2 Kings 3 16

2 Kings 3:16 kjv

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

2 Kings 3:16 nkjv

And he said, "Thus says the LORD: 'Make this valley full of ditches.'

2 Kings 3:16 niv

and he said, "This is what the LORD says: I will fill this valley with pools of water.

2 Kings 3:16 esv

And he said, "Thus says the LORD, 'I will make this dry streambed full of pools.'

2 Kings 3:16 nlt

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

2 Kings 3 verses

2 Kings 3 16 Meaning

Second Kings 3:16 records the prophet Elisha's command to the allied kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom, who were desperately without water during a military campaign. Speaking for the LORD, Elisha instructed them to dig numerous ditches in the dry valley. This directive was a paradoxical act of faith, requiring physical preparation for a miraculous provision of water from God in an unexpected manner and place. It signified that God's solution would come through human obedience, preparing for a divine filling where none seemed possible.

2 Kings 3 16 Context

The events of 2 Kings 3 describe a military alliance formed by King Jehoram of Israel, King Jehoshaphat of Judah, and the King of Edom, aiming to suppress a rebellion by Moab. Their campaign leads them into the wilderness of Edom, where their armies and livestock face a critical water shortage, threatening utter defeat. Jehoshaphat, known for seeking the LORD, proposes consulting a prophet of Yahweh. They seek out Elisha, who initially shows contempt for Jehoram due to his idolatry but agrees to prophesy for the sake of Jehoshaphat. While in a prophetic trance (facilitated by music), Elisha delivers the Lord's instructions, beginning with the command to prepare the valley for water. This verse is the first specific instruction in God's two-part promise: preparation followed by miraculous provision of water and victory over Moab. Historically, the absence of water in desert campaigns was devastating, making Elisha's command to dig ditches in an apparently dry wadi a profound test of faith and obedience, especially in contrast to contemporary pagan beliefs where Baal was thought to control rain, demonstrating Yahweh's unique power.

2 Kings 3 16 Word analysis

• And he said: Refers to Elisha, the prophet of Yahweh, emphasizing his role as God's spokesperson. The authority behind the words is divine, conveyed through the human agent.
• Thus says the LORD: (Hebrew: כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, koh amar Adonai). This is the standard prophetic formula used repeatedly throughout the Old Testament. It signifies that the following message is not Elisha's personal opinion or strategy, but a direct, authoritative revelation from God Himself. It establishes divine mandate for the command.
• Make: (Hebrew: עֲשׂוּ, asu). This is an imperative verb, "you (plural) make/do." It indicates a direct command for active participation from the allied kings and their armies. It highlights that while God would perform the miracle, human effort and obedience were a necessary precondition.
• this valley: (Hebrew: הַגַּיְא הַזֶּה, hagai hazzeh). A "valley" here refers to a wadi, a dry riverbed or ravine common in arid regions. These formations temporarily flow with water during flash floods but are otherwise parched. The instruction pertains to this specific dry, desolate area, underscoring the apparent impossibility of the situation for human solutions alone.
• full of ditches: (Hebrew: גֵּבִים גֵּבִים, gevim gevim).
  • Gevim refers to trenches, pits, or cisterns designed to hold water.
  • The repetition of gevim (a common Hebrew way to intensify meaning) indicates "many, many ditches," or "ditches upon ditches." It implies extensive, thorough, and widespread preparation. It signifies not just one ditch, but a massive undertaking, proportionate to the expected miraculous inflow. This was a direct call to labor and invest in anticipation of an unseen blessing. It was illogical from a human perspective but essential for divine provision.

2 Kings 3 16 Bonus section

The seemingly absurd nature of digging ditches in a dry valley resonates with the principle that God often uses unconventional or counter-intuitive methods to display His power. This not only proves His sovereignty over nature but also challenges human logic and reliance on typical means. The miraculous water was provided without wind or rain (2 Kgs 3:17), which would have been directly linked to pagan deities of storm and fertility. This was a clear demonstration of Yahweh's unique, absolute power, subtly forming a polemic against Baal worship. The command also serves as a spiritual metaphor: we are often called to prepare "ditches" in our lives through obedience, prayer, or sacrificial effort, even when we cannot yet perceive the source or manner of God's coming blessing.

2 Kings 3 16 Commentary

The command in 2 Kings 3:16 embodies a profound lesson in faith and obedience. The allied armies were in a desperate state, surrounded by dry land and facing certain death from thirst. Elisha's directive to "make this valley full of ditches" would have seemed utterly nonsensical, even burdensome, to men facing immediate crisis with no visible water source. Yet, God commanded labor, not passive waiting. The ditches represented containers of expectancy, vessels prepared to receive a divine blessing that had not yet appeared. God chose an unconventional method—not rain, but a sudden influx of water from the direction of Edom, which would fill these prepared depressions. This action required the armies to act before the miracle, demonstrating their trust in the prophetic word over their grim reality. It teaches that God often asks for our participation and preparation in the natural realm before He performs the supernatural, thereby making our faith an integral part of His intervention.