2 Kings 3 · Verse 4

2 Kings 3:4

And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
2 Kings 3:4, King James Version

2 Kings 3:4 in other translations

BSBNow Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he would render to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams.
WEBNow Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder; and he supplied the king of Israel with one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.
ASVNow Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master; and he rendered unto the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred thousand rams.
YLTAnd Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master, and he rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, with wool,
DARBYAnd Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
BBENow Mesha, king of Moab, was a sheep-farmer; and he gave regularly to the king of Israel the wool from a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand sheep.
WebsterAnd Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master, and rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool.

What does 2 Kings 3:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 3:4-6
4-6. Mesha king of Moab, &c.--As his dominions embraced an extensive pasture country, he paid, as annual tribute, the wool of a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams. It is still common in the East to pay custom and taxes in the fruits or natural produce of the land.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Was a sheepmaster - The original is נקד naked, of which the Septuagint could make nothing, and therefore retained the Hebrew word νωκηδ: but the Chaldee has מרי גיתי marey githey, "a sheepmaster;" Aquila has ποιμνιοτροφος; and Symmachus, τρεφων βοσκηματα; all to the same sense. The original signifies one who marks or brands, probably from the marking of sheep. He fed many sheep, etc., and had them all marked in a particular way, in order to ascertain his property. A hundred thousand lambs - The Chaldee and Arabic have a hundred thousand fat oxen.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 3:1-5

Jehoram took warning by God's judgment, and put away the image of Baal, yet he maintained the worship of the calves. Those do not truly repent or reform, who only part with the sins they lose by, but continue to love the sins that they think to gain by.

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 3:1-5 →

2 Kings 3:4 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.

וּמֵישַׁ֥עu.mei.Sha'and MeshaH4338
מֶֽלֶךְ\־Me.lekh-[the] king ofH4428
מוֹאָ֖בmo.'AvMoabH4124
הָיָ֣הha.Yahhe wasH1961
נֹקֵ֑דno.Keda sheep-breederH5349
וְהֵשִׁ֤יבve.he.Shivand he returnedH7725
לְמֶֽלֶךְ\־le.Me.lekh-to [the] king ofH4428
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
מֵאָה\־me.'ah-one hundredH3967
אֶ֣לֶף'E.lefthousandH505
כָּרִ֔יםka.RimlambsH3733
וּמֵ֥אָהu.Me.'ahand one hundredH3967
אֶ֖לֶף'E.lefthousandH505
אֵילִ֥ים'ei.LimramsH352
צָֽמֶר\׃Tza.merwoolH6785

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

Cross references for 2 Kings 3:4

  • Genesis 26:13-14

    And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

  • 2 Samuel 8:2

    And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.

  • Job 1:3

    His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

  • 1 Chronicles 18:2

    And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.

  • Psalms 60:8

    Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.

  • Psalms 108:9-10

    Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

  • Job 42:12

    So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

  • Isaiah 16:1-2

    Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

  • 2 Chronicles 26:10

    Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.

  • Genesis 13:2

    And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a sheepmaster.
Ge 13:2; 26:13,14; 2Ch 26:10; Job 1:3; 42:12
rendered.
2Sa 8:2; 1Ch 18:2; Ps 60:8; 108:9,10
lambs.
Isa 16:1

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

Context

  • 2 Kings 3:3

    Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

  • 2 Kings 3:4

    And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.

  • 2 Kings 3:5

    But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

Read all of 2 Kings 3

2 Kings 3:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces Mesa rey de Moab era propietario de ganados, y pagaba al rey de Israel cien mil corderos y cien mil carneros con sus vellones.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Or Mésha, roi de Moab, possédait des troupeaux, et payait au roi d’Israël 100 000 agneaux et 100 000 béliers avec leur laine.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Mesa, der König von Moab, war ein Herdenbesitzer, und er zinste dem König von Israel 100000 Fettschafe und 100000 Widder mit der Wolle.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Porro Mesa rex Moab nutriebat pecora multa, et solvebat regi Israël centum millia agnorum, et centum millia arietum cum velleribus suis.