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Tuesday, July 15th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

2 Kings 3:22

But when the Moabites got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. They saw the water across from them, and it looked as red as blood.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mesha;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Edom;   Moab;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jehoshaphat;   Kir-Haraseth;   Moabite Stone;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dibon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Brook of Zered;   Elisha;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Kir-Hareseth;   Mesha;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Colours;   Edom, Edomites;   Jehoshaphat;   Medeba;   Mesha;   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:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Color;   Shine;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and the Moabites saw that the water across from them was red like blood.
Hebrew Names Version
They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Mo`avim saw the water over against them as red as blood:
King James Version
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:
English Standard Version
And when they rose early in the morning and the sun shone on the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.
New English Translation
When they got up early the next morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites, who were some distance away, the water looked red like blood.
Amplified Bible
When they got up early the next morning, the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water across from them as red as blood.
New American Standard Bible
Then they got up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they rose earely in the morning, when the sunne arose vpon the water, and the Moabites saw the water ouer against them, as red as blood.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then they rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.
Contemporary English Version
When they got up that morning, the sun was shining across the water, making it look red. The Moabite troops took one look
Complete Jewish Bible
They rose early in the morning, when the sun was shining on the water. Mo'av, when they saw the water in the distance looking as red as blood,
Darby Translation
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun rose upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side red as blood.
Easy-to-Read Version
The Moabites got up early that morning. The rising sun was shining on the water in the valley, and it looked like blood to the Moabites.
George Lamsa Translation
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood;
Good News Translation
When they got up the following morning, the sun was shining on the water, making it look as red as blood.
Lexham English Bible
When they arose early in the morning, the sun shone on the waters, and Moab saw the waters from the opposite side as red as blood.
Literal Translation
And they rose up early in the morning. And the sun was shining on the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the opposite side as red as blood.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan they rose early in ye mornynge, & the Sonne wete vp vpon ye water, the Moabites thoughte the water ouer agaynst the to be eue as reed as bloude,
American Standard Version
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water over against them as red as blood:
Bible in Basic English
And early in the morning they got up, when the sun was shining on the water, and they saw the water facing them as red as blood.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they were vp earlie in the morning, and the sunne shone vpon the water, that the Moabites sawe the water a farre of as red as blood.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water some way off as red as blood;
King James Version (1611)
And they rose vp early in the morning, and the Sunne shone vpon the water, and the Moabites sawe the water on the other side as red as blood.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they rose early in the morning, and the sun rose upon the waters, and Moab saw the waters on the opposite side red as blood.
English Revised Version
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water over against them as red as blood:
Berean Standard Bible
When 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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And men of Moab risiden ful eerli, and whanne the sunne was risun thanne euen ayens the watris, thei sien the watris reed as blood euene ayens.
Young's Literal Translation
And they rise early in the morning, and the sun hath shone on the waters, and the Moabites see, from over-against, the waters red as blood,
Update Bible Version
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water across from them as red as blood:
Webster's Bible Translation
And they rose early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side [as] red as blood:
World English Bible
They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water over against them as red as blood:
New King James Version
Then they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood.
New Living Translation
But when they got up the next morning, the sun was shining across the water, making it appear red to the Moabites—like blood.
New Life Bible
They got up early in the morning. The sun was shining on the water. And the Moabites saw that the water beside them was as red as blood.
New Revised Standard
When they rose early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when they rose early in the morning, the sun, shone forth upon the waters, - and so the Moabites beheld over against them, the waters, red as blood.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they rose early in the morning, and the sun being now up, and shining upon the waters, the Moabites saw the waters over against them red, like blood,
Revised Standard Version
And when they rose early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.

Contextual Overview

20 The next morning, about the time the sacrifice was offered, water came from the direction of Edom and filled the valley. 21 All the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. So they gathered everyone old enough to put on armor and waited at the border. 22 But when the Moabites got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. They saw the water across from them, and it looked as red as blood. 23 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!" 24 When the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites came out and fought them until they ran away. Then the Israelites went on into the land, killing the Moabites. 25 They tore down the cities and threw rocks all over every good field. They stopped up all the springs and cut down all the good trees. Kir Hareseth was the only city with its stones still in place, but the men with slingshots surrounded it and conquered it, too. 26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too much for him, he took seven hundred men with swords to try to break through to the king of Edom. But they could not break through. 27 Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would have been king after him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. So there was great anger against the Israelites, who left and went back to their own land.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 7:6 - the Lord

Cross-References

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all the small crawling animals on the earth."
Genesis 2:9
The Lord God caused every beautiful tree and every tree that was good for food to grow out of the ground. In the middle of the garden, God put the tree that gives life and also the tree that gives the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 3:5
God knows that if you eat the fruit from that tree, you will learn about good and evil and you will be like God!"
Genesis 3:6
The woman saw that the tree was beautiful, that its fruit was good to eat, and that it would make her wise. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of the fruit to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
Genesis 3:7
Then, it was as if their eyes were opened. They realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made something to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:12
The man said, "You gave this woman to me and she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it."
Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "How could you have done such a thing?" She answered, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."
Psalms 22:26
Poor people will eat until they are full; those who look to the Lord will praise him. May your hearts live forever!
Proverbs 3:18
As a tree produces fruit, wisdom gives life to those who use it, and everyone who uses it will be happy.
Jeremiah 22:23
King, you live in your palace, cozy in your rooms of cedar. But when your punishment comes, how you will groan like a woman giving birth to a baby!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they rose up early in the morning,.... To watch the motions of their enemies, and be upon their guard against them:

and the sun shone upon the water; with which the valley was filled:

and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood; so it appeared through the rays of the sun reflected on it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 3:22. Saw the water on the other side as red as blood — This might have been an optical deception; I have seen the like sight when there was no reason to suspect supernatural agency. The Moabites had never seen that valley full of water, and therefore did not suspect that their eyes deceived them, but took it for the blood of the confederate hosts, who they thought might have fallen into confusion in the darkness of night and destroyed each other, as the Midianites had formerly done, Judges 7:22, and the Philistines lately, 1 Samuel 14:20.


 
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