CHAPTER III _The reign and idolatry of Jehoram, king of Israel_, 1-3. _Mesha, king of Moab, rebels against Israel_, 4, 5. _Jehoram, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom join against the_ _Moabites, and are brought into great distress for want of_ _water_, 6-10. _The three kings go to Elisha to in... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:2. _HE PUT AWAY THE IMAGE OF BAAL_] He abolished his worship; but he continued that of the _calves_ at Dan and Beth-el.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:4. _WAS A SHEEPMASTER_] The original is נקד _naked_, of which the Septuagint could make nothing, and therefore retained the Hebrew word νωκηδ: but the Chaldee has מרי גיתי _marey githey_, "a sheepmaster;" _Aquila_ has ποιμνιοτροφος; and _Symmachus_, τρεφων βοσκηματα; all to the same... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:7. _MY PEOPLE AS THY PEOPLE_] We find that Jehoshaphat maintained the same friendly intercourse with the _son_, as he did with the _father_. See 1 Kings 22:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:8. _THROUGH THE WILDERNESS OF EDOM._] Because he expected the king of Edom to join them, as we find he did; for, being tributary to Judah, he was obliged to do it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:9. _A COMPASS OF SEVEN DAYS' JOURNEY_] By taking a circuitous route, to go round the southern part of the Dead Sea, they probably intended to surprise the Moabites; but it appears their journey was ill planned, as they at last got into a country in which it was impossible to obtain _... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:10. _THE LORD HATH CALLED THESE THREE KINGS TOGETHER_] That is, This is a Divine judgment; God has judicially blinded us, and permitted us to take this journey to our destruction.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:11. _IS THERE NOT HERE A PROPHET OF THE LORD_] The kings of Judah still acknowledged the true God, and him only. _POURED WATER ON THE HANDS OF ELIJAH_] That is, was his constant and confidential _servant_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:12. _THE WORD OF THE LORD IS WITH HIM._] He has the gift of prophecy.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:13. _GET THEE TO THE PROPHETS OF THY FATHER_] This was a just, but cutting reproof. _NAY_] The Chaldee adds here, _I beseech thee, do not call the sins_ _of this impiety to remembrance, but ask mercy for us_; because the Lord hath called, c. The Arabic has, _I beseech thee, do not_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:14. _WERE IT NOT THAT I REGARD THE PRESENCE OF JEHOSHAPHAT_] He worshipped the true God; Jehoram was an idolater.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:15. _BRING ME A MINSTREL._] A person who played on the _harp_. The rabbins, and many Christians, suppose that Elisha's mind was considerably irritated and grieved by the bad behaviour of the young men at Beth-el, and their tragical end, and by the presence of the idolatrous king of I... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:16. _MAKE THIS VALLEY FULL OF DITCHES._] The word נחל _nachal_ may be translated _brook_, as it is by the _Vulgate_ and _Septuagint_. There probably was a _river_ here, but it was now _dry_; and the prophet desires that they would enlarge the channel, and cut out various canals from... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:17. _YE SHALL NOT SEE WIND_] There shall be no _wind_ to collect vapours, and there shall be no _showers_, and yet the _whole_ bed of this river, and all the _new made canals_, shall be filled with water.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:19. _SHALL FELL EVERY GOOD TREE_] Every tree by which your enemies may serve themselves for fortifications, c. But surely _fruit trees_ are not intended here for this was positively against the law of God, Deuteronomy 20:19-5: "When thou shalt besiege a city - thou shalt not destroy... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:20. _WHEN THE MEAT-OFFERING WAS OFFERED_] This was the first of all offerings, and was generally made at sun-rising. _THERE CAME WATER_] This supply was altogether miraculous, for there was neither _wind_ nor _rain_, nor any other natural means by which it could be supplied.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:22. _SAW THE WATER ON THE OTHER SIDE_ AS _RED AS BLOOD_] This might have been an optical deception; I have seen the like sight when there was no reason to suspect supernatural agency. The Moabites had never seen that valley full of water, and therefore did not suspect that their eyes... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:23. _THEREFORE, MOAB, TO THE SPOIL._] Thus they came on in a disorderly manner, and fell an easy prey to their enemies.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:25. _ON EVERY GOOD PIECE OF LAND_] On all cultivated ground, and especially fields that were sown. _ONLY IN KIR-HARASETH_] This was the royal city of the Moabites, and, as we learn from Scripture, exceedingly strong; (see Isaiah 16:7; Isaiah 16:11); so that it is probable the confed... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:26. _SEVEN HUNDRED MEN_] These were no doubt the _choice_ of all his troops, and being afraid of being hemmed up and perhaps taken by his enemies, whom he found on the eve of gaining possession of the city, he made a desperate sortie in order to regain the open country; and supposing... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 3:27. _TOOK HIS ELDEST SON_] The rabbins account for this horrible sacrifice in the following way:- When the king of Moab found himself so harassed, and the royal city on the point of being taken, he called a council of his servants, and asked them how it was these Israelites could pe... [ Continue Reading ]