Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
Then he took his oldest son, who was supposed to become king after him, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the city wall. This caused great anger against Israel, so they withdrew from the battle and returned to their own country.
The writer is describing how the king of Moab sacrificed his own son in desperation during a siege, which so horrified or enraged people that the Israelite forces retreated.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred during a military campaign where Israel, Judah, and Edom had besieged the Moabite capital. The king of Moab, facing certain defeat, performed this shocking act of human sacrifice - likely to his god Chemosh - as a last desperate measure. Child sacrifice was practiced by some ancient Near Eastern cultures during extreme crises, though it was forbidden by God's law for Israel.
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