Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 3:25
And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kir-haraseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about [it], and smote it.
25. cast every man his stone ] Thus ensuring that the ground should be made, for a long time to come, useless for the pasturage of flocks.
only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof ] R.V. until in Kirhareseth only they left the stones thereof. It will be seen from the margin of A.V. that the R.V. approaches more nearly to the literal sense of the Hebrew. What is meant to be expressed is that the only town of which the stone walls were allowed to remain was this capital city of Moab. Probably it was the only city with any solidity of walls. A pastoral people, such as the Moabites were, have very little need for fenced towns. Kirhareseth (for so the name is pointed) is the same which in Isa 15:1 is called Kir of Moab, and in Jer 48:31; Jer 48:36 Kir-heres. As Kir signifies ‘wall’ or ‘fortress’, there appears much probability that this was the only very great stronghold in the land, though Ar of Moab is mentioned as a fortified town (Num 21:28; Isa 15:1). The other village-like settlements were easily dismantled, and their stones served to strew and ruin the pastures. All that was attempted on the stronger place was to clear its walls of their defenders by means of slingers.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Kir-Haraseth, also Kir-Hareseth, is identified almost certainly with the modern Kerak, a strong city on the highland immediately east of the southern part of the Dead Sea. It was the great fortress of Moab, though not the capital, which was Rabbath or Rabbah. It was an important strong-hold at the time of the Crusades, and is still a place of great strength. Kir seems to have meant fortress. It is found in Cir-cesium, Car-chemish, etc.
Kir-Haraseth resisted all the attempts to dismantle it; but the slingers found places on the hills which surrounded it, from where they could throw their stones into it and harass the garrison, though they could not take the town.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 25. On every good piece of land] On all cultivated ground, and especially fields that were sown.
Only in Kir-haraseth] This was the royal city of the Moabites, and, as we learn from Scripture, exceedingly strong; (see Isa 16:7; Isa 16:11); so that it is probable the confederate armies could not easily reduce it. The slingers, we are informed, went about the wall, and smote all the men that appeared on it, while no doubt the besieging army was employed in sapping the foundations.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Cast every man his stone: the stones which haply had been with great care and pains picked out of the land, and laid in heaps after the manner, they dispersed again, and slew the people, who should have cleansed them again.
Kir-haraseth was the royal and strongest city of the Moabites, Isa 16:7,11, into which the remnant of the Moabites were gathered, where also their king was with them.
The stones thereof: the walls and buildings of this city only were left; other cities, and in a manner their whole country, being utterly destroyed.
The slingers; either, first, such as slung small stones against those that stood upon the wall to defend it; or rather, secondly, Such as slung great stones against the walls to break them down, according to the manner of those times.
Smote it, i.e. made breaches in the walls, by which they might enter into the city, and take it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
25. Kir-haraseth(nowKerak)Castle of Moabthen, probably, the only fortress in theland.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they beat down the cities,…. Demolished the walls of them, and houses in them, wherever they came:
and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; which they had taken out of the walls and houses they pulled down; or which they picked up in the highway, as they passed along, being a stony country; or which being laid in heaps, gathered out of the fields, they took and scattered them all over them:
and they stopped all the wells of water; with stones and dirt:
and felled all the good trees; fruit bearing ones;
[See comments on 2Ki 3:19],
only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; not able to demolish it, it being a strong fortified city, the principal of the kingdom, and into which the king of Moab had thrown himself, and the remains of his forces; of which see Isa 16:7,
howbeit, the slingers went about it, and smote it; smote the soldiers that appeared upon the walls of it; though Kimchi, and other Jewish writers, understand it of engineers, who cast out large stones from a sort of machines then in use, to batter down and break through the walls of cities.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(25) And they beat down the cities.Rather, And the cities they would overthrow, describing what happened again and again.
On every . . . filled it.Literally, And every good plot, they would cast each man his stone, and fill it; and every fountain of water they would stop, and every good tree they would fell. All this as Elisha foretold, 2Ki. 3:19.
Only in Kir-haraseth left they the stones thereof.Literally, as margin, until one left her stones in Kir-harseth. This clause connects itself with the opening statement, And the cities they would overthrow (or, kept overthrowing) until her stones were left in Kir-harseth, i.e., the work of destruction stopped before the walls of this, the principal strong-hold of the country. In the other cities the invaders had not left one stone upon another.
Kir-haraseth.Called Kir-moab, Isa. 15:1, and Kir-hres, Isa. 16:11. The Targum on Isaiah 15 calls it Kerak (castle) of Moab, and it still bears that name. It stands upon a steep cliff of chalk.
Howbeit the slingers went about it.And the slingers went round, surrounded it.
And smote iti.e., shot at the men on the walls with deadly effect.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
25. Cast every man his stone A vast host could in this way quickly even bury a field with stones. Compare note on 2Ki 3:19.
Stopped all the wells “Wells, dug at great expense, were regarded as very valuable possessions. Isaac was a great well-digger, prompted thereto by the necessity of his vast flocks. To stop up wells was the most pernicious and destructive species of vengeance, the surest way to convert a flourishing country into a frightful wilderness.” Thomson.
Kir-haraseth Called also Kir-haresh, (Isa 16:11,) Kir-heres, (Jer 48:31,) and Kir of Moab, (Isa 15:1.) Its modern name is Kerak. The spot has been visited and described by several travellers. It was the chief city of the Moabites, and is situated on a plateau of high land ten miles east of the southern end of the Dead Sea, and some three thousand feet above the level of its waters. It occupies the top of a steep hill, and is surrounded on all sides by deep and narrow valleys, beyond which tower up lofty hills, cutting off all prospect in the distance except towards the northwest, where the deep Wady Kerak opens a prospect to the Dead Sea, and, in a clear day, even to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The city is still enclosed by a partially ruined wall, flanked by seven massive towers.
Slingers went about it, and smote it From the surrounding hills, which overlook the city, they could hurl stones so as to smite many of the inhabitants.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 3:25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about [it], and smote it.
Ver. 25. Only in Kirhareseth. ] The strongest city in Moab. See Isa 16:11 .
Left they the stones thereof,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Kir-haraseth = The city of the hill. The capital of Moab.
stones [in the wall] thereof. Supply Figure of speech Ellipsis. App-6.
howbeit, &c. = and [till] the slingers should surround and smite it.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
beat down: 2Ki 3:19, Jdg 9:45, 2Sa 8:2, Isa 37:26, Isa 37:27
stopped: Gen 26:15, Gen 26:18, 2Ch 32:4
and felled: Deu 20:19, Deu 20:20
only in: etc. Heb. until he left the stones thereof in Kir-haraseth
Kirharaseth: Supposed to be the same as Ar, or Areopolis, the capital of Moab. Deu 2:9, Isa 16:7, Isa 16:11, Jer 48:31, Jer 48:36, Kir-heres
Reciprocal: Ecc 3:5 – to cast Isa 15:1 – Kir
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 3:25. They stopped all the wells of water, &c. These, in all probability, are hyperbolical expressions, signifying the great devastation which they made. Only in Kir-haraseth left they the stones thereof This was the royal city of Moab, into which the remnant of the Moabites were gathered, and where also their king was with them. The wall and buildings of this city only were left; their whole country being destroyed. Howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it By slinging stones, they drove those from the wall who defended it, and by raising batteries against it, made great breaches therein, by which they might enter the city and take it.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3:25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in {q} Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about [it], and smote it.
(q) Which was one of the principle cities of the Moabites, in which they left nothing but the walls.