_A.M. 3113. B.C. 891._ Elisha's advice to the Shunammite, 2 Kings 8:1; 2 Kings 8:2. The king restores her land, 2 Kings 8:3. Elisha's prophecy to Hazael, and the death of Ben-hadad, 2 Kings 8:7. The reign of Jehoram, 2 Kings 8:16. Succeeded by Ahaziah, 2 Kings 8:25.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then spake Elisha_ There is nothing in the Hebrew for this particle of time, _then._ It is literally, _And Elisha spake_, or, as Houbigant renders it, _had spoken._ So 2 Kings 8:2, _The woman had arisen, and done_, &c. He conjectures, from 2 Kings 8:4, that this event happened before Gehazi was str... [ Continue Reading ]
_The woman arose, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines_ Which, though bordering upon Israel, was free from the famine: by which it appeared, that the special hand of God was in that calamity, and that it was a judgment from him upon the Israelites for their idolatry, and abuse of the means o... [ Continue Reading ]
_She went to cry unto the king for her house and land_ Which, having been forsaken by her, were possessed by her kindred or others, who probably had obtained a grant of them from the king, and now intended to keep possession of them.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God_ Or, who had been his servant formerly. The law did not forbid conversing with lepers at a due distance, but only the dwelling with them. Thus Naaman conversed with Elisha's family at a distance; and the lepers called to our Lord, as he wen... [ Continue Reading ]
_As he was telling the king, &c., the woman cried to the king,_ &c. By the order of Providence she came to present her petition, and brought her son with her, in that very instant of time when Gehazi was telling the story of Elisha's restoring him to life, that the king might be more fully satisfied... [ Continue Reading ]
_Elisha came to Damascus_ Either to the city so called, or rather, as it seems from 2 Kings 8:9, to the kingdom of Damascus; as _Samaria_, which properly was the name of a city, sometimes means the kingdom of which that city was the capital. Some have thought that Elisha went thither to avoid the fa... [ Continue Reading ]
The _king said, Go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord,_ &c. In his health _he bowed down in the house of Rimmon_, but now he sends to inquire of the God of Israel. It is not long since he sent a great force to seize and treat Elisha as an enemy; yet now he courts and inquires of him as a... [ Continue Reading ]
_And took a present with him, forty camels' burden_ By this noble present, consisting of _every good thing of Damascus_, the king testified his affection to the prophet, bid him welcome to Damascus, and provided for his sustenance while he was there, and the sustenance of those that were with him: f... [ Continue Reading ]
_Say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit_, &c. Here is no contradiction: for the first words contain an answer to Ben- hadad's question, _Shall I recover?_ To which the answer is, _Thou mayest_, notwithstanding thy disease, which is not mortal. The latter words contain the prophet's add... [ Continue Reading ]
_He settled his countenance steadfastly_ Elisha fixed his eyes on Hazael, and looked upon him so earnestly, so long, and with such a settled countenance, that Hazael was ashamed, as apprehending that the prophet discerned or suspected something of an evil and shameful nature in him. The Hebrew words... [ Continue Reading ]
_I know the evil thou wilt do unto the children of Israel_ It was not in Hazael's countenance that Elisha read what he would do; but God did at this time reveal it to him, and gave him such a clear and full view of it, that it greatly affected him. The sins of Israel provoked God to give them up int... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog?_ &c. The expression is used in Scripture to signify vile and unworthy, as in 2 Samuel 3:8; 2 Samuel 9:8; and fierce, barbarous, and inhuman, Psalms 22:16; Psalms 22:20; Psalms 59:6. _That he should do this great thing_ So he terms it, as being, 1st, A th... [ Continue Reading ]
_He told me that thou shouldest surely recover_ This was abominably false. He told him he should die, 2 Kings 8:10; but Hazael unfairly and unfaithfully concealed that, either because he was loath to put the king out of humour with bad news, or because he thought he should thereby the more easily pu... [ Continue Reading ]
_And spread it on his face_ Pretending, it may be, to cool his immoderate heat with it, but applying it so closely that he choked him therewith; the king being weak, and unable to help himself, or perhaps asleep. By this artifice he prevented his crying out, and his death would appear to be natural,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign_ Jehoram was first made king or viceroy by his father, divers years before this time, at his expedition to Ramoth-gilead, which dominion of his ended at his father's return. But now Jehoshaphat, being not far from his death, and having divers sons, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel_ That is, after his father's death. _For the daughter of Ahab_ Namely, Athaliah, 2 Kings 8:26; _was his wife_ By whom he was seduced from the religion of his pious father and grandfather. This unequal marriage, though Jehoshaphat possibly designed it... [ Continue Reading ]
_To give him always a light_ A son and successor, until the coming of the Messiah: for so long, and not longer, this succession might seem necessary for the making good of God's promise and covenant made with David. But when the Messiah was once come, there was no more need of any succession, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
_In his days Edom revolted_ After they had been subject to Judah one hundred and fifty years, ever since the time of David, who subdued that country. This was a great dishonour to him. Hereby, however, the prophecy of Isaac (Gen 27:40) was fulfilled.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joram went over to Zair_ This word is written differently from _Seir_, and therefore, it seems, does not signify any part of the country of Edom, but some city near to it. _And smote the Edomites which compassed him about_ The Edomites were not wanting in their own defence, but had surrounded him w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign_ How this agrees with 2 Chronicles 22:2, see on that place. _The daughter of Omri_ That is, his grand-daughter, 2 Kings 8:18. _He walked in the way of the house of Ahab_ He not only worshipped the calves, but also Baal. _For he was son-in-... [ Continue Reading ]