2 Rois 3:10

10 Alors le roi d'Israël dit: Hélas! l'Eternel a appelé ces trois rois pour les livrer entre les mains de Moab.

2 Rois 3:10 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 3:10

And the king of Israel said, alas!
&c.] Lamenting their sad case, as being desperate; and the rather he was the more concerned, as he was the principal who had drawn the other kings into this affair, though he throws it upon the Lord and his providence:

that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them
into the hands of Moab;
into whose hands they must inevitably fall, if they could have no water to refresh them; since they would be so weak as not to be able to stand a battle with them, and be dispersed here and there in search of water, and so fall into their hands. Extreme thirst is intolerable. It is reported F5 of Lysimachus, that he delivered himself and his army into the hands of the enemy for a draught of water. Leo Africanus F6 relates, that in the desert of Azaoad stand two marble pillars, testifying that a rich merchant bought of a carrier of wares a cup of water at the price of 10,000 ducats; but there not being water sufficient neither for the one nor the other, they were both died with thirst.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 Plutarch. in Apothegm.
F6 Descriptio Africae, l. 1. p. 75.

2 Rois 3:10 In-Context

8 Et il dit: Par quel chemin monterons-nous? Joram dit: Par le chemin du désert d'Edom.
9 Le roi d'Israël, le roi de Juda et le roi d'Edom, partirent; et après une marche de sept jours, ils manquèrent d'eau pour l'armée et pour les bêtes qui la suivaient.
10 Alors le roi d'Israël dit: Hélas! l'Eternel a appelé ces trois rois pour les livrer entre les mains de Moab.
11 Mais Josaphat dit: N'y a-t-il ici aucun prophète de l'Eternel, par qui nous puissions consulter l'Eternel? L'un des serviteurs du roi d'Israël répondit: Il y a ici Elisée, fils de Schaphath, qui versait l'eau sur les mains d'Elie.
12 Et Josaphat dit: La parole de l'Eternel est avec lui. Le roi d'Israël, Josaphat et le roi d'Edom, descendirent auprès de lui.
The Louis Segond 1910 is in the public domain.