The Meaning of 2 Kings 3:19 Explained

2 Kings 3:19

KJV: And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.

YLT: and ye have smitten every fenced city, and every choice city, and every good tree ye cause to fall, and all fountains of waters ye stop, and every good portion ye mar with stones.'

Darby: And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.

ASV: And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all fountains of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does 2 Kings 3:19 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 3:13-27 - Mesha's Defeat And Desperate Sacrifice
Jehoshaphat, though erring, was still God's child, and deliverance came to him. The heights of our senseless folly and the depths of our waywardness will not succeed in severing us from God's love. Elisha used the very words of Elijah, 2 Kings 3:14 and 1 Kings 17:1. Notice how men of different mold and mission, the Elijahs and the Elishas, derive their inspiration and strength in the same way. As a great Christian general put it, "Every morning I stand at attention before my Maker." Note the effect of music in soothing the soul! 2 Kings 3:15.
In all God's gifts there is need for our cooperation. He alone can send the water, but we must trench the ground. Our expectant faith creates the capacity to receive God's gifts; but when we have gone to our limit and the valley is filled with ditches, He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond. The answer came at the hour of morning prayer, and probably at the prophet's intercession, 1 Kings 8:44. God's answers are often too deep and inward to give outward sign. There is sound of neither wind nor rain; but our prayers are answered to the full. Many of the points in this narrative-notably 2 Kings 3:27 -have been corroborated by the recent explorations in Moab. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 3:19 mean?

And you shall attack every city fortified and every choice tree good shall cut down spring of water stop up and every piece of land good ruin with stones
וְהִכִּיתֶ֞ם כָּל־ עִ֤יר מִבְצָר֙ וְכָל־ מִבְח֔וֹר עֵ֥ץ טוֹב֙ תַּפִּ֔ילוּ מַעְיְנֵי־ מַ֖יִם תִּסְתֹּ֑מוּ וְכֹל֙ הַחֶלְקָ֣ה הַטּוֹבָ֔ה תַּכְאִ֖בוּ בָּאֲבָנִֽים

וְהִכִּיתֶ֞ם  And  you  shall  attack 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עִ֤יר  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מִבְצָר֙  fortified 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִבְצָר 
Sense: fortification, fortress, fortified city, stronghold.
וְכָל־  and  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מִבְח֔וֹר  choice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִבְחֹור  
Sense: choice.
עֵ֥ץ  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
טוֹב֙  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
תַּפִּ֔ילוּ  shall  cut  down 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
מַעְיְנֵי־  spring 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַעְיָן  
Sense: spring.
מַ֖יִם  of  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
תִּסְתֹּ֑מוּ  stop  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: סָתַם 
Sense: to stop up, shut up, keep close.
וְכֹל֙  and  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַחֶלְקָ֣ה  piece  of  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶלְקָה 
Sense: portion, parcel.
הַטּוֹבָ֔ה  good 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
תַּכְאִ֖בוּ  ruin 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: כָּאַב  
Sense: to be in pain, be sore, have pain, be sorrowful.
בָּאֲבָנִֽים  with  stones 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).