2 Kings 6

Elisa maketh iron to swine, ver.1,&c. He discovereth the secret Plots of the King of Syria, 8. who seeketh to apprehend him Dothan, 11. but is preserved by the Angels, 17. The Syrians are smitten with blindness, brought into Samaria, and from thence sent away in peace, 18. Samaria is besieged, and brought to such extreme want and famine, that two women eat the child of one of them, 19. The King searcheth for Elisa to put him death, 31.

1. And the children of the Prophets said unto Elisa; Behold now, the place where we dwell before thy face, [Or, sit, &c. to wit, as Disciples and Scholars, to be instructed by thee, as our Master: see above chap.2.on v.3. & chap.4.on v.38. and here in the following verse] is too strait for us.

2. Let us, we pray, go to the Jordan, and fetch [Hebr. Take; that is, take and bring; which is fetching: see Gen 12.on ver.15.] thence every man a piece of timber, [to wit, to make beams, or somewhat else of it] to make us a place there, where we may dwell: and he said, Go your ways.

3. And there (was) one (that) said; Let it please thee, I pray, to go with thy servants: and he said, I will go.

4. So he went with them: now when they were come to the Jordan, they cut down wood.

5. And it came to pass, as one felled the timber, that the iron fell into the water: [Understand the ax which was made of iron; or the iron of the ax, which fell from the helve of it into the water] and he cried, and said; Ah, my Lord! for it was borrowed.

6. And the man of God said; Where did it fall? and when he [To wit, his Disciple out of whose hand that iron fell] had shewed him the place, he [to wit, Elisa] cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim above. [others, then the iron did swim.]

7. And he said; Take it up to thee: then he put forth his hand, and took it.

8. And the King of Syria made war against Israel, and took counsel with servants saying; My camping shall be in the place of such a one. [Here be two words, Peloni, Almoni, which the Hebrew use, when they denote or describe some certain person, or any mans place, whom they do not name, or are not minded to express his name: and are wont to be declared and set forth by us by letters or characters in like case: see Ruth 4.on v.1. 1 Sam.21.2.]

9. But the man of God sent to the King of Israel, saying; Beware, that thou pass not by that place; for the Syrians are come down thither. [Or, lie lurking there, or, come down to lie wait, and to watch the people that should come forth.]

10. Therefore the King of Israel sent to that place, that the man of God had told and warned him of; [To wit, to know if it were so, as the Prophet had forewarned him, and finding it so, might stand upon his guard, and be the better provided] and look to himself there [i.e. he stood there upon his guard to turn away what ever might hurt or endanger him] not once, nor twice. [i.e. frequently, often, and sundry times.]

11. Then the heart of the King of Syria was boisterous [The Hebrew word signifieth properly the tempestuousness of the sea, when it is troubled with winds and tempests. To this is here compared the vexation and distemper that was in the King of Syria’s heart] at this; and he called his servants, and said unto them; Will ye not then tell me, who of ours is for the King of Israel?

12. And one of his servants said; Nay, my Lord, (O) King; [The meaning is, that it was not so as the King suspected] but Elisa the Prophet that is in Israel, acquainteth the King of Israel with the words that thou speakest in thy innermost bed-chamber.

13. And he said, Go thy ways, and see where he is, that I may send, and cause him to be fetch: and it was told him, saying; Behold, he is at Dothan. [A city lying in the tribe of Manasseh, not far from Sichem and Samaria: see Gen.37.on v.17.]

14. Then he sent thither horses and charets, and a heavy host, [i.e. Many in number, and great in power. Compare 1 King.3.9. & 10.2. and see Gen.50. on v.9.] which came by night, and compassed the city about.

15. And the servant of the man of God rose very early, [Heb. Gat him up betimes to rise] and went out, and behold, an host compassed the city with horse and charets: then his lad said unto him; Ah, my Lord, how shall we do?

16. And he said; Fear not; for those that be with us, are more then those that be with them.

17. And Elisa prayed, and said; LORD, open his eyes, I pray, that he may see: [That is, given him to behold with his bodily eyes the outward forms or shapes, in which thy heavenly hosts do appear, that he may with spiritual eyes apprend thy great power, and the present aid which thou hast prepared for us] and the LORD opened the eyes of the lad, that he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of fiery horses and charets round about Elisa. [Heb. horses and charet of fire, etc. Understand hereby a great multitude of Angels, sent from God to defend and protect the Prophet. Compare above chap.2.11.]

18. Now when they [To wit, the Syrians] came down to him, Elisa prayed unto the LORD, and said; Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness; [Understand not such blindness, whereby they saw not at all, but whereby they would not rightly discern, or know that which they saw. Compare Gen.19.11. and see the annotate.] and he smote them with blindness, according to the word of Elisa.

19. Then said Elisa unto them; This is not the way, neither is this the city; [Understand this in respect of the event of things: For by this way, and in this city of Dothan they found not the Prophet, but by the way, in which he led them, and in the city of Samaria, when he had brought them into it, and they were cured of their blindness] follow me, and I will lead you to the man, whom ye seek: and he led them to Samaria.

20. And it came to pass, when they were come to Samaria, that Elisa said; LORD, open these (mens) eyes, that they may see; and the LORD opened their eyes, that they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

21. And the King of Israel said unto Elisa, when he saw them; My Father [Compare above chap.2.on v.12.] shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

22. But he said; Thou shalt not smite them; shouldest thou also slay them, whom thou hadst taken captive with is not meet to slay all that are taken captive in war, that it much less became King Joram to slay these, whom he had not taken captive in war] set bread and water [i.e. meat and drink. Compare Ezek.10.6. before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their Lord.

