2 Kings 3 · Verse 16

2 Kings 3:16

And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.

2 Kings 3:16, King James Version

2 Kings 3:16 in other translations

BSB	and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’
WEB	He said, “The LORD says, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’
ASV	And he said, Thus saith Jehovah, Make this valley full of trenches.
YLT	and he saith, ‘Thus said Jehovah, Make this valley ditches--ditches;
DARBY	And he said, Thus saith Jehovah: Make this valley full of ditches.
BBE	And he said, The Lord says, I will make this valley full of water-holes.
Webster	And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.

What does 2 Kings 3:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

16. Make this valley full of ditches--capable of holding water.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 16 Make this valley full of ditches - The word נחל nachal may be translated brook, as it is by the Vulgate and Septuagint. There probably was a river here, but it was now dry; and the prophet desires that they would enlarge the channel, and cut out various canals from it, and reservoirs, where water might be collected for the refreshment of the army and of the cattle; and these were to be made so wide that the reflection of the sun's rays from this water might be the means of confounding and destroying the Moabites.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 3:6-19

The king of Israel laments their distress, and the danger they were in. He called these kings together, yet he charges it upon Providence. Thus the foolishness of man perverteth his way, and then his heart fretteth against the Lord, Pr 19:3. It was well that Jehoshaphat inquired of the Lord now, but it had been much better if he had done it before he engaged in this war. Good men sometimes neglect their duty, till…

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 3:6-19 →

2 Kings 3:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559

כֹּ֖הkohthusH3541

אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saysH559

יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068

עָשֹׂ֛ה'a.SohmakeH6213

הַנַּ֥חַלha.Na.chalthe wadiH5158

הַזֶּ֖הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088

גֵּבִ֥ים\׀ge.VimditchesH1356

גֵּבִֽים\׃ge.VimditchesH1356

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Make this valley.
4:3; Nu 2:18,16-18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Kings 3:15
But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
2 Kings 3:16
And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.
2 Kings 3:17
For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.

Read all of 2 Kings 3

2 Kings 3:16 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y dijo: Así ha dicho Jehová: Haced en este valle muchas acequias.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il dit: Ainsi dit l’ Éternel: Qu’on remplisse de fosses cette vallée.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und er sprach: So spricht Jehova: Machet in diesem Tale Grube an Grube.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Hæc dicit Dominus: Facite alveum torrentis hujus fossas et fossas.