2 Kings 3:23
New International Version
“That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

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!”

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!”

Berean Standard Bible
“This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered one another. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

King James Bible
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: 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 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!”

NASB 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!”

NASB 1977
Then they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have slain one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!”

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!”

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]!”

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! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and killed each other. So, to the spoil, Moab!”

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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they said: “This is blood! Surely the Kings have been slaughtered, and they have killed each man his neighbor; therefore, to the prey Moab!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

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."

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.

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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They said, "It's blood! The kings have been fighting one another and have killed each other. Now, Moabites, let's take their goods!"

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!"

International Standard Version
So they concluded, "This must be blood! The kings must have had one mighty big fight and each man killed the other! So let's go get the battle spoil, Moab!"

JPS Tanakh 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.'

Literal Standard Version
and say, “This [is] blood; the kings have been surely destroyed, and they each strike his neighbor; and now for spoil, Moab!”

Majority Standard Bible
“This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered one another. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

New American Bible
and said, “This is blood! The kings have fought among themselves and killed one another. Quick! To the spoils, Moab!”

NET Bible
The Moabites said, "It's blood! The kings are totally destroyed! They have struck one another down! Now, Moab, seize the plunder!"

New Revised Standard Version
They said, “This is blood; the kings must have fought together, and killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!”

New Heart English Bible
They said, "This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. 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
They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!”

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!'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joram Overcomes Moab's Rebellion
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 one another. 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.…

Cross References
2 Kings 3:22
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.

2 Kings 3:24
But 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.


Treasury of Scripture

And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

This is blood

2 Kings 6:18-20
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha…

2 Kings 7:6
For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

slain [heb] destroyed

Exodus 15:9
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Judges 5:30
Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?

2 Chronicles 20:25
And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

Jump to Previous
Blood Clear Destroyed Destruction Entirely Fellow Fought Goods Kings Moab Neighbour Slain Slaughtered Smitten Spoil Struck Surely That's Together
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Blood Clear Destroyed Destruction Entirely Fellow Fought Goods Kings Moab Neighbour Slain Slaughtered Smitten Spoil Struck Surely That's Together
2 Kings 3
1. Jehoram's reign
4. Mesha rebels
6. Jehoram, with Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom, being distressed for want of water,
13. by Elisha obtains water, and promise of victory
21. The Moabites, deceived by the colour of the water, coming to spoil, are overcome
26. The king of Moab sacrifices his son, and raises the siege














(23) The kings are surely slain.--Have surely fought with (or destroyed) one another. LXX., ??????????. The supposition was not improbable. Confederates of different races not seldom had been known to fall out among themselves (comp. Judges 7:22; 2Chronicles 20:23, and Note), and in this case the old enmity of Edom towards Israel, and the suppressed jealousies between Israel and Judah, made such a result very likely. The Moabites would know also that the wady had been waterless, so that their mistake was natural. When once their instinct for plunder was aroused they did not stop to think, but with a wild cry of "Moab, to the spoil !" they rushed in disorder upon the Israelite camp.

Verse 23. - And they said, This is blood. Even Ewald recognizes here "a historical background for the narrative." The idea of such a mistake could scarcely have occurred to a romancer. The kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another. There were rivalries and jealousies subsisting between Judah, Israel, and Edom, which made it quite possible that at any time open quarrel might break out among them. Edom especially was, it is probable, a reluctant member of the confederacy, forced to take her part in it by her suzerain, Jehoshaphat. The Moabites, moreover, had recently had personal experience how easily the swords of confederates might be turned against each other, since their last expedition against Judah (2 Chronicles 20:1-25) had completely failed through such a sudden disagreement and contention. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. If their supposition were correct, and the kings had come to blows, and the hosts destroyed each other, Moab would have nothing to do but to fly upon the spoil, to strip the slain, and plunder the camp of the confederates. A disorderly rush took place for this purpose (see Josephus, 'Ant. Jud.,' 9:3. § 2).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“This
זֶ֔ה (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

is blood!”
דָּ֣ם (dām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

they exclaimed.
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“The kings
הַמְּלָכִ֔ים (ham·mə·lā·ḵîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4428: A king

have clashed swords
נֶֽחֶרְבוּ֙ (ne·ḥer·ḇū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2717: To parch, to desolate, destroy, kill

and slaughtered
וַיַּכּ֖וּ (way·yak·kū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5221: To strike

each
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

other.
רֵעֵ֑הוּ (rê·‘ê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

Now
וְעַתָּ֥ה (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

to the plunder,
לַשָּׁלָ֖ל (laš·šā·lāl)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7998: A prey, spoil, plunder, booty

Moab!”
מוֹאָֽב׃ (mō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4124: Moab -- a son of Lot,also his descendants and the territory where they settled


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OT History: 2 Kings 3:23 And they said This is blood (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 3:22
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