim | and the cities | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| יַהֲרֹ֡סוּ | yaharosu | they tore down | H2040 → | |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חֶלְקָ֣ה | chelkah | portion of land | H2513 → | 29 times |
| ט֠וֹבָה | toah | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| יַשְׁלִ֨יכוּ | yashlikhu | they threw | H7993 → | 125 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אַבְנ֜וֹ | ʾavno | stone his | H68 → | 273 times |
| וּמִלְא֗וּהָ | umiluha | and they filled it | H4390 → | 249 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַעְיַן־ | ma'yan- | spring of | H4599 → | |
| מַ֤יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| יִסְתֹּ֙מוּ֙ | yistomu | they stopped up | H5640 → | |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֵֽץ־ | ʾetz- | tree | H6086 → | 328 times |
| ט֣וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| יַפִּ֔ילוּ | yapilu | they made fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הִשְׁאִ֧יר | hishir | he left behind | H7604 → | 133 times |
| אֲבָנֶ֛יהָ | ʾavaneiha | stones its | H68 → | 273 times |
| בַּקִּ֖יר | bakir | in <the> Kir | H7025 → | |
| חֲרָ֑שֶׂת | charaset | Hareseth | H7025 → | |
| וַיָּסֹ֥בּוּ | vaiyasobu | and they surrounded [it] | H5437 → | 161 times |
| הַקַּלָּעִ֖ים | hakalaim | the slingers | H7051 → | |
| וַיַּכּֽוּהָ׃ | vaiyakuha | and they struck it | H5221 → | 499 times |
וְהֶעָרִ֣יםand the cities
vehearimH5892 →1090 times
יַהֲרֹ֡סוּthey tore down
yaharosuH2040 →
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
חֶלְקָ֣הportion of land
chelkahH2513 →29 times
ט֠וֹבָהgood
toahH2896 →538 times
יַשְׁלִ֨יכוּthey threw
yashlikhuH7993 →125 times
אִישׁ־each
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
אַבְנ֜וֹstone his
ʾavnoH68 →273 times
וּמִלְא֗וּהָand they filled it
umiluhaH4390 →249 times
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
מַעְיַן־spring of
ma'yan-H4599 →
מַ֤יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
יִסְתֹּ֙מוּ֙they stopped up
yistomuH5640 →
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
עֵֽץ־tree
ʾetz-H6086 →328 times
ט֣וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
יַפִּ֔ילוּthey made fall
yapiluH5307 →435 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הִשְׁאִ֧ירhe left behind
hishirH7604 →133 times
אֲבָנֶ֛יהָstones its
ʾavaneihaH68 →273 times
בַּקִּ֖ירin <the> Kir
bakirH7025 →
חֲרָ֑שֶׂתHareseth
charasetH7025 →
וַיָּסֹ֥בּוּand they surrounded [it]
vaiyasobuH5437 →161 times
הַקַּלָּעִ֖יםthe slingers
hakalaimH7051 →
וַיַּכּֽוּהָ׃and they struck it
vaiyakuhaH5221 →499 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 48:31Therefore I will wail for Moab; I will cry out for all of Moab; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.
it leads to
- Isaiah 15:5
My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath-shelishiyah. With weeping they ascend the slope of Luhith; they lament their destruction on the road to Horonaim.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 15:5
Through
Jeremiah 48:36Therefore My heart laments like a flute for Moab; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir-heres, because the wealth they acquired has perished.
it leads to
- Isaiah 16:11
Therefore my heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir-heres.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 15:7
So they carry their wealth and belongings over the Brook of the Willows.
- Isaiah 16:11
Through
Isaiah 16:11Therefore my heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir-heres.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 48:36
Therefore My heart laments like a flute for Moab; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir-heres, because the wealth they acquired has perished.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hosea 11:8
How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I surrender you, O Israel? How could I make you like Admah? How could I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within…
- Philippians 2:1
Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
- Isaiah 63:15
Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and glorious habitation. Where are Your zeal and might? Your yearning and compassion for me are restrained.
- Jeremiah 48:36
Through
Isaiah 16:7Therefore let Moab wail; let them wail together for Moab. Moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth, you who are utterly stricken.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 48:20
Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.
- Jeremiah 48:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.