23. And he prepared a great Feast for them, (so) that they did eat and drink, after that he let them go, and they went to their Lord: so the hands of the Syrians came no more into the land of Israel. [The meaning is, that the Syrians that time invaded no more the land of Israel with bands of robbing and plundering souldiers, but indeed made open war against them: as appeareth by the following verse.]

24. And it came to pass afterwards, That Benhadad the King of Syria gathered all his army, and marched up, and besiege Samaria.

25. And there was a great famine in Samaria, for behold, they besieged them until an asses head was (sold) for fourscore silverings, [That is, twenty Rycx-dollers: see gen.20.on ver.16.] and a fourth part of a Kab [a measure of corn, containing the quantity of twenty four hen-egg-shells: the fourth part of which measure in moist Wares, was called a LOG: of which measure, see Lev.14.on ver.10.] of Doves dung [some understand hereby the grains, which the Doves or Pigeons had gathered in their crop out of the field: Others, the bowels of them: some also simple or bare Doves-dung, which the Samaritans in this siege it may be used in stead of wood, to make fires therewith: having much provision thereof in the city, otherwise to dung the land, and the gardens therewith, peradventure they did also eat it. Josephus thinketh that this dung was to the besieged in stead of salt. In the 9 book of the Jewish Antiquities, chap.2.] for five silverlings.

26. And it came to pass, when the King passed by upon the wall, that a woman cried too him, saying; Help me (my) Lord (O) King.

27. And he said; The LORD helpeth thee not; whence should I help thee? [i.e. seeing the LORD, who alone is able to help all men, doth not help thee, I know not how, or wherewith I should be able to help thee. Oth. the LORD help thee not, as words of a wicked and angry man. Compare v.31. It may be also thus translated, not: the Lord help thee: that is, speak not so, etc.] out of the threshing-floor, or out the wine-press? [i.e. by delivering the corn out of the threshing-floor, or furnishing thee with win and oil out of the press.]

28. Moreover the King said unto her; what ailest thou? and she said; this woman said unto me, give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and tomorrow we will eat my son.

29. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: but when I said to her on the next day; give thy son, that we may eat him, then she hid her son.

30. And it came to pass, when the King had heard the words of this woman, that he rent his clothes, [As it were in token of grief, conceived by the womans relation, but the true and right cause was his better and vehement wrath, wherewith his mind was kindled against the Prophet Elisa. See the sequel] as he passed by upon the wall: and the people saw that, behold, (there) was a sack within upon his flesh. [the meaning is, that the people perceived, when the King had rent his upper garment, that he had a sack or rough garment upon his bare body, and that (it may be) to do penance, and so to reconcile himself unto God, continuing still an hypocrite, and without true repentance. Compare 1 Kings 21:27. Isa.58.5.]

31. And he said: Let God do so to me, and let him so add thereto, [See of this manner of swearing, 1 King.19 2.] if the head of Elisa the son of Sephat shall remain standing on him this day! [he was incensed against Elisa, because he turned not the Enemy away from the city, as he had done formerly, ab.v.18. or because he did not take away the famine, according to the example of Elisa, 1 Kings 17:1. and 18.42. It seemeth also below by .v.33. that the Prophet had promised him the aid and assistance of God, which because it was not as yet come, he thought perhaps, himself to be deceived by him.]

32. (Now Elisa sat in his house, and the Eldest [Its conceived, that these were either some of the chief of the people, that were come to Elisa, to find comfort by him; or some Prophets, or sons of the Prophets, or some godly persons among the people, that were the leader and examples, or partakers of believers yet remaining in Israel. They are called the Eldest, not because they were all old in years, but all old in gifts of understanding, and worthiness of the work wherein they were employed, and in honestly of life, although it may be some were but young in years] sat with him) [in this sad and distressed time being busy with teaching, admonishing, comforting, and praying Gods people, and the common weal] and he sent a man from before his face; [who this man was, see below chap.7.v.2.] but before the messenger was come to him, he had said to the Eldest; have ye seen, [to wit, in a prophetical vision, which the Lord now shewed me. Of the like vision see above chap.5.26.] how that murderers [viz. Achabs, by whose means and consent Naboth and the Prophets of the LORD were murdered, 1 Kings 18:4. and 21.9.] son hath sent to take off mine head? look, when the messenger cometh; shut the door close, and thrust him out him with the door. [i.e. keep him, namely, the messenger, by force out of the house, that he may not come in, and hinder me from speaking the word which the Lord hath commanded me to speak] is not the sound of his Lords feet behind him? [i.e. doth not King Joram that sent him follow him close at heels? As if he should say, surely he doth. See Gen.13.on v.9. See the like phrase 1 Kin.14.6.]

33. While he yet speak with them, [To wit, with the Eldest] behold, the messenger came down to him, and he said, [to wit, the messenger spake it, in the name, and by command from the King. Others conceive that the king himself spake it, being come to the Prophets house before the messenger gat thither, because he made hast to prevent the messenger, and to hinder the Prophets death, which he after repented of] behold, that evil [meaning the murder of the child, occasioned by the famine] is of the LORD; what should I want on the LORD (any) longer? [words of a wicked and an unbelieving man, who disdainfully rejecteth the promises of divine help, foretold by the Prophet Elisa.]