Daily Tanach Tuesday Sefer Melachim 2 Chapter 3 Part 3: A coalition is made to battle Moav

1. A prophet is sought who miraculously brings water:

• The king cries in despair: The king of Israel exclaimed that alas, seemingly, G-d has summoned them, the three kings, in order to hand them over to the hands of Moav! [As if they do not have water, the soldiers will all disperse to search for water, and will be easily captured by Moav.^[1]]
• Elisha is sought to make a miracle with water: Yehoshafat inquired as to whether there was a prophet of Hashem present from whom they can ask Hashem through him. One of the servants of the king of Israel replied that indeed Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on Eliyahu’s hands [by Mount Carmel and performed a great miracle there by having the water turn into a spring^[2]] is available [here with us and perhaps he now can also make a miracle with water^[3]]. [Elisha received a prophecy to go together with them in battle in order for a great miracle to occur through him and motivate the king of Israel to repent from his evil ways.^[4]] Yehoshafat concorded with the suggestion and said that the word of Hashem is indeed with Elisha [as there is no other reason why he would come join us in battle^[5]]. So, the king of Israel and Yehoshafat and the king of Edom, [descended from their chariots in his honor^[6]] and went down towards Elisha.
• Elisha chastises the king with his sins: Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do you want from me and what connection do we have? Why don’t you seek the advice of the prophets of your father and mother?” The king of Israel asked him to stop speaking that way [in bringing up their sins as they are standing before annihilation] as G-d has summoned us, the three kings, to deliver us into the hands of Moav [and bringing up one’s sins at this time causes extra divine persecution^[7]]. Elisha responded that he swears in the name of Hashem Tzevaos whom he stands before, that if not for the respect that he has for Yehoshafat the king of Yehuda, he would not even look or pay attention to the king of Israel.
• Elisha prophesies through song: Elisha requested for a musician to be brought before him and have him play music in order so the prophecy of G-d may fall upon him [as due to his anger with the king of Israel, the spirit of G-d left him, and he needed to be rejoiced through song in order so the spirit of G-d come back upon him.^[8]]
• Elisha prophesies that there will be abundance of water: Elisha stated, “So says Hashem: This valley will be covered with pools of water, as so says Hashem, You shall not see wind nor rain, and nonetheless you will see that the valley will become filled with water, and you and your cattle and your animals shall drink.
• Elisha prophesies of the annihilation of Moav: Elisha stated, “This miracle of the water will be considered slight in the eyes of Hashem, and He will do for you an even greater miracle and deliver Moav into your hands. You shall strike every fortified city and every chosen city, and you shall destroy every good tree, and you shall stop all the springs of water, and you shall clutter every good field with stones.”
• Water appears in the morning: It was in the morning when the Tamid meal-offering was offered that behold water was witnessed to be coming from the road of Edom; and the land became filled with the water.

[1] Radak 3:10

[2] Rashi 3:11

[3] Rashi ibid

[4] Radak 3:11

[5] Radak 3:12

[6] Radak 3:12

[7] See Rashi, Metzudos David, Radak 3:13

[8] Rashi 3:15; Alternatively, the spirit of G-d had left him since he was in a state of mourning for his master Eliyahu, and the divine presence only rests upon a person who is happy. [Radak 3:15]