2 Kings 8:1-6. The land of the Shunammite is restored to her by the king's order for the sake of Elisha's miracles (Not in Chronicles) 1. _Then spake Elisha_ R.V. NOW ELISHA HAD SPOKEN. It is clear from verse 3 that Elisha's advice was given at least seven years before the event narrated in these ve... [ Continue Reading ]
_sojourned in the land of the Philistines_ As in Jacob's time, the patriarch with his family was sent into Egypt, an idolatrous land, because of the famine, so the pious Shunammite, for her life's support, goes forth among the Philistines, and stays there seven years.... [ Continue Reading ]
_she went forth to cry unto the king_ She had reached Shunem, and found her land in other hands. It may be that some encroaching neighbour had entered on the untenanted property, or it may have been seized for the king as being deserted of its owner. In either case the king is the person to be appea... [ Continue Reading ]
_the king talked_[R.V. WAS TALKING] _with Gehazi_ For a brief conference we find Naaman coming to the court of Israel and probably obtaining an interview with the king or some of those in immediate attendance on him. So if Jehoram were desirous to know everything about Elisha, he might for a short t... [ Continue Reading ]
_had restored a dead_body _to life_ R.V. TO LIFE HIM THAT WAS DEAD. This would be among the greatest of the great works of Elisha, and Jehoram's interest would consequently be at its height.... [ Continue Reading ]
_she told him_ i.e. confirmed the narrative which Gehazi had given, and at the same time took advantage of the king's interest in Elisha, to press her plea for the restitution of her land. _Restore all that_was _hers_ It would seem from this as if the king himself had been put in possession of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Elisha visits Damascus. Benhadad, being sick, sends Hazael to enquire of Elisha. Benhadad is murdered by Hazael (Not in Chronicles) 7. _And Elisha came_to _Damascus_ Probably here -Damascus" is used not for the city, but for the district. For Hazael (verse 9) has a journey to make to meet the prophe... [ Continue Reading ]
_the king said unto Hazael_ Josephus says Hazael was the most trusted of Benhadad's household. He was evidently one of his chief ministers, and must have been in some prominent position at the time when God's message came to Elijah to anoint him as future king. _in thine hand_ The Hebrew expression... [ Continue Reading ]
_even_of _every good thing of Damascus_ Cf. the present which Jacob sent by his sons when they were going down into Egypt to buy food (Genesis 43:11), -Take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present &c." _forty camels" burden_ The number of camels was for disp... [ Continue Reading ]
_Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly_[R.V. SHALT SURELY] _recover_ This is not the translation of the Hebrew text (_Kethib_) but of the marginal reading [_Keri_. The variation is between לא the negative and לו the pronoun and preposition. The text would be rendered -Go say; Thou shalt _not_recov... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he settled his countenance stedfastly_ The R.V. adds -upon him" in italics. This no doubt is the sense. Elisha fixed a stedfast gaze on the messenger. -The seer of God descries more in Hazael than he could see in himself: he fixes his eyes therefore stedfastly in the Syrian's face, as one that... [ Continue Reading ]
_and wilt dash their children_ R.V. AND WILT DASH IN PIECES THEIR LITTLE ONES. We have no details of Hazael's cruelty in the future, but hints of it are found. In 2 Kings 10:32 it is said -Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel", and in 2 Kings 13:3 we read -the Lord delivered Israel into the... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Hazael said, But what,_is _thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?_ R.V. AND HAZAEL SAID, BUT WHAT IS THY SERVANT, WHICH IS BUT A DOG, THAT HE SHOULD DO THIS GREAT THING? Hazael has felt the keenness of the prophet's glance, and finds that his thoughts are known, and his inmost d... [ Continue Reading ]
_So_[R.V. THEN] _he departed from Elisha_ The last words of the prophet had shewn him that his whole aim was clear in Elisha's sight, and his character thoroughly read. He had been treated as a man who would give a soft answer whatever the real message might be, and now he is sent away with the know... [ Continue Reading ]
