VI. THE HISTORY OF ELISHA’S MIGHTY WORKS CONTINUED. (1-7) The prophet causes an iron ax-head to float ın the Jordan. (1) AND THE SONS OF THE PROPHETS SAID. — The form of the verb implies connection with the preceding narrative; but as the section refers to Elisha’s activity among the sons of the... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE THENCE EVERY MAN A BEAM. — The Jordan valley was well wooded. Its present bed is still “overarched by oleanders, acacias, thorns, and similar shrubbery.” If all were to take part in felling the trees, the work would soon be done. WHERE WE MAY DWELL. — Literally, _to sit_ (or, _dwell_) _there_.... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE. — Heb., _the one_, whoever it was. BE CONTENT. — _Consent,_ or, _be willing._ GO WITH THY SERVANTS. — To superintend their work, and help them in case of unforeseen difficulty.... [ Continue Reading ]
WOOD. — Heb., _the timber: scil._, which they required.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT. — Heb., _and it came to pass, the one was felling the beam._ Not necessarily “the one” of 2 Kings 6:3, but the one (whoever it was) to whom the mishap occurred, as presently related. THE AX HEAD FELL. — Heb., _and as for the iron, it fell._ The subject of the verb is made prominent by being pu... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE. — _Whereintof?_ or,_ Where fell it in?_ THE IRON DID SWIM. — He _caused the iron to float._ (Comp. Deuteronomy 11:4 for the verb.) The iron ax-head did not swim, but simply rose to the surface. It had fallen in near the bank. Elisha’s throwing in the stick was a symbolical act, intended to he... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE. — _And he said._ (8–23) Elisha baffles several predatory attempts of the Syrians, and strikes with blindness those sent to seize him.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE KING OF SYRIA WARRED. — Rather, _Now the king of Syria_ (Aram)_ was warring, i.e.,_ continually. The time intended cannot be the reign of Jehoahaz, for here the Syrians achieve nothing of importance. (Comp. 2 Kings 6:32.) TOOK COUNSEL WITH. — Comp. 2 Chronicles 20:21. SUCH AND SUCH. — The... [ Continue Reading ]
PASS. — _Pass over, across, or through._ SUCH A PLACE. — _This place._ THITHER. — _There._ COME DOWN. — Coming down. Another anomalous Hebrew form (_nĕhittîm_). Some would recognise here again a corruption of the same verb as in 2 Kings 6:8, and render, “for there the Syrians are _about hiding_”... [ Continue Reading ]
SENT. — A sufficient force to hold the place, so that the Syrians had to return unsuccessful. WARNED. — Ezekiel 3:19; 2 Chronicles 19:10. SAVED HIMSELF. — _Was wary; on his guard_ (2 Kings 6:9). NOT ONCE NOR TWICE refers to the statement of the entire verse. On more than one occasion, and in rega... [ Continue Reading ]
TROUBLED. — Literally, storm-tost. The phrase is not found elsewhere in the Old Testament. (Comp. the use of the same verb in Jonah 1:11; Jonah 1:13; Isaiah 54:11.) WHICH OF US IS FOR THE KING OF ISRAEL? — “Which of us?” is an expression only found here (_mishshellânû_). Pointed differently, the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE OF HIS SERVANTS. — The old interpreters thought of _Naaman,_ but Elisha’s fame may have been otherwise known at Damascus. NONE. — _Nay._ THE WORDS. — The LXX. and Vulg.,”all the words.” TELLETH. — From time to time, as the Hebrew form denotes.... [ Continue Reading ]
FETCH. — _Take._ DOTHAN. — A contracted dual (equivalent to Dothain LXX., Dothaim). It lay on a hill, twelve Roman miles north-east of Samaria, in a narrow pass (Jdt. 4:5; Jdt. 7:3; Jdt. 8:3), on the caravan route from Gilead to Egypt (Genesis 37:17). The old name survives in a _Tell,_ covered with... [ Continue Reading ]
A GREAT HOST. — Of infantry. Not, however, an _army_ but a _company_. (See 2 Kings 6:23.) THEY CAME BY NIGHT. — So as to take the city by surprise.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SERVANT OF THE MAN OF GOD. — _One waiting on_ (_i.e._, a minister of) _the man of God_. Not Gehazi, who is never called Elisha’s _minister_, and is usually mentioned by name. WAS RISEN EARLY. — For the Hebrew construction, comp. Psalms 127:2; Isaiah 5:11; Hosea 6:4. GONE FORTH. — To the outsid... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THAT BE WITH US... WITH THEM. — Comp. Numbers 14:9; Psalms 3:6, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about”; and 2 Chronicles 32:7, with Notes.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD OPENED THE EYES OF THE YOUNG MAN; AND HE SAW. — Just as the Lord had opened Elisha’s own eyes to see the like vision of unearthly glory when his master was taken away (2 Kings 2:10; 2 Kings 2:12). (Comp. also Numbers 22:31.) THE MOUNTAIN. — On which Dothan stood. HORSES AND CHARIOTS OF... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY CAME DOWN TO HIM. — This would mean that the _Syrians came down_ to Elisha. But the prophet was, to begin with, in the city, which lay on the top of the hill; and the heavenly host intervened between him and his enemies, so that the latter must have occupied the lower position. The rea... