2 Kings 6

Ver. . JjLND the sons of the prophets. That were at Gilgal; for that is. the place last mentioned where the prophet.was, (iv. 38.) and was also near to. Jordan, mentioned in the next verse. * Said unto Elisha, Behold, noiv, the place where we dwell with thee.] They had their colleges sometimes.in cities (as in Beth-cl), and sometimes in the fields, and sometimes upon mountains. It is probable.this was in the fields; where Elisha, for the present^ was resident among them.,. Is too strait for us.] Their number of, scholars w r as so much increased under so eminent a master as he, was, that there.was not room enough for them. THE SECOND BOOK OF TH£ KINGS. it, being, frequent \n Scripture; ar^d. Jthe Jpws, in.Seder 01amRabba; place this faniinebefore the story.of I^anianj \ which spoils what (hey say of the occasion of this discourse. But tfiere is no i*eed to assert this; for either (Gehazi npoji his repentance might be restored tp health j or he might ^peak with the king at 3. due distance, ti§ be walked in the field for his recreation; and desired tp be entertained with a relation of Elisha’s miracles. T^us Naaman conversed with Elisha’s family at a distance; and the lepers called to our Saviour, as be went along the highway, (Luke xvii. 12.) Yer. 5. And u came to pass, as he was telling the king \ how he restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, \ whose son he restored to life, cried to the king for her house, \ and for her land. And Gehazi said. My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.] By a wonderful providence she came to present her petition, and brought her son with her, in that very nick of iime r when Gehazi was telling the story of his restoration to life; that the king might be the more fully satisfied of the truth of what he related from her own mouth.

2 Kings 6:2

Let us go, we. pray thee. They were so.much under his government, that. they did, not take the.liberty to -go any whither without his leave.. Unto Jordan.] Near.to which many.trccs grew. And take from thence every man a beam.] A piecQ of timber. And let zis make us a place there, where wemay dwell.] A tabernacle large enough to contain them all. From whence -we may gather, that the sons: of the prophets did not spend all their time in studying the law, meditation, and.prayer, and such’holy exercises; but also employed themselves in some manufactures, as the apostles did in aftertimes, some of which were tent-makers, (Acts xviii. 3.) like to these here mentioned.: And he ansxvered, Go ye.] He consented to their design, the place which they chose being very commodious for students. As St. Jerome observes, who, in more places than one (sec his epistles to.Rusticus and to Paulina), compares the monks of bis time with these sons of the prophets," Qui habitabant in.agris, et solitudinibus, et faciebant sibi tabcrnacula prope lluenta Jordanis."

2 Kings 6:3

And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. They thought their design would prosper the better under his conduct; and that if any one questioned what they did, his authority would overawe them.

2 Kings 6:4

So he went’ with them. And tvhen they came to Jordan, they ait down wood. They began to go, about their work.

2 Kings 6:5

But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell * into the water. . Being not well fastened to the helve; or rather the helve breaking. • j And he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it tvas borrowed.] Good men are religiously careful that none suffer by their kindness to them. This shews, that. as these sons of the prophets wrought with their, own hands, going themselves to cut down wood to build >vithal, sp (some of them at least) they were but poor, being not furnished with tools for their work, but forced to borrow. Ver. G. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he, shewed him the place. And he cut down ^a,.stick.] To serve, I suppose, instead of a helve. «; And cast it into the water, and the iron did swim. 2 A double miracle, as the Jews understand it, that iron, which was sunk down to the bottom, rose.up;, and then >vent to the stick, and was joined to it, at its helve. For to what end. should he throw a stick into the water, but that it should serve this purpose? vol. II,

2 Kings 6:6

And when the king asked the woman, she told him. That is, confirmed what Gehazi had said. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer.] In the margin, an eunuch; that is, one of his bedchamber. Saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field.] Not only her house and land, but all the profits that had been made of them, and brought into his exchequer. Since the day that she left the land, even till now.] This was a high act of justice, and an argument of some goodness left in a bad man, that he would not gain any thing by her calamity.

2 Kings 6:7

Tlierefore said he, Take it to thee. And he put out his hand and took it. . It fell near the river-side, or was brought thither when it rose up. And Elisha went to Damascus.] In the time of the famine, I suppose he went thither, as the woman did to the Philistines. And Ben-hadad king of Syria was sick: and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.] Who having cured Naaman, had raised a great opinion of his power with God, in that country.

