Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years. Ver. 1. _Then spake Elisha._] Or, Elisha had spok... [ Continue Reading ]
And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. Ver. 2. _And sojourned in the land of the Philistines._] Their fields flourish, while the soil of Israel yieldeth nothing but weeds and barrenn... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land. Ver. 3. _To cry unto the king for her house and for her land._] Which in her so long absence was seized on, either by the... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. Ver. 4. _And the king talked with Gehazi._] Though a leper, as he might: the leper was only to dwell alone without the camp. Lev 13:46 Besides, Gehazi might by th... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this [is] the woman, and this [is] her son, whom Elisha restored to... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that [was] hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now. Ver. 6. _Restore all that was hers._] Now the Shunammite thinks her table and... [ Continue Reading ]
And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither. Ver. 7. _Benhadad the king of Syria was sick._] _Ex terrore et moerore:_ he was so vexed at the late shameful flight of his host from the siege of Samaria, occasioned by... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? Ver. 8. _Take a present._] For so he thought to purchase the prophet's favour, as they were wont to do their soothsayers' and sorcerers'... [ Continue Reading ]
So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? Ver. 9. Forty camels' burden] A very great pres... [ Continue Reading ]
And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die. Ver. 10. Thou mayest certainly recover:] _Responsum_ ειρωνικον, saith one: _Vult Propheta impium illum vana spe deludi,_ saith another; that is, the prophet mocketh t... [ Continue Reading ]
And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept. Ver. 11. _And he settled his countenance steadfastly._] Heb., And set it. He settled his countenance and looked wistly with a comely gravity; Elisha did so upon Hazael. _ Until he was ashamed._] Till Hazael b... [ Continue Reading ]
And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. Ver. 12. _Becau... [ Continue Reading ]
And Hazael said, But what, [is] thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou [shalt be] king over Syria. Ver. 13. _But what, is thy servant a dog?_] Curst and cruel, so as to tear men's entrails, and to devour them. Hazael could not i... [ Continue Reading ]
So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me [that] thou shouldest surely recover. Ver. 14. _He told me thou shouldst surely recover._] He relateth the prophet's words with the same honesty, saith Junius, as he afterwards... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped [it] in water, and spread [it] on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead. Ver. 15. _He took a thick cloth._] A blanket, saith the Vulgate; a haircloth, saith Pagnine; a coarse canvas, saith the Chaldee; an... [ Continue Reading ]
And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat [being] then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. Ver. 16. _Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign._] Whilst his father was yet living, for preventing of mischief a... [ Continue Reading ]
Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. Ver. 17. _And he reigned eight years._] Six years he reigned with his father, and eight years after him. See Ussher's _Annals of the World_ .... [ Continue Reading ]
And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. Ver. 18. _For the daughter of Ahab was his wife._] That wicked woman Athaliah, who drew him to her father's courses.... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give him alway a light, [and] to his children. Ver. 19. _To give him alway a light._] _i.e., _ A successor, till Shiloh should come. Luk 1:31 For although the Maccabees, who were of another tribe, bore sway for... [ Continue Reading ]
In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. Ver. 20. _In his days Edom revolted._] And so fulfilled old Isaac's prophecy, Gen 27:40 for the punishment of this idolatrous tyrant, who had lately imbrued his hands in the blood of his six brethren, with othe... [ Continue Reading ]
So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents. Ver. 21. _So Joram went over to Zair._] That is, To Idumea, then a flourishing country; now it l... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. Ver. 22. _Then Libna revolted at the same time._] So that Joram taken off thereby, could not prosecute his victory over the Edmonites. Libna was a city of Judah, and given to the priests. Joshua 21:... [ Continue Reading ]
And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Ver. 23. _Are they not written?_] See 1 Kings 11:41 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. Ver. 24. _And was buried with his fathers._] Buried as they had been, yet not in the sepulchres of the kings, but in some other common burying place, without the ordinar... [ Continue Reading ]
In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign. Ver. 25. _In the twelfth year._] In the end of the eleventh, 2Ki 9:29 and beginning of the twelfth.... [ Continue Reading ]
Two and twenty years old [was] Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel. Ver. 26. _Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah._] Two and forty, saith another prophet, 2Ch 22:2 though the Septuagint ther... [ Continue Reading ]
And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as [did] the house of Ahab: for he [was] the son in law of the house of Ahab. Ver. 27. _For he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab._] His father was so, and himself might be so too by his mother Athaliah's per... [ Continue Reading ]
And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramothgilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram. Ver. 28. _And the Syrians wounded Joram._] See on 2 Kings 5:7 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. Ver. 29. _To be healed in Jezree... [ Continue Reading ]