And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
Mesha, who was king of Moab, raised sheep for a living. Every year he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of 100,000 lambs and 100,000 rams, along with their wool.
This verse describes how King Mesha of Moab was forced to pay heavy taxes to Israel in the form of sheep and wool as a sign of his submission.
📚 Historical Context
In the 9th century BC, Moab was a kingdom east of the Dead Sea that had been subjugated by Israel under King David, making it a vassal state required to pay tribute. Mesha, as king of Moab, was obligated to provide large quantities of livestock to the king of Israel, which reflected the economic exploitation and political dominance common in ancient Near Eastern empires. This verse sets the stage for the Moabite rebellion described in the following chapters of 2 Kings.
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