2 Kings 6:8

Tlien the king of Syria ivarred against Israel, and took counsel zvith fits servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. Ho did not rely merely on the number of his forces, but secretly resolved, by the advice of his council, to plaqe them in such posts where ho might hope to surprise the Israelites. It may seem strange, that after such a great benefit lately received in the euro of Naaman, the king should send Jiirh, “who was captain of his host, to fight against Israel. But who can tell how long this w r as after that time, when Naaman might be dead? or, perhaps, Naaman might have lost his place; because he refused to worship Rimmon; and no benefit will reconcile inveterate enemies.’ -And the king said unto HazaeL) “Who was the captain of his host. Take a present in thy hand, and go meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?] They who consulted prophets, were wont always to carry.a present with them, in token of the honour they paid them; as appears by many instances, particularly oif Jeroboam’s wife,in this book. It is probable, also, he begged his prayers for his recovery, acknowledging him to be a man of God. Ver. O.And Hazaelwent to meet him.] As he was coming into Damascus. And took a present tvith him of every good thing of Dpmascus,forty camels’ burden, and came and stoodbefore him.] This was a very noble present; which, whether he accepted or refused, is not mentioned in the holy Scripture. Abarbinel thinks he accepted it, because nothing is said to the contrary, as there is in the case of Naaman, who presented him with silver, and gold, and raiment, and such-like things of value. Whereas this was only a provision of food, such as bread, and wine, and fruit, and fowl; which was a fit present for him to make to the prophet, who might be pre- £uned to tfe. we^ry with his jtmrney, ^nd as fit for him to accept for ijis refreshment. " “.”’.”-, ycr.10. And Elisha said unto Jam, Gp^ sayurtfo Jiim, Tfipu viayest certainly recover; howbeit, the Lord Jiath shewed me that he shgll certainly flie.] Hi§ disease was not of such a p^tur.e,a$ would endanger hi? life, if he did not’lose it by $pme other me^ps; f\s the prophet foresaw he jwould. For Josephus saith, his disease was only a deep ijnelancholy, into wfiich he fell upon the shameful flight of his army, when no enemy w^s ne^r them. This affected his body, and took away his appetite; but might have been cured.

2 Kings 6:9

And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not siich a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And had laid an ambush for him there.

2 Kings 6:10

And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of. He sent some spies to see whether Elisha gave him true information. And saved himself tliere, not once or twice*’] By this means he frequently saved his soldiers from falling into the hands of the Syrians; who lay in wait for them in such places, where they would certainly have gone, if they had not been told of the danger.

2 Kings 6:11

Therefore the Jieart of the king of Syria was sorely troubled for this thing; and he called his servants. With whom he had consulted how to carry on this war, (ver. 8.) And said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?] Betrays my counsels to him; for he could not think he should meet with such constant disappointments, unless it were by treachery. And he settled his countenance steadfastly, until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept.] The most simple sense is, He looked upon Hazael so long, with K settled countenance, that- Hazael was ashamed, and he himself fell a weeping. Perhaps he fastened his eyes upon him as a man astonished, and that in an ecstacy saw somo dreadful thing represented to him. Others interpret it, he turned away his face on one side, until he was ashamed, because he wept; which he would not have had Hazael seen. Others, he settled his countenance, not to weep; but he.could not refrain from tears.

2 Kings 6:12

And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words thou speakest in thy bedcluimber. It is likely Naaman had spread the fame of the prophet so much’ in this court, that some of them made further inquiry after him; and heard more of his miraculous works; and thence concluded he could tell the greatest secrets, as well as to do such wonders as were reported of him. Aii d Hazael said, Wliy weepeth my lord? And he answered. Because I know the evil thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set ojtfire, their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dasli tlieir children, and rip up their women with child.] This last expresses the highest degree of barbarous cruelty; for which there was no occasion, if hp did but kill the women with child, for the child in the womb would die with them, without ripping them up. Therefore a late learned man, looking on this as a thing unheard of, will have the word haroth, not to signify women, with child, but castles or fortified places which he should demolish: though he cannot but acknowledge, that the cutting up women very naturally follows slaying their young men,, and dashing their children, which goe^ just before. And be should have taken notice, that the very first evil lie mentions that Hazael should do to them, is setting their strong holds on fire. (Gousset Comment. Linguae Hebraicae, p. 216.)

