2 Kings 3:5 — Bible Verse (KJV)

2 Kings 3:5 in Context — 2 Kings 3

³ Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

⁴ 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.

⁵ But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

⁶ And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.

⁷ And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.

Read the full chapter: 2 Kings 3 — Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart →

What Does 2 Kings 3:5 Mean?

Proverbs 3:5-6 — 'Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths' — is the most quoted Proverbs passage in Christian life. Its wisdom cuts against the deep grain of human independence. Solomon identifies two opposite postures: trusting God with all one's heart (total reliance) vs. leaning on one's own understanding (human self-sufficiency). The command to trust is not passive — it requires an active decision to release the grip of control. 'Lean not' implies that leaning on our own understanding is the natural, gravitational pull of the fallen heart. The promise is extraordinary: 'he shall direct thy paths.' The Hebrew word (yashar) means to make straight, to remove obstacles. This is not a promise that every decision will be easy or that the path will always be clear in advance — it is a promise that the One who knows the end from the beginning will guide those who trust him. 'In all thy ways' — not just the big spiritual decisions, but business, relationships, health, finances, family — everything is subject to God's direction for those who acknowledge him.

2 Kings 3:5 is from the Book of 2 Kings (Old Testament), chapter 3. Available translations: King James Version (1611), World English Bible (2000), American Standard Version (1901), Young's Literal Translation (1862), Darby Translation (1890), Geneva Bible (1599). Read 2 Kings 3 in full context →