2 Kings 3:9

So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out, and after they had traveled a roundabout route for seven days, they had no water for their army or for their animals.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrative describes three allied monarchs—the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom—beginning a campaign through the Desert of Edom after Joram proposes that route. Their movement reaches a critical logistical failure after a week of travel.

The words — The text highlights וַ/יָּסֹ֕בּוּ (va/i.ya.So.bu), translated literally as "and they went around," describing the deliberate detour taken by the coalition. This verb follows the repeated identification of the three kings, underscoring the extended march through barren terrain.

The thread — The account of a prolonged desert march without water parallels Moses leading Israel from the Red Sea into the Desert of Shur for three days (Exodus 15:22). The presence of a reigning king in Edom also contrasts with the earlier record that only a deputy ruled there (1 Kings 22:47).

Why it lands — The verse records a concrete military and logistical collapse that immediately precedes a claim of divine entrapment. It requires the reader to track how human strategy and coalition politics meet physical limits before any theological interpretation is introduced.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיֵּלֶךְ֩va/i.ye.leKhand/ he went מֶ֨לֶךְMe.lekh[the] king of יִשְׂרָאֵ֤לYis.ra.'ElIsrael וּמֶֽלֶך־u./Me.lekh-and/ [the] king of יְהוּדָה֙ye.hu.DahJudah וּמֶ֣לֶךְu./Me.lekhand/ [the] king of אֱד֔וֹם'e.DomEdom וַיָּסֹ֕בּוּva/i.ya.So.buand/ they went around דֶּ֖רֶךְDe.rekha journey of שִׁבְעַ֣תshiv.'Atseven יָמִ֑יםya.Mimdays וְלֹא־ve./lo'-and/ not הָיָ֨הha.Yahit belonged מַ֧יִםMa.yimwater לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֛הla./ma.cha.Nehto the/ army וְלַבְּהֵמָ֖הve./la./be.he.Mahand/ to the/ animal[s]אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich בְּרַגְלֵיהֶֽם׃be./rag.lei./Hem[was] at/ feet/ their

King James Version

So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.

Cross-references

1 Kings 22:47 And there was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king.
Exodus 11:8 And all these officials of yours will come and bow before me, saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that, I will depart.” And hot with anger, Moses left Pharaoh’s presence.
Exodus 15:22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water.
Exodus 17:1 Then the whole congregation of Israel left the Desert of Sin, moving from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
Numbers 20:2 Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron.
Numbers 20:4 Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?
Numbers 21:5 and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”
Numbers 33:14 They set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
Judges 4:10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.
1 Kings 22:27 and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”