King James Version
2 Kings 3:18 in the King James Version says “And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.” — study this verse from 2 Kings chapter 3 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.
“And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.”
2 Kings 3:18 · King James Version
And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.
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.
And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
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. mar: Heb. grieve
And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
KJV Study — Public Domain
Compare 3 commentaries from different scholars and time periods for a richer understanding.
“And this is but a light thing”
H7043to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)
“in the sight”
H5869an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
“of the LORD”
H3068(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
“he will deliver”
H5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
“also into your hand”
H3027a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
This verse is found in the book of 2 Kings. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
2 Kings 3:18 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Verses related to 2 Kings 3:18 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge