2 Kings 4:1-7. The miracles of Elisha. The increase of the widow's oil (Not in Chronicles) 1. _a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets_ It appears from this that the members of the colleges of prophets did not withdraw themselves from common domestic life altogether. It may be that... [ Continue Reading ]
_save a pot of oil_ The word rendered -pot" is from a root meaning -to anoint" and the LXX. has here -save the oil with which I shall anoint myself". The word may be noticed because it indicates the poverty of the widow. It was not the finest oil, such as would be used for cooking food, that she had... [ Continue Reading ]
_borrow thee vessels_ Another sign of indigence. But the command to borrow many gave promise of the coming help.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door_ R.V. more literally, AND THOU SHALT GO IN AND SHUT, &c. There was to be no display made in connexion with the miracle. For this cause as well as to avoid interruption, the door was shut. The language of the prophet puts the faith of the widow to... [ Continue Reading ]
_who_[R.V. THEY] _brought_the vessels _to her_ The R.V. marks that the Hebrew here begins a new clause with a personal pronoun. The widow's unquestioning obedience, in which her sons also imitated her, has its reward.... [ Continue Reading ]
_she said unto her son_ Here the LXX., apparently only because -sons" had been mentioned before, has here also -sons" and later on in the verse -and they said". The Hebrew is far more natural. Both sons had helped, but it would be to one that her request -Bring me another" would be addressed. _And... [ Continue Reading ]
_she came and told the man of God_ Feeling that the disposal of the oil should be made according to the direction of him who had told her what to do. It would seem to her that the unexpected supply could not be regarded as her own property. _pay thy debt_ Like several of Elisha's miracles, e.g. the... [ Continue Reading ]
Elisha promises a son to the hospitable Shunammite (Not in Chronicles) 8. _And it fell on a day_ From its use elsewhere the Hebrew noun, as here, with the article signifies -on that day", -at that time", and indicates a closer connexion with the preceding narrative than would be gathered from the A... [ Continue Reading ]
_she said unto her husband_ The woman was not content with providing food, but out of reverence for the character of the visitor, desired to provide a lodging also. _I perceive that this_is _a holy man of God_ Probably before the first invitation the woman had learnt something of Elisha's work and t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let us make_ The R.V. brings -I pray thee" to follow these words according to the Hebrew order. _a little chamber … on the wall_ The Hebrew might mean either a chamber with a wall, a walled room, in contradistinction to one built of wood, or a building above the usual roof of the house and so supp... [ Continue Reading ]
_to Gehazi his servant_ Gehazi is mentioned in this narrative, in ch. 2 Kings 5:20 and the following verses, and again in ch. 2 Kings 8:4. He probably stood in the same position to Elisha which the latter had held towards Elijah, though the men were utterly different in character. Gehazi appears fro... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he said unto him_ i.e. Elisha to Gehazi. The prophet does not himself address the woman. Most likely, in all things which he required, Gehazi was his messenger to the house, and so the woman would more readily reply to him than to his master. It is clear from what follows that Gehazi was acquai... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he said_ Clearly, to Gehazi. This the LXX. adds. _Verily she hath no child_ R.V. SON. The R.V. is correct, though it seems from the whole narrative that the woman was childless. Of the great grief felt from want of children we learn in the history of Hannah (1 Samuel 1:10-11). Gehazi had proba... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he said. Call her_ It would seem from these words that the woman had gone away at once after saying she had no wants which needed a petition to the king or the captain of the host. _she stood in the door_ Her reverence for Elisha kept her at the threshold.... [ Continue Reading ]
_according to the time of life_ R.V. WHEN THE TIME COMETH ROUND. The literal sense of the verb is explained on the margin of R.V. = liveth, or reviveth. The phrase is the same which is used Genesis 18:14 to the childless Sarah before the birth of Isaac. _thou man of God_ She appeals to him in the c... [ Continue Reading ]
Here by rendering as in the previous verse the R.V. involves a change of order in the English but conforms thereby more nearly to the Hebrew order. -And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said unto her".... [ Continue Reading ]
The child of the Shunammite dies, and is restored to life by Elisha (Not in Chronicles) 18. _And when the child was grown_ During the years which had elapsed since the birth of the child the journeys of the prophet between Samaria and Carmel had no doubt still continued, and the feeling of reverenc... [ Continue Reading ]
_My head, my head_ The description points to an attack of sunstroke, where the first symptom is pain in the head. But the father thinks lightly of it, for such attacks are more frequent with older persons than with children. He merely tells a servant to carry the child home. Sunstroke is alluded to... [ Continue Reading ]
_he sat on her knees till noon_ The attack was in the early part of the day, when the oblique rays of the sun appear to be most dangerous. The mother's affection shews itself in her unbroken attention.... [ Continue Reading ]
_she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God_ Her thoughts at once go to Elisha and she puts the dead boy into the prophet's chamber, perhaps with the thought that she will bring Elisha back with her, and then he will find the child at once. Or it may be that she felt there would be less... [ Continue Reading ]
_And she called unto her husband_ He appears to have been at no great distance; though the verb is used at times of a message sent by a servant. Thus Numbers 24:10 Balak says to Balaam, -I called thee to curse mine enemies". Cf. also Jdg 12:1; 1 Kings 1:10; 1Ki 1:19; 1 Kings 1:26. _one of the young... [ Continue Reading ]
it is _neither new moon, nor sabbath_ These were the principal occasions of assembling for worship, and it is clear from this history that even in Israel, while the house of Ahab was still on the throne, religious services were regularly held by the prophets in the name of Jehovah. The prophets perf... [ Continue Reading ]
_slack not_thy _riding for me_ R.V. SLACKEN ME NOT THE RIDING. The R.V. thus avoids the pronominal adjective, which has no equivalent in the Hebrew. The servant seems to have been one to run by the side of the rider as a driver, and as a protection, to be ready also in case of mishap. Such runners w... [ Continue Reading ]
_to mount Carmel_ The distance would occupy five or six hours riding. (Bunsen, _Bibelwerk_.) The LXX. inserts at the beginning of this verse a further direction to the servant. -Come, set forth and go to the man of God to Mount Carmel". This is a result of reading the Hebrew words twice over. Proba... [ Continue Reading ]
_run now, I pray thee_ The R.V. puts -now" last of these words, -I pray thee" is closely joined with -run" in the Hebrew. There is a touch of deep feeling in the action of Elisha. He knows that there must be some special reason for a visit at this unusual time, and he would learn, even before the mo... [ Continue Reading ]
_to the hill_ Elisha had been standing on a height which enabled him to command a view of the road for some distance. _she caught him by the feet_ She fell down, and clung to his feet in the attitude of humblest supplication. Cf. Matthew 18:29, where the servant adopts this suppliant posture when a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Did I desire a son_ The words are almost reproachful and make it clear to the prophet that the child is dead. Better had it been for her not to have had the child given to her, than now to have the great sorrow of losing him. _Do not deceive me_ She does not use the stronger term which occurs in t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Gird up thy loins_ With the loose flowing garments of Orientals it is needful when haste is desired, to gather them up and bind them together so that they do not impede the traveller. This is done by a band round the waist. _take my staff in thine hand_ It is not easy to see the purpose of this or... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will not leave thee_ Whether the staff sent by Gehazi may have an effect, she cannot know. Her only security is in Elisha's presence, and with him she will return to her desolated home. It seems as though the prophet had not at first intended to go with her, but she will take no refusal, so he pr... [ Continue Reading ]
there was _neither voice, nor hearing_ In the margin both A.V. and R.V. give -attention" as the literal meaning of the last word. It is the same which in the account of Elijah's contest with the Baal-priests (1 Kings 18:29) is translated -any that regarded". Here it means that no sign of returning l... [ Continue Reading ]
_upon his bed_ i.e. Elisha's bed, in the chamber which was set apart for the prophet and in which the mother had left her child.... [ Continue Reading ]
_shut the door upon them twain_ There is to be no witness, no parade made of the child's restoration. The act is in character like that enjoined above in verse 4. _and prayed unto the Lord_ The whole narrative must be compared with the action of Elijah at Zarephath (1 Kings 17:17-23). There the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he went up_ The verb is used in 2 Kings 1:4, of getting upon a bed. For some old beds it is very appropriate, for formerly they were much higher from the ground than is now the fashion. _and lay upon the child_ (Cf. 1 Kings 17:21.) Probably Elisha knew of the acts of Elijah at Zarephath, and f... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then he returned_ i.e. left the bed. _and walked in the house to and fro_ The R.V. inserts -once" before -to and fro", which is according to the Hebrew. The exertion which he had used, and the emotion and anxiety he felt, would be overpowering. Hence the need for a change of posture. Elisha did no... [ Continue Reading ]
_Take up thy son_ Cf. Christ's words, Luke 7:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
_fell at his feet_ In token of her deep gratitude. This she shews before she will give way to the natural feeling of joy over her restored child. She bowed herself to the ground before Elisha, reverencing in him the God, who had so mightily answered his prayers.... [ Continue Reading ]
Elisha at Gilgal heals the noxious Pottage (Not in Chronicles) 38. _Elisha came again to Gilgal_ There are no notes of time in this narrative, or in the others, though we can see, here and there, that the events are not put together chronologically. (See below, on 2 Kings 8:1.) Elisha had been at G... [ Continue Reading ]
_And one went out_ As the needful services were performed by the members of the college among themselves, it was no doubt one of them who went into the field to gather such herbs as he could find. _a wild vine_ i.e. some wild plant with vine-like tendrils, named here -vine" for want of knowledge of... [ Continue Reading ]
_they cried out_ The bitter taste shewed them that something was wrong, and their thoughts at once suggested that what they had eaten was poisonous. The fruit of the colocynth would produce sickness very soon, but there is no reason to suppose that there was enough in the pottage to kill. _O thou m... [ Continue Reading ]
_bring meal_ He employs something which is wholesome and nourishing as a sign of the change that was to be wrought in the pottage. But we are not to attribute healing virtue to the meal that was used, any more than we should think that the salt (2 Kings 2:21) was the means of healing the waters at J... [ Continue Reading ]
_And his servitor_[R.V. SERVANT] _said_ The word is not the usual one for -servant" which has occurred above in this chapter; but it is rendered elsewhere by -minister" or -servant" (see Exodus 24:13; Exodus 33:11), and nowhere but here -servitor". As the word is used, in the passages referred to, o... [ Continue Reading ]
_they did eat, and left_thereof] Compare with this the miracles of our Lord (Matthew 14:15-21; Matthew 15:32-38; John 6:5-14). In this account of Elisha there is however not much dwelling on the increase of the bread by a miracle, and we are left to accept the result as either brought about in that... [ Continue Reading ]