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Tuesday, September 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

New Revised Standard

2 Kings 3:22

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.

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 Century Version
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.
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.
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 day, about the time of the morning offering, suddenly water began to flow from the direction of Edom, until the country was filled with water. 21 When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest, were called out and were drawn up at the frontier. 22 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. 23 They said, "This is blood; the kings must have fought together, and killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!" 24 But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked the Moabites, who fled before them; as they entered Moab they continued the attack. 25 The cities they overturned, and on every good piece of land everyone threw a stone, until it was covered; every spring of water they stopped up, and every good tree they felled. Only at Kir-hareseth did the stone walls remain, until the slingers surrounded and attacked it. 26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through, opposite the king of Edom; but they could not. 27 Then he took his firstborn son who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And great wrath came upon Israel, so they withdrew from him and returned 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 humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."
Genesis 2:9
Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 3:5
for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:6
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.
Genesis 3:7
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
Genesis 3:12
The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate."
Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate."
Psalms 22:26
The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord . May your hearts live forever!
Proverbs 3:18
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called happy.
Jeremiah 22:23
O inhabitant of Lebanon, nested among the cedars, how you will groan when pangs come upon you, pain as of a woman in labor!

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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