2 Kings 6:13

And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. A very foolish design. As if the prophet could not as well know this, as ho did the rest of his other counsels. And it was told him, saying, He is in Dothan.] A city in the tribe of Manasseh; not far from Shechem and Samaria. And Hazael said, But what! is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?] This is commonly understood as a disclaiming of such.barbarity, which he abhorred as a beastly thing. But the words in the Hebrew sound otberways, being a submissive form of speech, wherein the speaker undervalues and debases himself, as appears from 1 Sam. xxiv. 15. 2 Sam. ix. 8. and run thus; But what is thy servant?,a dog. As much as to say, A mean and contemptible creature, who can never have power to do such great things; which none but a prince can do. And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me that tliou shall be king over Syria.] This was as much as declaring and appointing him king of Syria: which Elijah ordered him to do; and was as much as if he had anointed him. (See 1 Kings xix.15.)

2 Kings 6:14

Therefore sent lie thither horses, and cMriots, and a great host. That the people of Dothan, being affrighted at the sight of such a number of soldiers, might not dare to defend the prophet. And they came by night, and compassed the city about.] That no intelligence might be carried to Samaria. So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, What saith Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.] He told him only the first part of his answer, and that not sincerely, as he intended. For he did not say he should surely recover, but that he might recover; his disease being in itself not mortal.

2 Kings 6:15

And when the servant oftlie man of God was risen early. As students were wont to do. And was gone forth.] Out of the door of the house, which stood high; the city being built upon a hilL Behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots: and his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?] Perhaps the Syrians had assured the inhabitants they intended no harm to them; but only came to take Elisha. Which the young man hearing, it put him in great fear; for being but newly come to his master in the room of Gehazi, and having perhaps seen pone of his wonderful works, he gave himself and his master for lost men.

2 Kings 6:16

And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. Faith drives away fear; but it was hard for the young man to believe this, till he had more experience of God’s providence over his prophet: and therefore Elisha prays he might have a demonstration of it. Ver. J7. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire.’] He beheld the camp of God there, (as the angels are called Gen. xxxii. 2.) ready at hand to defend.his master. Legions of angels, (Matt. xxvi. 35.) which AVcre far more numerous and powerful than the host of the. Syrians which ho saw compass the city; but did not see this heavenly host till God opened his eyes, and represented them to him. The ancients think that thfc angels, when present with lis, appear Where they please, and are invisible where they please, though present. Now this appearance of theirs in this place is called the opening of his eyes; because it had the same effect. For he beheld the mountain (on which, I suppose, the city’ stood), where he saw none but Syrians before, was now full of fiery chariots and horses, which, as it here follows, had encircled Elisha. Round about Elislia.] That is, he saw in this \ision, as if Elisha was in the midst of this glorious camp of angels; who defended him so that none could penetrates and break through unto him.

2 Kings 6:18

And when th$y came down to him. He seems to have gone out of the city to them, under the Divine protection; intending to go to Samaria. And they seeing him, asked him the way to the man of God. Elisha.prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.] So that they might not be able perfectly to distinguish one thing from another.

2 Kings 6:19

And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city. Some think we are not bound to speak truth to an enemy; but there is no need that thi^ should be asserted here. For it was true that they were not in the way to find Elisha; whom they should not see till they came to another city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye •seek.] As he really did. But their minds were struck with blindness, as well as their eyes; or else they would not have committed themselves to the conduct of a stranger, to follow him in an enemy’s country, they knew not whither. But he led them to Samaria.] This shews they were not wholly blind, for then they could not have been led by him; but were dark, as we speak, and could not clearly discern who it was that led them, nor whither they were going. Here the Jews cry, Behold, a double miracle! Elisha’s servant saw that which appeared to nobody else; CHAP. VI.] THE SECOND’BOOK OF THE’ KINGS. and the Syrians could not discern that which every body else saw.

2 Kings 6:20

’ And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, tJtat they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and tliey saiu; that, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.’] To their great astonishment; no doubt, when they fotfnd that he had made them all captives, whom they came to cany away to Syria.

2 Kings 6:21

And the Icing of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father. This miracle touched him with great reverence to the prophet Shall I smite them? shall I smite fhem?]’ This repetition of the question expresses his eager desire to fall upon them, and kill them, if the prophet would have permitted.

