2 Kings 6:1-7

V. A LEVITATION MIRACLE 6:1-7

TRANSLATION

(1) And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now the place where we sit before you is too cramped for us. (2) Let us go, we pray you, unto the Jordan, and let us take from there each man a beam, and let us construct for ourselves a place in which to dwell. And he said, Go. (3) And one said, Consent, I pray you, to go with your servants. And he said, I will go. (4) And he went with them. And they came to the Jordan, and cut down trees. (5) And it came to pass as one was felling a beam, the axhead fell into the water; and he cried, and said, Alas, my master! for it was a borrowed one. (6) And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. And he cut off a stick, and cast it there, and the axhead floated. (7) And he said, Take it up. And he put forth his hand and took it.

COMMENTS

The school of the prophets at Jericho had grown so much that the building it hitherto had occupied was no longer adequate. A larger facility was needed; but the students would make no move without the advice and consent of their prophetic master (2 Kings 6:1). When Elisha next visited Jericho, the students there proposed to him that a new dwelling be built a few miles from Jericho near the Jordan where trees for such a purpose would be readily available. With each student doing his share of the work, the structure could be completed in short order. Constructing the building near the Jordan would save the trouble of conveying the materials from the river back to Jericho. To this proposal Elisha gave his sanction and encouragement (2 Kings 6:2). One of the group was not satisfied with Elisha's approval of the project, but wished for his actual presence and supervision. Again in the most simple and direct manner Elisha assented (2 Kings 6:3).

As the men were working, felling trees and fashioning them into rough beams (2 Kings 6:4), an axhead (lit., the iron) flew from one man's haft and into the murky waters of the river. The man who had wielded that ax was distraught, and cried out to Elisha, Alas, my master, for it was a borrowed one! (2 Kings 6:5). What would he tell the owner of that ax! The man made no direct request for assistance, but the tone of his exclamation constituted an oblique call for help. Elisha, being always interested in the personal problems of his disciples, asked to be shown the spot where the axhead entered the stream. The man of God then cut off a branch and cast it upon the water at that point. The axhead miraculously was caused to rise to the surface of the water (2 Kings 6:6).[537] In order to test the faith of the student, Elisha then ordered the student to take up the axhead from the water. He must show that he really believed that the axhead was floating on the surface, and that he was not merely experiencing an optical illusion (2 Kings 6:7).

[537] Naturalistic explanations of this miraclethat Elisha used the stick to pry the axhead from the bottom of the streamdo violence to the account. Rawlinson (PC, p. 120) rightly comments: The sacred writers are not concerned to put on record mere acts of manual dexterity.