2 Kings 3:18

And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18) Is but a light thing.—Will be a light thing (1Kings 16:31).

He will deliver the Moabites.—The contrary of Jehoram’s expectation (2Kings 3:10; 2Kings 3:13).

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 3:18. This is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord — But a small favour in comparison of what he intends to do for you, for Jehoshaphat’s sake. He will give you more than you expect or ask. For they were so weakened and discouraged by the great drought, that they had no hopes of proceeding in the offensive war, and thought it sufficient, if it were possible, to defend themselves from the Moabites, 2 Kings 3:13.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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 necessity and affliction drive them to it. Wicked people often fare the better for the friendship and society of the godly. To try their faith and obedience, Elisha bids them make the valley full of pits to receive water. Those who expect God's blessings, must dig pools for the rain to fill, as in the valley of Baca, and thus make even that a well, Ps 84:6. We need not inquire whence the water came. God is not tied to second causes. They that sincerely seek for the dew of God's grace, shall have it, and by it be made more than conquerors.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

No rain was to fall where the Israelites and their enemies were encamped; there was not even to be that all but universal accompaniment of rain in the East, a sudden rise of wind (compare 1 Kings 18:45; Psalm 147:18; Matthew 7:25).

Cattle, and your beast - The former are the animals brought for food. The latter are the baggage animals.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

17. Ye shall not see wind—It is common in the East to speak of seeing wind, from the clouds of straw, dust, or sand, that are often whirled into the air, after a long drought.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

This is but a small favour in comparison of what he intends to you for Jehoshaphat’s sake. He will give you more than you ask or expect. For they were so weakened and discouraged with the great drought, that they had no hopes of proceeding in the offensive war, and thought it sufficient, if it were possible, to defend themselves from the Moabites, 2 Kings 3:13.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord,.... To give them such a plenty of water in such an extraordinary manner: he would do for them what was greater, not only save them from falling into the hand of Moab, which they feared,

but he wilt deliver the Moabites into your hands; which was more than was asked for, or expected.

Geneva Study Bible

And this is but a {m} light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

(m) He will not only miraculously give you waters, but your enemies also into your hand.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18. And this is but a light thing] For the expression cf. below ch. 2 Kings 20:10. What God gives, He gives to the full. He will not only guide the forces of nature so that the bodily wants of the armies shall be supplied, but will crown their expedition with success.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 18. - And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord. God, the Author of nature, has full control over nature, and it is an easy matter for him to produce at will any natural phenomena. It is otherwise when the stubborn element of the human will is brought into play. Then difficulty may arise. He will deliver the Moabites also into your hand. It would be better to translate, he will also deliver (see the Revised Version). 2 Kings 3:18

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Elisha continued: "and this is too little for Jehovah (the comparative force of נקל is implied in the context, especially in the alternating combination of the two clauses, which is indicated by ו...ו, see Ewald, 360, c.): He will also give Moab into your hand, and ye will smite all the fortified and choice cities, fell all the good trees (fruit-trees), stop up all the springs of water, and spoil all the good fields with stones." מבצר and מבחור are intended to produce a play upon words, through the resemblance in their sound and meaning (Ewald, 160, c.). In the announcement of the devastation of the land there is an allusion to Deuteronomy 20:19-20, according to which the Israelites were ordered to spare the fruit-trees when Canaan was taken. These instructions were not to apply to Moab, because the Moabites themselves as the arch-foes of Israel would not act in any other way with the land of Israel if they should gain the victory. הכאב, to add pain, is a poetical expression for spoiling a field or rendering it infertile through the heaping up of stones.