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Mesha

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleKing

Mesha, king of Moab, rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab (2Ki.3.4).

Mesha illustration
Mesha

Biography

Mesha, king of Moab, was a wealthy sheep breeder who paid an enormous annual tribute of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams to the kingdom of Israel during the reign of Ahab (2 Kings 3:4). After Ahab's death, Mesha seized the opportunity to rebel against Israelite domination, refusing to continue the tribute payments. This prompted a military coalition of Israel under Joram, Judah under Jehoshaphat, and Edom to march against Moab. Though initially successful, the campaign ended inconclusively after Mesha, in a desperate act, sacrificed his firstborn son on the city wall, provoking what the text describes as "great wrath against Israel" that caused the allies to withdraw (2 Kings 3:27). The famous Moabite Stone, discovered in 1868, provides Mesha's own account of his rebellion and victories.

Significance

Mesha's rebellion and the horrifying sacrifice of his son present one of the Old Testament's most troubling episodes, raising profound questions about the spiritual forces at work in the ancient world. The narrative demonstrates the deadly consequences of Israel's spiritual decline under the Omride dynasty, a weakened Israel invited foreign rebellion and exposed the covenant people to the dark powers of pagan religion. Mesha's story also provides remarkable archaeological confirmation of biblical history through the Moabite Stone, one of the most important inscriptions ever discovered for biblical studies. Theologically, the episode underscores that Israel's security depended not on military power but on covenant faithfulness, and that departure from God created vulnerabilities no alliance could remedy.

Authority Records
FatherCalebChildZiph

Verse Appearances (1)

References

  1. Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
  2. Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
  3. Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
  4. Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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