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Friday, August 15th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

King James Version (1611 Edition)

2 Kings 3:8

And he said, Which way shall we goe vp? And he answered, The way through the wildernesse of Edom.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Edom;   Moabites;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jehoshaphat;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Deserts;   Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mesha;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Beersheba;   Moab;   Palestine;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Government;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jehoram;   Jehoshaphat;   Moabite Stone;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dibon;   Edom;   Judah, Kingdom of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - King, Kingship;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Kir-Hareseth;   Mesha;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Edom, Edomites;   Jehoshaphat;   Medeba;   Mesha;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Desert, Wilderness;   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;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Edox, Idumea;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He asked, “Which route should we take?”
Hebrew Names Version
He said, Which way shall we go up? He answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
King James Version
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
English Standard Version
Then he said, "By which way shall we march?" Jehoram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom."
New Century Version
Jehoshaphat asked, "Which way should we attack?" Joram answered, "Through the Desert of Edom."
New English Translation
He then asked, "Which invasion route are we going to take?" Jehoram answered, "By the road through the Desert of Edom."
Amplified Bible
Jehoram said, "Which way shall we go up?" Jehoshaphat answered, "The way through the Wilderness of Edom."
New American Standard Bible
Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said he, What way shall we goe vp? And he answered, The way of the wildernesse of Edom.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."
Contemporary English Version
But which way should we go?" "We will march through Edom Desert," Joram replied.
Complete Jewish Bible
Which route should we take?" he added. "The road through the desert of Edom," answered Y'horam.
Darby Translation
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he said, By way of the wilderness of Edom.
Easy-to-Read Version
Jehoshaphat asked Joram, "Which way should we go?" Joram answered, "We should go through the desert of Edom."
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to him, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, By the way of the wilderness of Edom.
Good News Translation
What route shall we take for the attack?" "We will go the long way through the wilderness of Edom," Joram answered.
Lexham English Bible
Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "By way of the wilderness of Edom."
Literal Translation
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And sayde morouer: Which waye wil we go vp? He sayde: by the waye in the wyldernesse of Edom.
American Standard Version
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
Bible in Basic English
And he said, Which way are we to go? And he said in answer, By the waste land of Edom.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he saide: What way shall we go vp? And he aunswered: The way through the wildernesse of Edom.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said: 'Which way shall we go up?' And he answered: 'The way of the wilderness of Edom.'
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said, What way shall I go up? and he said, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
English Revised Version
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
Berean Standard Bible
Then he asked, "Which way shall we go up?" "By way of the Desert of Edom," replied Joram.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide, Bi what weie schulen we stie? And he answeride, Bi the deseert of Ydumee.
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, `Where [is] this -- the way we go up?' and he saith, `The way of the wilderness of Edom.'
Update Bible Version
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
World English Bible
He said, Which way shall we go up? He answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
New King James Version
Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "By way of the Wilderness of Edom."
New Living Translation
Then Jehoshaphat asked, "What route will we take?" "We will attack from the wilderness of Edom," Joram replied.
New Life Bible
Then he said, "Which way should we go?" And he answered, "By the way of the desert of Edom."
New Revised Standard
Then he asked, "By which way shall we march?" Jehoram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said - Which way, then, shall we go up? And he said - The way of the wilderness of Edom.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: Which way shall we go up? But he answered: By the desert of Edom.
Revised Standard Version
Then he said, "By which way shall we march?" Jeho'ram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom."
THE MESSAGE
Joram of Israel Joram son of Ahab began his rule over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He was king for twelve years. In God 's sight he was a bad king. But he wasn't as bad as his father and mother—to his credit he destroyed the obscene Baal stone that his father had made. But he hung on to the sinful practices of Jeroboam son of Nebat, the ones that had corrupted Israel for so long. He wasn't about to give them up. King Mesha of Moab raised sheep. He was forced to give the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and another 100,000 rams. When Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. So King Joram set out from Samaria and prepared Israel for war. His first move was to send a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Would you join me and fight him?" "I'm with you all the way," said Jehoshaphat. "My troops are your troops, my horses are your horses. Which route shall we take?" "Through the badlands of Edom."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."

