2nd Kings Chapter 3 verse 23 Holy Bible
and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have smitten each man his fellow: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
read chapter 3 in ASV
Then they said, This is blood: it is clear that destruction has come on the kings; they have been fighting one another: now come, Moab, let us take their goods.
read chapter 3 in BBE
And they said, This is blood: the kings are entirely destroyed, and have smitten one another; and now, Moab, to the spoil!
read chapter 3 in DARBY
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
read chapter 3 in KJV
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
read chapter 3 in WBT
and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each man his fellow: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
read chapter 3 in WEB
and say, `Blood this `is'; the kings have been surely destroyed, and they smite each his neighbour; and now for spoil, Moab!'
read chapter 3 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 23. - And they said, This is blood. Even Ewald recognizes here "a historical background for the narrative." The idea of such a mistake could scarcely have occurred to a romancer. The kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another. There were rivalries and jealousies subsisting between Judah, Israel, and Edom, which made it quite possible that at any time open quarrel might break out among them. Edom especially was, it is probable, a reluctant member of the confederacy, forced to take her part in it by her suzerain, Jehoshaphat. The Moabites, moreover, had recently had personal experience how easily the swords of confederates might be turned against each other, since their last expedition against Judah (2 Chronicles 20:1-25) had completely failed through such a sudden disagreement and contention. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. If their supposition were correct, and the kings had come to blows, and the hosts destroyed each other, Moab would have nothing to do but to fly upon the spoil, to strip the slain, and plunder the camp of the confederates. A disorderly rush took place for this purpose (see Josephus, 'Ant. Jud.,' 9:3. ยง 2).
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(23) The kings are surely slain.--Have surely fought with (or destroyed) one another. LXX., ??????????. The supposition was not improbable. Confederates of different races not seldom had been known to fall out among themselves (comp. Judges 7:22; 2Chronicles 20:23, and Note), and in this case the old enmity of Edom towards Israel, and the suppressed jealousies between Israel and Judah, made such a result very likely. The Moabites would know also that the wady had been waterless, so that their mistake was natural. When once their instinct for plunder was aroused they did not stop to think, but with a wild cry of "Moab, to the spoil !" they rushed in disorder upon the Israelite camp.
