2 Kings 3:16
New International Version
and he said, “This is what the LORD says: I will fill this valley with pools of water.

New Living Translation
and he said, “This is what the LORD says: This dry valley will be filled with pools of water!

English Standard Version
And he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I will make this dry streambed full of pools.’

Berean Standard Bible
and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’

King James Bible
And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.

New King James Version
And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’

New American Standard Bible
And he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’

NASB 1995
He said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’

NASB 1977
And he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’

Legacy Standard Bible
And he said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’

Amplified Bible
He said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Make this valley (the Arabah) full of trenches.’

Christian Standard Bible
Then he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig ditch after ditch in this wadi.’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig ditch after ditch in this wadi.’

American Standard Version
And he said, Thus saith Jehovah, Make this valley full of trenches.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said: “Thus says LORD JEHOVAH: this valley shall be made pits of pits.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of trenches.

Contemporary English Version
The LORD says that this dry riverbed will be filled with water.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thus saith the Lord: Make the channel of this torrent full of ditches.

English Revised Version
And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of trenches.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches.

Good News Translation
and he said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Dig ditches all over this dry stream bed.

International Standard Version
so he said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Fill this valley with trench after trench!'

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said: 'Thus saith the LORD: Make this valley full of trenches.

Literal Standard Version
and he says, “Thus said YHWH: Make this valley ditches—ditches;

Majority Standard Bible
and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’

New American Bible
and he announced: “Thus says the LORD: Provide many catch basins in this wadi.

NET Bible
and he said, "This is what the LORD says, 'Make many cisterns in this valley,'

New Revised Standard Version
And he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I will make this wadi full of pools.’

New Heart English Bible
He said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Make this valley full of trenches.'

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.

World English Bible
He said, “Yahweh says, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’

Young's Literal Translation
and he saith, 'Thus said Jehovah, Make this valley ditches -- ditches;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joram Overcomes Moab's Rebellion
15But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha 16and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’ 17For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’…

Cross References
2 Kings 3:15
But now, bring me a harpist." And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha

2 Kings 3:17
For the LORD says, 'You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink--you and your cattle and your animals.'


Treasury of Scripture

And he said, Thus said the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.

Make this valley

2 Kings 4:3
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

Numbers 2:18,16-18
On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their armies: and the captain of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud…

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Dry Full Pools Stream-Bed Valley Water-Holes
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Dry Full Pools Stream-Bed Valley Water-Holes
2 Kings 3
1. Jehoram's reign
4. Mesha rebels
6. Jehoram, with Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom, being distressed for want of water,
13. by Elisha obtains water, and promise of victory
21. The Moabites, deceived by the colour of the water, coming to spoil, are overcome
26. The king of Moab sacrifices his son, and raises the siege














(16) Make.--Right (infinitive, equivalent to an energetic imperative).

Valley.--Nahal, wady, torrent-bed, gully. According to Thenius, "the brook Zered" of Deuteronomy 2:13 is meant; the present Wady el-Ahsy, (or el-Hasa) which forms the natural southern boundary of Moab, and from which several gorges lead up into the Moabite highlands. (See Isaiah 15:7.)

Full of ditches.--Literally, pits, pits. (Comp. Genesis 14:10 : "Wells, wells of bitumen.") The pits were to gather the water, which otherwise would soon have run away in the bed of the torrent (Jeremiah 14:3-4). The style of the oracle is stamped with the liveliness and originality of historic truth.

Verse 16. - And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches; rather, full of pits (βοθύβους, LXX.). The object was to detain the water which would otherwise have all run off down the torrent-course in a very little time.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and he said,
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“This is what
כֹּ֖ה (kōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the LORD
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

says:
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Dig
עָשֹׂ֛ה (‘ā·śōh)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 6213: To do, make

this
הַזֶּ֖ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

valley
הַנַּ֥חַל (han·na·ḥal)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5158: A stream, a winter torrent, a, valley, a shaft

full of ditches.’
גֵּבִֽים׃ (gê·ḇîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1356: A log, well, cistern


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OT History: 2 Kings 3:16 He said Thus says Yahweh Make this (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 3:15
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