And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good piece of farmland until it was covered and ruined. They plugged up all the water wells and cut down all the good trees. Only in Kir-haraseth did they leave the stone walls standing, but even there the slingers surrounded the city and attacked it.
The writer is describing how the Israelite and allied armies completely devastated Moab's land, destroying cities, ruining farmland, cutting off water sources, and attacking their last stronghold.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 2 Kings 3, the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom formed an alliance to attack Moab after its king rebelled against Israelite rule following the death of King Ahab. As part of their military campaign, they systematically destroyed Moabite cities, blocked water sources, and cut down valuable trees to cripple the enemy's resources and ensure their defeat. This reflects the brutal warfare tactics common in the ancient Near East, where conquering armies aimed to leave the land uninhabitable.
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