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS NOT THE WAY, NEITHER IS THIS THE CITY. — These words pre-suppose, according to Josephus, that the prophet had asked them whom they were seeking, and that they had replied, “The prophet Elisha.” Thenius and Bähr accept this. Keil says, “Elisha’s words contain a falsehood, and are to be judged... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THEY WERE IN THE MIDST OF SAMARIA. — Michaelis wonders how such a host could be led _into_ the city without putting themselves on their guard. He overlooks the supernatural bewilderment which had fallen upon them. When their eyes were opened, and they realised their whereabouts, dismay and a... [ Continue Reading ]
MY FATHER. — Comp. 2 Kings 2:12; 2 Kings 8:9 (“Thy son Ben-hadad”), 2 Kings 13:14. SHALL I SMITE THEM,? SHALL I SMITE THEM? — Or, _May I smite? may I smite, my father?_ The repetition expresses the king’s eagerness to slay his powerless enemies. He asks the prophet’s permission. (Comp. 2 Kings 4:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT NOT. — Or, _thou must not_. WOULDEST THOU SMITE... THY BOW? — The Hebrew order is, “An quos ceperis gladío et arcu percussuruses?” (Comp. Genesis 48:22.) Elisha says, “These men are virtually prisoners of war, and therefore are not to be slain in cold blood.” The LXX., Targum, Syriac, an... [ Continue Reading ]
HE. — The king of Israel. PREPARED GREAT PROVISION. — Or, _a great feast_. The Hebrew verb (_kârâh_) occurs nowhere else in this sense. The noun (_kçrâh_) is cognate with it, and the root meaning seems to be _union_: such as takes place at a common meal. Thenius renders _kçrâh_ by “das Gastrund” —... [ Continue Reading ]
(24-7:20) THE SIEGE OF SAMARIA AND THE FAMINE. THE DELIVERANCE, AS FORETOLD BY ELISHA. (24) AFTER THIS. — _Afterwards._ The term plainly implies _chronological_ sequence. BEN-HADAD. — Ben-hadad II., who had besieged Samaria in the reign of Ahab (1 Kings 20:1). He is mentioned on the monuments of Sh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS. — _There arose_. In consequence of the siege. BESIEGED. — _Were besieging._ FOURSCORE PIECES. — Eighty shekels — _i.e.,_ about £10. Ass’s flesh would not ordinarily be eaten at all, and the head of any animal would be the cheapest part. Plutarch mentions that during a famine among t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KING... WAS PASSING BY UPON THE WALL. — On the broad rampart of the city, which was like that which we see at such old places as Chester. The king went round to encourage the garrison and to superintend the defence. A woman in the street below, or perhaps on a housetop near the rampart, appeals... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THE LORD DO NOT HELP THEE. — This is right. The marginal rendering, “Let not the Lord help thee!” — i.e., “May the Lord destroy thee!” would be possible in another context. Another rendering is, “Nay (i.e., do not supplicate me), let the Lord help thee!” OUT OF THE BARNFLOOR. — Comp. Hosea ix 2.:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING SAID. — When she had explained what she wanted. With the hideous facts here recorded, comp. Deuteronomy 28:56, seq. Similar things were done during the sieges of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (1 Samuel 4:10; Ezekiel 5:10), and by Vespasian and Titus (Josephus, Bell. Jud. vi. 3, 4).... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE HATH HID HER SON. — Perhaps to save him. (Comp. 1 Kings 3:26.)... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE PASSED. — _Now he was passing_. The people in the streets below would see him well as he passed along the rampart. LOOKED. — _Saw_. HE HAD SACKCLOTH. — Rather, _the sackcloth was_. “The sackcloth” — _i.e._, the well-known garb of penitence and woe (1 Kings 21:27). Jehoram had secretly assum... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HE SAID. — _And he_ (_i.e.,_ the king), _said._ GOD DO SO... TO ME. — Literally, _So may God do to me, and so may he add_: a common form of oath. (Comp. Ruth 1:17; 1 Samuel 3:17; 1 Kings 2:23.) IF THE HEAD OF ELISHA... THIS DAY. — The king’s horror at the woman’s dreadful story is succeeded by... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT ELISHA SAT... WITH HIM. — Rather, _Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him._ This shows the important position which the prophet occupied at the time. The elders, who were the nobles and chiefs of Samaria, were gathered round him in his house to learn the will o... [ Continue Reading ]
YET TALKED. — _Was still speaking._ THE MESSENGER. — Ewalďs correction, “the king” (_melek for maľâk_), is certainly right. In the rapid progress of the story, the arrival and momentary exclusion of the messenger is understood. The approach of the king may have been seen from the upper part of Elis... [ Continue Reading ]