_on the morrow_ He would not tarry. The means he employed was probably the coverlet of the bed, which, soaked and laid over the sick man's face, would effectually stop his breath. The noun rendered -thick cloth" [R.V. THE COVERLET] is only found here, but it is connected with a verb which signifies... [ Continue Reading ]
Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. His wars with Edom and Libnah (2 Chronicles 21:1-20) 16. _In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab_ On the difficulties connected with the chronology of this period, see above on 2 Kings 1:17. On the strength of the words in this verse -Jehoshaphat be... [ Continue Reading ]
_when he_began _to reign_ The narrative of the Chronicler (2 Chronicles 21:2-4) tells how at the commencement of his reign Jehoram slew his seven brothers as well as some of the princes of Israel. Thus he proved himself of a like character with Athaliah, whom he married.... [ Continue Reading ]
_as did the house of Ahab_ Jehoshaphat's friendship and alliance with Ahab's house brought the ways of Israel into the kingdom of Judah. _the daughter of Ahab_ i.e. Athaliah, who, after the death of Ahaziah (2 Kings 11:1), slew all the seed royal of Judah, with the exception of Joash, Ahaziah's son... [ Continue Reading ]
_Yet_[R.V. HOWBEIT] _the Lord would not destroy_ The R.V. has adopted the rendering of Chronicles, where the original is the same as here. _as he promised him to give him alway a lights_, and _to his children_ R.V. AS HE PROMISED HIM TO GIVE UNTO HIM A LAMP FOR HIS CHILDREN ALWAY. The italic -and" i... [ Continue Reading ]
_Edom revolted_ In Solomon's time, Hadad (1 Kings 11:14) recovered the kingdom of Edom, which had been overthrown by David (2 Samuel 8:14). But by the time of Jehoshaphat the Edomites were again subject to Judah (1 Kings 22:47) and appear to have continued so until the time of the revolution here me... [ Continue Reading ]
_So Joram went_[R.V. THEN JORAM PASSED] _over to Zair_ The name Zair is only found here. In the parallel passage of 2 Chronicles 21. we find -with his princes" instead of -to Zair", and as there is some similarity of sound between the two Hebrew forms, it has been thought by some that there is a mis... [ Continue Reading ]
_Yet_[R.V. SO] _Edom revolted_ The conjunction is changed to conform to the rendering in 2 Chronicles 21. As the army of Joram was defeated, the Edomites secured their independence, and that continued till the date of the record from which the compiler of the Kings drew his information. So he copies... [ Continue Reading ]
_the rest of the acts of Joram_ In Chronicles we are told of the high places which he made in the mountains of Judah, and how he compelled the people to worship there. In consequence of this a writing is said to have come to him from Elijah the prophet rebuking him for his evil doing, and telling of... [ Continue Reading ]
Reign of Ahaziah king of Judah. His war against Hazael king of Syria. Joram king of Israel helps Ahaziah and is wounded (2 Chronicles 22:1-6) 25. _Joram … Jehoram_ To prevent confusion it will be convenient to adopt the orthography of this verse for these names, Joram king of Israel, and Jehoram ki... [ Continue Reading ]
_Two and twenty years old_was _Ahaziah_ In 2 Chronicles 22:2 his age is given as _forty-two_. This cannot be correct, but is due to a misreading of the Hebrew letters which were used as numerals. Jehoram, the father of Ahaziah, was _thirty-two_years old (see verse 17) when he began to reign and he r... [ Continue Reading ]
_he walked in the way of the house of Ahab_ The Chronicler adds -for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly". _and did evil_ R.V. THAT WHICH WAS EVIL. The usual change, which will not again be noticed.... [ Continue Reading ]
_to the war against Hazael_ Hazael was already beginning to fulfil the forecast of Elisha. Ramoth-gilead belonged to Israel (1 Kings 22:3) but now, as in Ahab's reign, it was being seized by the Syrians. Joram, Ahab's son, had ill-fortune like that of his father in the Syrian war, though as is evide... [ Continue Reading ]
_And king Joram went back_[R.V. RETURNED] _to be healed in Jezreel_ The verb is changed to conform to the translation in Chronicles. Jezreel was one of the capital cities of the northern kingdom, where was a royal palace, and where all attendance could be procured. _Ramah_ This is put for Ramoth-gi... [ Continue Reading ]