2 Kings 6:22

And he answered/ Thou shdlt not smite them,;. There was a command to destroy the people’of the seven nations; yet not if they yielded to them. But as for other persons/who were taken in the war, they were not bound to destroy them’; but it was humanity rather to spare them. Whence it is, that the prophet here forbids the king to smite these, who were not under the curse of the people of Canaan. Wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword, and tvith thy bow?] As much as to say, Thou wouldest not be so cruel, as in cold blood to kill those whom thou thyself hadst taken prisoners in a battle. Much more then are those to be spared, who are riot thy captives, but God’s. Thou hast not taken them with thy sword, or with thy bow: but he hath brought them to thee, and delivered them into thy hand; not that thou inayest kill them, but use them kindly. To this purpose Ralbag. (See Selden, dc Jure Nat. et Gent. p. 745.) Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.] And tell him what civility and kindness there is among the people of God. This is a rare example of that which St. Paul recommends to us, Rom. xii. 20. “If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink,” &c.

2 Kings 6:23

And he prepared great provision for them: and wiim they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. This is a new wonder, that the hearts of the Israelites should so yield unto the command of the prophet, as not only to spare, but to entertain bountifully their old enemies. And the bands of the Syrians came no more into the land of Israel.] Great hatreds are sometimes overcome by unexpected and undeserved benefits; as many of the heathens have observed, that this is the noblest way to conquer them, particularly Valerius Maximus: " Speciosius injuria) benefices vincuntur, quam mutui odii pertinacia peusantur;” injuries are more gloriously overcome by benefits, than requited by pertinacious mutual hatred. But the sense of benefits in bad natures doth not last long; for in the very next verse we read, howtheking of Syria besieged Samaria’. Which seems to contradict what is said here, that the Syrians came no more into the land of Israel. Eut the meaning of that is (for no man can think that any author whatsoever would contradict himself in the same breath), either that for this time they retreated quite, and laid aside all thoughts of war, though afterward they broke out again into hostility: or (which is the plainest) that their bands made no more incursions and inroads; but they resolved to come and fall upon therri^ not in small parties,’ and by am-* bushes, (as they did before; ver. 8.) but with a formed army; wherewith* they laid siege to Samaria.. *

2 Kings 6:24

And it came to pass after this, that THen-haddd king of Syria. The name of Ben-hadad was common to all the kings, of Syria, as Pharaoh was to those of Egypt. _ Gathered allhis host,andwentup, and besieged Samaria.] It seems the Israelites had not forces to appear against him in the field: so* that he marched directly to Samaria, and laidsiege fo it. V

2 Kings 6:25

And there xvaia great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was % $old for fourscore pieces of silver. The siege lasted so long, or they were so ill provided for it, that there was a great scarcity of food in this city: insomuch that an ass’s head was sold for so many shekels as make five pounds of our money. A great sum for the head, when the whole body was little worth; and it being an unclean creature, it was not lawful for the Israelites to eat (yea, was accounted unclean by the Arabians), unless in case of extreme necessity. See Bochartus, in his HieroEoicon, par. i. lib. ii. cap. 13. where he observes out of Plutarch, that there was such a scarcity in Artaxerxes’s army, when he was among the. Cadusii, that an ass’s head was sold for threescore drachms. And the fourth part of a cab.] A cab was a very small measure of corn; containing, as the Jews say, as mucli as twenty-four eg%$ would hold. It is never mentioned in the Scripture, but only here; though very often in the Talmud, in the title Kiddushim. (See Imbonacius, in the Biblioth. Mag. Rabbin, torn, v, p. 349.) All agree, it was such a measure as I have mentioned;’ so that the fourth part of it was no more than six eggs would contain, called a log, as Bochartus thinks. Of dove’s dang.] So the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and LXX. translate the Hebrew word hirjonim: and so a great many of the Jewish doctors, Jarchi, Kimchi, Ralbag, understand it. Though it be very hard to believe, that dove’s dung should be so plentiful in a city as to be sold in any quantity, or that men should eat it; when every one knows there is no nourishment in such excrements, and less in that of doves than in others, as is observed by Bochartus: who, after he hath confuted many other opinions, hath made it very probable, that fitches or lentiles are.here meant; which were the vilest of all food, arid yet sold at this dear rate. For that some sort of food is here meant, is plain from what goes before. (See his Hicrozbicon, par. ii. lib. i. cap. 7.) For five pieces of silver.] Which the same author computes to be as much as nine French livres.

