Lectionary Calendar
Monday, April 13th, 2026
the Second Week after Easter
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

2 Kings 3:23

"This is blood!" they exclaimed. "The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Moabites;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jehoshaphat;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Moabites;   Valleys;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mesha;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moab;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jehoshaphat;   Kir-Haraseth;   Moabite Stone;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dibon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Kings, 1 and 2;   Kir-Hareseth;   Mesha;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Edom, Edomites;   Jehoshaphat;   Medeba;   Mesha;   Plagues of Egypt;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Joram, Jehoram;   Mesha ;   Moab, Moabites ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Kirharaseth;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armor;   Arms;   Jehoshaphat;   Mesha;   Moab;   Samaria;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Eli'sha;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fellow;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have crossed swords and their men have killed one another. So, to the spoil, Moab!”
Hebrew Names Version
and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each man his fellow: now therefore, Mo'av, to the spoil.
King James Version
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
English Standard Version
And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together and struck one another down. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!"
New Century Version
Then they said, "This is blood! The kings must have fought and killed each other! Come, Moabites, let's take the valuables from the dead bodies!"
New English Translation
The Moabites said, "It's blood! The kings are totally destroyed! They have struck one another down! Now, Moab, seize the plunder!"
Amplified Bible
And they said, "This is blood! Clearly the kings have fought together, and have killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil [and the plunder of the dead soldiers]!"
New American Standard Bible
So they said, "This is blood; the kings must have fought each other, and they have killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoils!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they saide, This is blood the Kings are surely slaine, and one hath smitten another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoyle.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have struck down one another. So now, Moab, to the spoil!"
Contemporary English Version
and shouted, "Look at that blood! The armies of those kings must have fought and killed each other. Come on, let's go take what's left in their camp."
Complete Jewish Bible
said, "That's blood! The kings must have quarreled, and their soldiers killed each other. Mo'av! To the plunder!"
Darby Translation
And they said, This is blood: the kings are entirely destroyed, and have smitten one another; and now, Moab, to the spoil!
Easy-to-Read Version
They said, "Look at the blood! The kings must have fought against each other. They must have destroyed each other. Let's go take the valuable things from the dead bodies!"
George Lamsa Translation
And they said. This is blood; the kings are surely slain, and they have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
Good News Translation
"It's blood!" they exclaimed. "The three enemy armies must have fought and killed each other! Let's go and loot their camp!"
Lexham English Bible
Then they said, "This is blood! Certainly the kings have fought one another, and each has killed his neighbor. Now, to the war booty, O Moab!"
Literal Translation
And they said, This is blood. The kings fighting have fought one another, and they each man struck his neighbor. And now to the plunder, Moab!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& they sayde: It is bloude, ye kynges haue destroyed them selues wt the swerde, & one hath smytten another. Now Moab get the vp to the spoyles.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they saide, This is the blood of slaughter: The kinges are slaine, & one haue smitten another: Now therefore Moab get thee to the spoyle.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and they said: 'This is blood: the kings have surely fought together, and they have smitten each man his fellow; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.'
King James Version (1611)
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slaine, and they haue smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoile.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they said, This is the blood of the sword; and the kings have fought, and each man has smitten his neighbour; now then to the spoils, Moab.
English Revised Version
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei seiden, It is the blood of swerd, `that is, sched out bi swerd; kyngis fouyten ayens hem silf, and thei ben slayn togider; now go thou, Moab, to the prey.
Young's Literal Translation
and say, `Blood this [is]; the kings have been surely destroyed, and they smite each his neighbour; and now for spoil, Moab!'
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they said, This [is] blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
World English Bible
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.
New King James Version
And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!"
New Living Translation
"It's blood!" the Moabites exclaimed. "The three armies must have attacked and killed each other! Let's go, men of Moab, and collect the plunder!"
New Life Bible
They said, "This is blood. For sure the kings have fought and killed one another. So now, Moab, let us take what is left!"
New Revised Standard
They said, "This is blood; the kings must have fought together, and killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They said therefore - Blood, - this! Destroyed! The kings have destroyed each other! Yea they have smitten every man his neighbour, - Now, then, to the spoil, O Moab!
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said: It is the blood of the sword: the kings have fought among themselves, and they have killed one another: go now, Moab, to the spoils.
Revised Standard Version
And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and slain one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!"
THE MESSAGE
"Blood! Look at the blood!" they said. "The kings must have fought each other—a bloody massacre! Go for the loot, Moab!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have slain one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!"

Contextual Overview

20The next morning, at the time of the morning sacrifice, water suddenly flowed from the direction of Edom and filled the land. 21Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. So all who could bear arms, young and old, were summoned and stationed at the border. 22When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and it looked as red as blood to the Moabites across the way. 23"This is blood!" they exclaimed. "The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!"24But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked them, and they fled before them. So the Israelites invaded their land and struck down the Moabites. 25They 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. 26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not prevail. 27So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. And there was great fury against the Israelites, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

This is blood: 2 Kings 6:18-20, 2 Kings 7:6

slain: Heb. destroyed

now therefore: Exodus 15:9, Judges 5:30, 2 Chronicles 20:25, Isaiah 10:14

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 10:8 - to strip

Cross-References

Genesis 2:5
Now no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth, nor had any plant of the field sprouted; for the LORD God had not yet sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground-because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return."
Genesis 4:2
Later she gave birth to Cain's brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.
Genesis 4:12
When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth."
Genesis 9:20
Now Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard.
Ecclesiastes 5:9
The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they said, this is blood,.... They were very confident of it, having no notion of water, there having been no rain for some time; and perhaps it was not usual to see water at any time in this place:

the kings are surely slain; they and their forces:

and they have smitten one another; having quarrelled either about their religion, or about want of water, and the distress they were come into through it, laying the blame of their coming out to war, or of their coming that way, on one another; and the Moabites might rather think something of this kind had happened, from what had lately been done among themselves, and their allies, 2 Chronicles 20:23

now therefore, Moab, to the spoil; having no occasion to fight, or prepare for it; all they had to do was to march directly to the enemy's camp, and plunder it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The sun had risen with a ruddy light, as is frequently the case after a storm (compare Matthew 16:3), nearly over the Israelite camp, and the pits, deep but with small mouths, gleaming redly through the haze which would lie along the newly moistened valley, seemed to the Moabites like pools of blood. The preceding year, they and their allies had mutually destroyed each other 2 Chronicles 20:23. It seemed to them, from their knowledge of the jealousies between Judah, Israel, and Edom, not unlikely that a similar calamity had now befallen their foes.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 3:23. Therefore, Moab, to the spoil. — Thus they came on in a disorderly manner, and fell an easy prey to their enemies.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile