2 Kings 6:1-7. Elisha causeth an axe lost in the river to float (Not in Chronicles) 1. _And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha_ There is nothing to indicate which out of the various prophetic communities is here spoken of. But by the proposal which follows, that they should go to the Jordan,... [ Continue Reading ]
_take thence every man a beam_ The Jordan valley was well timbered. We see from this, as from previous passages, that these men did for themselves such work as they required. Here they are ready to be their own carpenters. Naturally such a body would neither wish for, nor be able to erect, anything... [ Continue Reading ]
_go with thy servants_ It seems as though they contemplated a removal all at once. In Eastern countries little is thought of camping out in the open country; and this the society were prepared to do while their humble shelter was in preparation. Elisha's presence would give countenance and encourage... [ Continue Reading ]
_when they came to Jordan_ From what follows we see that they went close to the river. Probably the timber would be best grown at the water's edge.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a beam_ The Hebrew noun has the article, the force of which may be - _his_beam", that one to which he was specially devoting himself. _the axe head_ Literally -the iron". The word is the same as in verse 6. But the iron part of the hatchet is the head. _it_was _borrowed_ When the whole society we... [ Continue Reading ]
_He cut down a stick, and cast_it _in thither_ The account is extremely simple, and does not at all fit with the explanations of those who would represent Elisha as holding the stick and when he had put it into the hole for the handle, thus raising the iron from the bottom. The stick is cast on the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore said he_ R.V. AND HE SAID. The conjunction is the simple copulative, and nothing more is needed in the English. _he put out his hand, and took it_ Elisha here wrought, as on previous occasions, for the help of the sons of the prophets. Now however his power is exercised for an individual... [ Continue Reading ]
Elisha makes known the King of Syria's plans. The soldiers sent against Elisha are smitten with blindness, and he leads them into Samaria (Not in Chronicles) 8. _Then_[R.V. NOW] _the king of Syria warred against Israel_ Whether this was before the cure of Naaman or after we have no indication. It i... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel_ As against Syria, the power of Elisha would be most naturally exerted in favour of Israel. In spite of the strong language used against Jehoram (2 Kings 3:13-14) and his family on account of their sins, God's prophet had still much hope of the nation... [ Continue Reading ]
_sent to the place_ A single messenger, against whom the Syrians would do nothing, would be enough to find out whether the prophet's warning were true. _not once nor twice_ i.e. but several times.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore_[R.V. AND] _the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled_ Because he saw on all these occasions that the opportunity he had looked for was taken away. He appears to have been acting on information which told him of expected movements of the forces of Israel. When his design was frustr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Elisha, the prophet that_is IN _Israel_ This mention of Elisha points to such a knowledge of him as might have been gained through Naaman's cure. It may however be that communications of other kinds passed between Syria and Israel, and that in some of these the precise nature of Elisha's conduct wa... [ Continue Reading ]
_go and spy_ R.V. SEE. The original is the ordinary verb rendered -see" in other places. _that I may send and fetch him_ And thus put an end to the source of information enjoyed by the king of Israel. _Dothan_ Only mentioned in the canonical books of the O.T. here and in the history of Joseph (Gene... [ Continue Reading ]
_a great host_ Greatness is comparative. Here was a company such as could be led by Elisha to Samaria, and fed easily when they reached that city. But no doubt they were formidable when employed for the capture of a single man of peace like Elisha, and they had taken up their position by night. _co... [ Continue Reading ]
_the servant_ The word is the same which in 2 Kings 4:43 was rendered -servitor". It is the special and more personal servant. Hence the R.V. puts -or, minister" in the margin. _a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots_ R.V. AN HOST WITH HORSES AND CHARIOTS WAS ROUND ABOUT THE CITY.... [ Continue Reading ]
they _that_be _with us_ Elisha speaks as a man whose eyes are opened, and who in consequence is sure of Jehovah's protection, whether he beholds the angelic host about him or not.... [ Continue Reading ]
_open his eyes_ To the servant there was need of a more manifest vision, and for this Elisha prays, and God vouchsafes to grant it, that the servant may become as confident as his master. It is not that the troops may be gathered that Elisha prays, they are there already, but that the servant may ha... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when they came down to him_ As the words stand, -they" must refer to the Syrian troops, and to understand the sentence we must suppose that Elisha and his servant, the latter encouraged by the heavenly vision, had come forth from the city and been able to pass the gate. After this the Syrians f... [ Continue Reading ]
_This_is _not the way, neither_is _this the city_ i.e. the way to Elisha, and the city where you shall find him. _I will bring you to the man whom ye seek_ But you shall find him in a place where you shall not be able to arrest him. Thus does Elisha use the glamour, or hallucination, under which th... [ Continue Reading ]
_open the eyes of these men_ i.e. give them again the true perception of what is round about them. The prayer has been twice used by Elisha in this narrative, but for two different kinds of illumination. His servant was enabled to look beyond material surroundings and to recognise that there is a sp... [ Continue Reading ]
_My father_ The form of address is strange from the mouth of the king even though he be described (2 Kings 3:2) as better than his father and his mother. It is however one more token of the great influence exercised in Israel by the prophets Elijah and Elisha. In the present instance Jehoram could h... [ Continue Reading ]
_wouldest thou smite_those _whom thou hast taken captive_ The prophet points out that the men are not even captives whom the king himself has taken. Had they been so, yet the laws of war would have forbidden their slaughter at such a time and in cold blood. Much more is it unlawful to slay these, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_he prepared great provision for them_ We can see from the use of the phrase -bread and water" in other passages that the words embrace all kinds of food, and hence that Elisha's injunction was equivalent to saying -Feed them well, and let them go". Cf. for the phrase Deuteronomy 23:4; 1 Kings 18:4... [ Continue Reading ]
Benhadad besieges Samaria. The city suffers terribly from famine, and the king threatens to put Elisha to death (Not in Chronicles) 24. _Ben-hadad_ Probably the same king who was defeated and submitted himself to Ahab (1 Kings 20). _went up, and besieged Samaria_Josephus explains that Jehoram did... [ Continue Reading ]
_a great famine in Samaria_ The walls were protection enough, but the enemy lay outside, and the provisions came to an end. _an ass's head_ This would not, except in dire extremity, be taken for food, but they were in such straits in Samaria that 80 shekels of silver were now given for it. _a kab_... [ Continue Reading ]
_the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall_ Making the necessary rounds to see that the watch was kept up, and everything done that could be done for the security of the city. Josephus says he was afraid lest some one should let in the enemy. The wall must have been furnished with a breast-wor... [ Continue Reading ]
If _the Lord do not help thee_ There is some difficulty here. The word rendered -if … not" is that which in Hebrew is generally put with an imperative = -Let not". So that the sense would be -May the Lord not help thee". So the LXX. But such a wish could hardly have come at such a time into the king... [ Continue Reading ]
_What aileth thee?_ The woman's cry is not stopped by his answer. She has more to speak about than to ask him for food. _This woman said unto me_ It would appear as if she had brought her neighbour along with her, that what she deemed justice might be done her at once. That they should be brought to... [ Continue Reading ]
_she hath hid her son_ So hath famine changed the nature of those whom Jeremiah calls -the pitiful women". The king cannot answer such an appeal, though starvation have made the mother feel that it is a just one.... [ Continue Reading ]
_and he passed by upon the wall_ The R.V. places these words in a parenthesis rendering (Now he was passing by upon the wall). _the people looked_ At such an appeal many would congregate beside the two persons concerned in the matter. he had _sackcloth within upon his flesh_ Cf. the action of his... [ Continue Reading ]
_if the head of Elisha … shall stand on him this day_ We must suppose that Elisha had not been wanting in admonitions to both king and people during this terrible siege, and the anger of Jehoram was great because the prophet, who had wrought so mightily in the war with Moab, and on many another occa... [ Continue Reading ]
2 Kings 6:32 to 2 Kings 7:2. A messenger is sent to put Elisha to death. Elisha foretells a sudden plenty in Samaria (Not in Chronicles) 32. _But Elisha sat in his house_ His counsels had been productive of little result, but he is less disturbed than others, having a ground for his trust which the... [ Continue Reading ]
_while he yet talked with them_ He had hardly explained his knowledge and his wish before action became necessary. The messenger arrived, and we must understand that the king also arrived immediately afterwards, and so the execution of Elisha was stayed, and Jehoram was shewn to be in some degree pe... [ Continue Reading ]