2 Kings 6:26

And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall. To see if they kept their guards well; or, to observe how the enemy lay. Tliere cried unto him a woman, saying, Help, my lord, O king 1 Ver; 27. And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee:? out of the barn-floor, or out of the wine* press?] Some take the first words to be a curse, and translate them as we do in the margin, Let not the Lord save (or help) thee. Like that among the gentiles,’" Dii deseque to pcrdant;" may thou perish. Thus Josephus understands them to be the words of a man in a great passion, arid full 3Q2 A COMMENTARY UPON [chap. VII, of Fury, that she should implore relief from him, who could do nothing for himself. For he thought she had cried to him for victuals, as appears by the last words. Vcr. 2S. And the king said unto her, Whataileth thee?] When she had pacified his anger, or it cooled of itself, ho asked her the cause of her cry. And she answered, This woman.] Who stood by her. Said unto me, Give thy son, that toe may eat him to-day, and ive will eat my son to-morrow.] Thus began the prophecy of Moses to be fulfilled, Deut. xxxviii. 54, 55, &c.

2 Kings 6:29

So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. Either that she might save him, or that she might eat him alone, and thereby preserve her life the longer. <

2 Kings 6:30

And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes. Out of great grief at what the woman had said; or, perhaps, out of indignation at the prophet, with whom the next verse shews ho was very angry.. i ■ t And he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.] His royal robes, which were uppermost, being torn, they saw sackcloth (in token of great humiliation) next to his skin. For these idolatrous kings were not so profane, but they observed some of the ancient rites of religion: among which this was one; to abase and afflict themselves, in times of great calamity, by putting sackcloth upon their naked body.

2 Kings 6:31

- Tlwn he said, God do so to me, and more also, if (he headofElisha the son ofShaphat shall stand on him this day. Such was the arbitrary power which these kings exercised; which took away men’s lives, without any formal process against them; and the reason of this furious resolution seems to be, either because Elisha had hindered him from smiting the great host of the Syrians, when he had them cooped up in Samaria, (ver. 20 — 22.) which might have disabled them from bringing him into these straits: or, because Elisha did not employ his interest in God, as he expected, to give them deliverance. Therefore he swore he should not live till night.

2 Kings 6:32

And Elisha sat in his house. In the school, where tho sons of the prophets came to be instructed by him., * And the elders sat with him.] We often read in Ezckiel of the elders of Israel sitting before the prophet to hear him, (viii. 1. xxii. 24.) And so some understand it here, of the chief persons in Samaria, who were come to consult him..But it rather signifies his chief scholars, some grave persons, who applied themselves to the study of Divine things, and were now with him. And the king sent a man from before him.] Commanded one that attended him to go, and execute tho sentence he had pronounced against Elisha. But, ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head?] He understood, by the spirit of prophecy, the wicked intentions of the king; who was like his father Ahab, that had murdered many of the prophets of the Lord. Look, when. the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold Mm fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet be- Mnd him?] He charged them to lay hold of him before he came into the room, and not suffer him to enter; for the. king would immediately follow him, to revoke his order./ So he foresaw, by the same spirit of prophecy, that the king repented of what ho had decreed, and was coming to revoke it; and therefore he only required tho elders to do that which he knew the king would do himself, viz. stop the messenger at the door, and let him proceed no further.- This will not warrant private men to apprehend public officers; nor to use such words to princes as the prophet here doth to Joram; whom he calls the son of a murderer, by a Divine-motion. Which authorized him to represent him as the impious son of a very impious father. Vcr. 33. And, while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he suid, Behold, tliis evil is of the Lord, what should I wait for the Lord any longer?] Some imagine that the messenger being come, spake these words in the king’s name. But it seems morereasonable to think the king, who was also come, spake, them himself, in a fit of raging despair. He could not but acknowledge, that the Lord had brought them into this distress. Upon which Elisha exhorted him to wait till he would please (who only could do it) to deliver them. But he impatiently answered, he had waited so long in vain, that he had no hope left, since they were driven to such extremity, that women ate their own children. Or, these words may be thus interpreted (taking the former part of them to be spoken by the prophet, and the latter by the. king); And he said (that is, the prophet said), Acknowledge, the hand of God in this evil, which comes from him. To w T hich the king replied, And what else can I expect from the Lord, unless it be such plagues? No, saith Elisha in the very next words, ye shall have plenty here to-morrow.