Contextual Overview

6 And king Iehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbred all Israel. 7 And he went, and sent to Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against mee: Wilt thou goe with mee against Moab to battell? and he said, I will goe vp: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses. 8 And he said, Which way shall we goe vp? And he answered, The way through the wildernesse of Edom. 9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Iudah, and the king of Edom: and they fetcht a compasse of seuen dayes iourney: and there was no water for the hoste, and for the cattell that followed them. 10 And the king of Israel said, Alas, that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliuer them into the hand of Moab. 11 But Iehoshaphat said, Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israels seruants answered, and said, Here is Elisha the sonne of Shaphat, which powred water on the hands of Eliiah. 12 And Iehoshaphat saide, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel, & Iehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went downe to him. 13 And Elisha saide vnto the king of Israel, What haue I to doe with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said vnto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliuer them into the hand of Moab. 14 And Elisha said, As the Lord of hostes liueth, before whom I stand, Surely were it not that I regard the presence of Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah, I would not looke toward thee, nor see thee. 15 But now bring me a minstrell. And it came to passe when the minstrell played, that the hand of the Lord came vpon him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the wilderness of Edom: The wilderness of Edom was probably the same as that of Zin or Kadesh, through which the children of Israel passed; extending southward from the Dead Sea, to the eastern branch of the Red Sea. See note on Numbers 13:21. Numbers 21:4, Malachi 1:2, Malachi 1:3

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtill then any beast of the field, which the LORD God had made, and he said vnto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of euery tree of the garden?
Genesis 3:2
And the woman said vnto the serpent, Wee may eate of the fruite of the trees of the garden:
Genesis 3:3
But of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shal not eate of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Genesis 3:9
And the LORD God called vnto Adam, and said vnto him, Where art thou?
Genesis 3:10
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden: and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid my selfe.
Genesis 3:12
And the man said, The woman whom thou gauest to be with mee, shee gaue me of the tree, and I did eate.
Genesis 3:21
Unto Adam also, and to his wife, did the LORD God make coates of skinnes, and cloathed them.
Genesis 3:22
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of vs, to know good & euill. And now lest hee put foorth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eate and liue for euer:
Deuteronomy 4:33
Did euer people heare the voyce of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and liue?
Deuteronomy 5:25
Now therefore why should wee die? for this great fire will consume vs. If we heare the voyce of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, which way shall we go up.... That is, Jehoram said so to Jehoshaphat, consulting with him which was the best way to take to the land of Moab, whether the shortest way, over Jordan; or some other:

and he answered, the way through the wilderness of Edom; which bordered upon it, and the same through which the Israelites passed; for Kadesh was on the extreme border of Edom, whither they came, Numbers 20:1 and this Jehoshaphat proposed, partly that they might come upon Moab unawares, and attack them where they were weakest, and not on their guard; and partly, to take the king of Edom with them, who was no other than Jehoshaphat's deputy, and so be assisting to them, and prevent him from revolting, which otherwise he might take this opportunity of doing.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The readiest and most natural “way” was across the Jordan near Jericho into the Arboth-Moab, and then along the eastern shore of the Dead Sea to Moab proper, the tract south of the Arnon. But the way chosen was that which led to the Edomite country, namely, round the southern extremity of the Dead Sea, and across the Arabah, or continuation of the Jordan and Dead Sea valley. Thus would be effected a junction with the forces of Edom, which had resumed its dependence on Judah, though the year before it had been in alliance with Moab 2 Chronicles 20:22; and they would come upon the Moabites unprepared.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 3:8. Through the wilderness of Edom. — Because he expected the king of Edom to join them, as we find he did; for, being tributary to Judah, he was obliged to do it.


 
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