_King, Benadad, who had defeated Achab, and was slain by Hazael; (chap. viii.; Tirinus) or, according to Salien, Hazael was already king. (Menochius) --- Josephus passes over this history. It is not known for what reason, (Calmet) unless he was staggered at the petition of Naaman, ver. 18, 19. (Hayd... [ Continue Reading ]
_Robbers; soldiers. (Tirinus) (2 Kings iv. 2.) --- Such invaded the dominions of Joachin, chap. xxiv. 2. Irruptions of this nature were then very common, (see Judges xi. 3., and Job i. 15.) and regarded as noble military exploits. When the Greeks first became acquainted with navigation, they exercis... [ Continue Reading ]
_Raiment; the tunic and the cloak, (Calmet) of a finer sort. (Tirinus)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Leprosy. The cure was deemed very difficult; as it generally kept gaining ground, and destroyed the constitution. See Numbers xii. 12., and Isaias liii 4. (Calmet) --- Me. The letter was, in effect, written in a haughty style, (Menochius) and the king might naturally infer that war would be the con... [ Continue Reading ]
_Israel; able to perform much greater wonders, by God's assistance. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Messenger. Eliseus supports the dignity of God's envoy, and shews the general that his cure was to be attributed, not to the presence of the prophet, but to the will and goodness of God._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Pharphar. Benjamin (p. 53) informs us that the former river serves to water the city, and the second the surrounding gardens. Maundrell could discover no vestiges of these names in Syria, but he describes the Barrady, which supplies Damascus with abundance of water. Stephanus calls it Bardine; and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Father; a title given to masters, kings, &c. The Romans senators were styled, "conscript fathers;" and Homer calls kings "the fathers and shepherds of the people." See Genesis xlv. 8. (Calmet) --- Masters may often derive benefit from the observations of their servants, as Naaman did repeatedly, ve... [ Continue Reading ]
_Clean. If bathing seven times in the Jordan had been an infallible remedy, there would soon have been no lepers in the land; and our Saviour plainly intimates that the cure was miraculous, Luke iv. 27. The leprosy of Naaman, though inveterate, was cured in an instant. To bathe in a rapid stream, is... [ Continue Reading ]
_A blessing. A present, (Challoner) accompanied with wishes of happiness, on both sides. We have seen that the prophets generally received such presents. But Eliseus acts with more reserve in regard of this stranger, as St. Paul did towards the new converts; though he received some sustenance from t... [ Continue Reading ]
Mule; ( burdonum,) the offspring of a horse and of an ass. (Menochius) --- Earth, to make brick for an altar, or to inclose within a box of brass, as was done in the altar of holocausts in the desert; or, in fine, to sprinkle on some clean place, where an altar might be erected, in honour of the tru... [ Continue Reading ]
Remmon, denotes "a pomegranate," or something "elevated," and is probably an epithet of the sun, the chief idol of the Syrians, which was also styled Adad, "one," as both are united, Zacharias xii. 11. --- Rempham is probably the same divinity, Acts vii. 43. Septuagint here read, Remman. Hesychius e... [ Continue Reading ]
Go in peace. What the prophet here allowed, was not an outward conformity to an idolatrous worship, but only a service which by his office he cowed to his master; who, on all public occasions, leaned on him: so that his bowing down when his master bowed himself down, was not in effect adoring the id... [ Continue Reading ]
_Liveth. How unnecessary was this oath! But the Simoniac has no regard for any thing but money. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Him. The weight must have been considerable, (6000 sicles, ver. 26., and Exodus xxxviii. 25.; Haydock) otherwise Giezi would have preferred carrying them himself, that his master might not know. (Calmet) --- He had pretended a reluctance to take more than one talent, not to swerve from his master's... [ Continue Reading ]
_Evening. Septuagint, Syriac, &c., seems to have read aupol, instead of the present Hebrew hopel, eminence," (Calmet) Protestants, "tower," (Haydock) at or near Samaria; when Giezi thought proper to take the burden himself to prevent detection. Eliseus would hardly dismiss the Syrians, when the nigh... [ Continue Reading ]
_Present is not expressed in Hebrew but must be understood. Protestants, "Went not mine heart with thee. " (Haydock) --- God has revealed the whole transaction to me. (Menochius) --- Heart in Scripture, often denotes the spirit or soul. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
For ever. Not perhaps to those who might be already born, unless they were accomplices in the crime. The leprosy is hereditary. Giezi was punished for simony, in selling the miracle, as well as for lying and disobedience. (Calmet) --- He might also have given occasion to Naaman to judge ill of his m... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER V.... [ Continue Reading ]