The Meaning of 2 Kings 3:21 Explained

2 Kings 3:21

KJV: And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.

YLT: and all Moab have heard that the kings have come up to fight against them, and they are called together, from every one girding on a girdle and upward, and they stand by the border.

Darby: And all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, and they were called together, all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood by the border.

ASV: Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all that were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood on the border.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when all the Moabites  heard  that the kings  were come up  to fight  against them, they gathered  all that were able to put  on armour,  and upward,  and stood  in the border. 

What does 2 Kings 3:21 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 3:13-27 - Mesha's Defeat And Desperate Sacrifice
Jehoshaphat, though erring, was still God's child, and deliverance came to him. The heights of our senseless folly and the depths of our waywardness will not succeed in severing us from God's love. Elisha used the very words of Elijah, 2 Kings 3:14 and 1 Kings 17:1. Notice how men of different mold and mission, the Elijahs and the Elishas, derive their inspiration and strength in the same way. As a great Christian general put it, "Every morning I stand at attention before my Maker." Note the effect of music in soothing the soul! 2 Kings 3:15.
In all God's gifts there is need for our cooperation. He alone can send the water, but we must trench the ground. Our expectant faith creates the capacity to receive God's gifts; but when we have gone to our limit and the valley is filled with ditches, He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond. The answer came at the hour of morning prayer, and probably at the prophet's intercession, 1 Kings 8:44. God's answers are often too deep and inward to give outward sign. There is sound of neither wind nor rain; but our prayers are answered to the full. Many of the points in this narrative-notably 2 Kings 3:27 -have been corroborated by the recent explorations in Moab. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 3

1  Jehoram's reign
4  Mesha rebels
6  Jehoram, with Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom, being distressed for want of water,
13  by Elisha obtains water, and promise of victory
21  The Moabites, deceived by the colour of the water, coming to spoil, are overcome
26  The king of Moab sacrifices his son, and raises the siege

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 3:21 mean?

And when all the Moabites heard that had come up the kings to fight against them and were gathered all who were able to bear arms and older and they stood at the border
וְכָל־ מוֹאָב֙ שָֽׁמְע֔וּ כִּֽי־ עָל֥וּ הַמְּלָכִ֖ים לְהִלָּ֣חֶם בָּ֑ם וַיִּצָּעֲק֗וּ מִכֹּ֨ל חֹגֵ֤ר חֲגֹרָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה וַיַּעַמְד֖וּ עַֽל־ הַגְּבֽוּל

וְכָל־  And  when  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מוֹאָב֙  the  Moabites 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
שָֽׁמְע֔וּ  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עָל֥וּ  had  come  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
הַמְּלָכִ֖ים  the  kings 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
לְהִלָּ֣חֶם  to  fight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
בָּ֑ם  against  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
וַיִּצָּעֲק֗וּ  and  were  gathered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: צָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, cry for help.
חֹגֵ֤ר  who  were  able  to  bear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: חָגַר  
Sense: to gird, gird on, gird oneself, put on a belt.
חֲגֹרָה֙  arms 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲגֹור 
Sense: girdle, belt.
וָמַ֔עְלָה  and  older 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
וַיַּעַמְד֖וּ  and  they  stood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
עַֽל־  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַגְּבֽוּל  the  border 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.

What are the major concepts related to 2 Kings 3:21?

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