2 Kings 3:7

2Ki 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: I [am] as thou [art], my people as thy people, [and] my horses as thy horses.

Ver. 7. And he said, I will go up.] See on 2Ki 3:2. The Moabites had lately, with other nations, invaded Judah, {2Ch 20:1} and therefore it may be Jehoshaphat hearkened the rather to Jehoram’s motion.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Read 1 Kings 22:4.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 7. My people as thy people] We find that Jehoshaphat maintained the same friendly intercourse with the son, as he did with the father. See 1Kg 22:4.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(7) Wilt thou go.—So Ahab asks Jehoshaphat in 1Ki_22:4, and he replies as here, “I am as thou art,” &c. This indicates that the present section was originally composed by the same hand as 1Ki_20:1-34; 1Ki_22:1-37 (Thenius) Jehoshaphat assented, in spite of the prophetic censures of his alliance with Ahab and Ahaziah (2Ch_19:2; 2Ch_20:37); perhaps because he was anxious to inflict further punishment on the Moabites for their inroad into Judah (2 Chronicles 20), and to prevent any recurrence of the same (Keil).

Against Moab to battle?—Or, into Moab to the war?

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. And he went and sent] This Hebrew verb ‘to go’ is not un-frequently placed before another finite verb, without any special sense of moving from a place, but merely to express the idea of ‘setting about’ the act indicated by the following verb. Thus Exo_2:1, ‘There went a man … and took to wife a daughter of Levi’. Cf. also Deu_31:1, ‘Moses went and spake’.

to Jehoshaphat] The close family alliance existing at the time between the royal families of Israel and Judah made this a not unnatural request. Cf. Ahab’s message to king Jehoshaphat (1Ki_22:4). Jehoshaphat gives to Jehoram almost the same reply which he had given on the previous occasion to his father.

I will go up] The hill country of Moab was considerably more elevated than the lands on the west of the Jordan; not so mountainous as Gilead, but sufficient to justify the expression of Jehoshaphat, though Jehoram had not used the word.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah,.... The way of the wilderness of Edom, proposed by the latter:

and the king of Edom; whom they took with them in their way, who was not properly a king, but a viceroy or deputy, see Kg1 22:47.

and they fetched a compass of seven days journey; they went round the Dead Sea, and through the wilderness of Edom, and so to the borders of Moab:

and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them; neither for the soldiers in the army, nor the cattle that drew the carriages, being in a wilderness.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The close alliance between the two kingdoms still subsisted. Jehoram therefore sends confidently to make the same request with respect to Moab that his father had made two years before with respect to Syria (marginal reference). Jehoshaphat consented at once, notwithstanding that his former compliance had drawn upon him the rebuke of a prophet 2Ch 19:2. Perhaps Jehoram’s removal of the Baal-worship 2Ki 3:2 weighed with him. He had himself been attacked by the Moabites in the preceding year; and though the attempt had failed, Jehoshaphat would feel that it might be renewed, and that it was important to seize the opportunity of weakening his enemy which now offered itself.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He entered cordially into this war, as he perceived that if Moab succeeded, Edom would follow the same plan. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Of which see on 1Ki 22:4. He joins with him in this war, partly because the war was very just in itself, and convenient for Jehoshaphat, both in the general, that rebels and revolters should be chastised and suppressed, lest the example should pass into his dominions, and the Edomites should be hereby encouraged to revolt from him, as they did from his son; and in particular, that the Moabites should be humbled, who had with others invaded his land before this time, 2Ch 20:1, and might do so again if they were not brought low, for which a fair opportunity was now offered to him; and partly because Jehoram had reformed some things, and Jehoshaphat hoped by this means to engage him to proceed further in that work.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. Sent to Jehoshaphat — Whose son and successor, Jehoram, was brother-in-law to Jehoram king of Israel by marriage with Athaliah, daughter of Ahab. 2Ch_21:6.

I will go up — In spite of the reproof of Jehu (2Ch_19:2) for assisting Ahab in the war against Syria, Jehoshaphat repeats in substance the same act of joining Jehoram in battle against Moab. Perhaps, however, the interests of the kingdom of Judah demanded that Jehoshaphat should engage in this war with Moab, for the expedition of the combined armies of Moab, Ammon, and Edom against Jehoshaphat, which is narrated in 2 Chronicles xx, had probably occurred before this time.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the King of Judah, saying. Jehoshaphat had originally allied himself with Ahab, and had cemented the alliance by a marriage between his eldest son, Jehoram, and Athaliah, Ahab"s daughter (2Ki_8:18; 2Ch_18:1) He had joined Ahab in his attack on the Syrians at Ramoth-Gilead, (1Ki_22:4-36) and had thereby incurred the rebuke of Jehu the son of Hanani. (2Ch_19:2) This, however, had net prevented him from continuing his friendship with the Israelite royal house; he "joined himself with Ahaziah", (2Ch_20:35) Ahab"s successor, and though their combined naval expedition met with disaster, (1Ki_22:48) yet he still maintained amicable relations with the Israelite court. Jehoram, therefore, confidently sought his active help when he made up his mind to engage in a war with Moab. The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle! And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my hones as thy horses. Compare the answer which the same king had made to Ahab, when requested to join him in his attack on the Syrians. (1Ki_22:4) The words were probably a common formula expressive of willingness to enter into the closest possible alliance. Jehoshaphat, it appears from 2Ch_20:1-35, had, a little before this, been himself attacked by the united forces of Moab and Ammon, and brought into a peril from which he was only delivered by miracle. It was, therefore, much to his advantage that Moab should be weakened.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He said - He joins with him in this war; because the war was just in itself, and convenient for Jehoshaphat, both in the general, that revolters should be chastised: lest the examples should pass into his dominions, and the Edomites be encouraged to revolt from him, as they did from his son; and in particular, that the Moabites should be humbled, who had invaded his land before this time, 2 Chron. xx, 1, and might do so again if they were not brought low; for which a fair opportunity now offered.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

King Joram continues speaking to King Jehoshaphat.

Will you go with me against Moab to battle?

The word "you" refers to Jehoshaphat, but refers to both him and his army. Here "Moab" stands for "the army of Moab." AT: "Will you and your army go with me to fight against the army of Moab?" (See: Synecdoche)

I will go

Jehoshaphat is saying that he and his entire army will fight with King Joram against Moab. AT: "We will go with you" (See: Synecdoche)

I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses

Jehoshaphat is letting Joram use himself, his people, and his horses for his purposes. He speaks of this as if they belonged to Joram. The full meaning of this statement can be made clear. AT: "We are ready to do whatever you want us to. My soldiers and my horses are ready to help you" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

By way of the wilderness of Edom

"By going through the wilderness of Edom"

translationWords

send

horse

desert

Edom

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.