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
In the divided kingdom period of Israel, King Jehoram of Israel allied with the kings of Judah and Edom to fight against Moab's King Mesha, who had rebelled after the death of King Ahab. As the battle intensified and defeat seemed imminent for Mesha, he performed a pagan ritual by sacrificing his eldest son on the city wall to appease his gods and possibly invoke their wrath against the invaders. This act led to great indignation, which the Bible attributes to a supernatural or emotional response that caused the Israelite forces to withdraw and return to their own land.
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