SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:27
Entonces arrebató a su primogénito que había de reinar en su lugar, y lo sacrificó en holocausto sobre el muro. Y hubo grande enojo en Israel; y se retiraron de él, y se volvieron a su tierra.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 3:27
Verse 27. Took his eldest son] The rabbins account for this horrible sacrifice in the following way:- When the king of Moab found himself so harassed, and the royal city on the point of being taken, he called a council of his servants, and asked them how it was these Israelites could perform such prodigies, and that such miracles were wrought for them? His servants answered, that it was owing to their progenitor Abraham, who, having an only son, was commanded by Jehovah to offer him in sacrifice. Abraham instantly obeyed, and offered his only son for a burnt-offering; and the Israelites being his descendants, through his merits the holy blessed God wrought such miracles in their behalf. The king of Moab answered, I also have an only son, and I will go and offer him to my God. Then he offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall. Upon the wall] hmjh l[ al hachamah. Rab. Sol. Jarchi says that the letter w vau is wanting in this word, as it should be written hmwj chomah, to signify a wall; but hmj chammah signifies the sun, and this was the god of the king of Moab: "And he offered his first-born son for a burnt-offering unto the sun." This is not very solid.
There was great indignation] The Lord was displeased with them for driving things to such an extremity: or the surrounding nations held them in abomination on the account; and they were so terrified themselves at this most horrid sacrifice, that they immediately raised the siege and departed.
In cases of great extremity it was customary in various heathen nations to offer human sacrifices, or to devote to the infernal gods the most precious or excellent thing or person they possessed. This was frequent among the Phoenicians, Romans, and Greeks; and it was the natural fruit of a religious system which had for the objects of its worship cruel and merciless divinities. How different the Christian system! "Wilt thou that we shall bring down fire from heaven and destroy them? Ye know not what manner of spirits ye are of; the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 27. Then he took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his stead , etc.] Not the eldest son of the king of Edom, whom the king of Moab had in his hands before, which made the king of Edom the more willing to join in this expedition for the recovery of his son, as Joseph Kimchi thinks; or whom he took now in his sally out upon him, as Moses Kimchi and Ben Gersom, proceeding upon a mistaken sense of ( Amos 2:1) for the king of Edom could have no son that had a right, or was designed to succeed him, since he was but a deputy king himself; and besides, the sacrificing of him was not the way to cause the kings to raise the siege, but rather to provoke them to press it the more closely: it was the king of Moab that took his son and heir to the crown, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall ; that it might be seen by the camp of Israel, and move their compassion; or rather this was done as a religious action, to appease the deity by an human sacrifice so dear and precious, to give success, and cause the enemy to break up the siege; and was either offered to the true God, the God of Israel, in imitation of Abraham, as some Jewish writers fancy f37 , or to his idol Chemosh, the sun; and Jarchi observes, out of an exposition of theirs, that “vau” is wanting in the word for wall, and so may be interpreted of the sun, towards which this burnt offering was offered; and it is observed, from various Heathen authors, that it was usual with the Heathens, when in calamity and distress, to offer up to their gods what was most dear and valuable to them; and particularly the Phoenicians f38 , and from them the Carthaginians had this custom, who at one time offered up two hundred sons of their nobility, to appease their gods f39 : and there was great indignation against Israel ; not of the king of Edom against them, for not rescuing his son, or because they were the means of this disaster which befell him; but of the king of Moab, who was quite desperate, and determined to hold out the siege to the utmost extremity: and they departed, and returned to their own land; the three kings, the one to Edom, the other to Israel, and the third to Judah; when they saw the Moabites would sell their lives so dear, and hold out to the last man, they thought fit to break up the siege; and perhaps were greatly affected with the barbarous shocking sight they had seen, and might fear, should they stay, something else of the like kind would be done.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 20-27 - It is a blessing to be favoured with the company of those who have power with God, and can prevail by their prayers. A kingdom may be upheld and prosper, in consequence of the fervent prayers of those wh are dear to God. May we place our highest regard upon such as are mos precious in his account. When sinners are saying Peace, peace destruction comes upon them: despair will follow their mad presumption In Satan's service and at his suggestion, such horrid deeds have bee done, as cause the natural feelings of the heart to shudder; like the king of Moab's sacrificing his son. It is well not to urge the worst of men to extremities; we should rather leave them to the judgment of God __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ויקח 3947 את 853 בנו 1121 הבכור 1060 אשׁר 834 ימלך 4427 תחתיו 8478 ויעלהו 5927 עלה 5930 על 5921 החמה 2346 ויהי 1961 קצף 7110 גדול 1419 על 5921 ישׂראל 3478 ויסעו 5265 מעליו 5921 וישׁבו 7725 לארץ׃ 776
