2 Kings 3:19

19 And ye shall smite every fenced city and every choice city and shall fell every good tree and stop every fountain of water and mar every good piece of land with stones.

2 Kings 3:19 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 3:19

And ye shall smite every fenced city and every choice city,
&c.] That is, the inhabitants of them with the sword, and demolish them also, ( 2 Kings 3:25 ) , and shall fell every good tree; which seems contrary to the law in ( Deuteronomy 20:19 ) , but that may respect trees belonging to a city when besieged only, or only to Canaanitish cities; or the law was now dispensed with, and that for this time only, to make the punishment of Moab the greater, for their rebellion and other sins:

and stop all wells of water;
which must be very distressing to those that survived the calamity of the sword:

and mar every good piece of land with stones;
as that it could not be ploughed and sowed, nor anything spring up and grow upon it.

2 Kings 3:19 In-Context

17 For thus hath the LORD said, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet this valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye and your livestock and your beasts.

18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD; he will also deliver the Moabites into your hands.

19 And ye shall smite every fenced city and every choice city and shall fell every good tree and stop every fountain of water and mar every good piece of land with stones.

20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the present was offered, that water came by the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.

21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to gird on a girdle and upward and stood in the border.