2 Kings 6

2Ki 6:1-7.

ELISHA

CAUSES

IRON TO

SWIM.

1. the place where we dwell with thee--Margin, "sit before thee."

The one points to a common residence--the other to a common place of

meeting. The tenor of the narrative shows the humble condition of

Elisha's pupils. The place was either Beth-el or Jericho, probably the

latter. The ministry and miracles of Elisha brought great accessions to

his schools.

2. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan--whose wooded banks would

furnish plenty of timber.

5. it was borrowed--literally, "begged." The scholar's distress arose

from the consideration that it had been presented to him; and that,

owing to his poverty, he could not procure another.

6. cut down a stick, and cast it in thither--Although this means was

used, it had no natural adaptation to make the iron swim. Besides, the

Jordan is at Jericho so deep and rapid that there were one thousand

chances to one against the stick falling into the hole of the axe-head.

All attempts to account for the recovery of the lost implement on such

a theory must be rejected.

the iron did swim--only by the miraculous exertion of Elisha's

power.

2Ki 6:8-17.

DISCLOSES THE

KING OF

SYRIA'S

COUNSEL.

8-12. the king of Syria warred against Israel--This seems to have been

a sort of guerrilla warfare, carried on by predatory inroads on

different parts of the country. Elisha apprised King Jehoram of the

secret purpose of the enemy; so, by adopting precautionary measures, he

was always enabled to anticipate and defeat their attacks. The

frequency of his disappointments having led the Syrian king to suspect

some of his servants of carrying on a treacherous correspondence with

the enemy, he was informed about Elisha, whose apprehension he

forthwith determined to effect. This resolution was, of course,

grounded on the belief that however great the knowledge of Elisha might

be, if seized and kept a prisoner, he could no longer give information

to the king of Israel.

13. Dothan--or, "Dothaim," a little north of Samaria

(see on

Ge 37:17).

15. his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?--When

the Syrian detachment surrounded the place by night, for the

apprehension of the prophet, his servant was paralyzed with fear. This

was a new servant, who had only been with him since Gehazi's dismissal

and consequently had little or no experience of his master's powers.

His faith was easily shaken by so unexpected an alarm.

17. Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he

may see--The invisible guard of angels that encompass and defend us

(Ps 34:7).

The opening of the eyes, which Elisha prayed for, were those of the

Spirit, not of the body--the eye of faith sees the reality of the

divine presence and protection where all is vacancy or darkness to the

ordinary eye. The horses and chariots were symbols of the divine power

(see on

2Ki 2:12);

and their fiery nature denoted their supernatural origin; for fire, the

most ethereal of earthly elements, is the most appropriate symbol of

the Godhead [KEIL].

2Ki 6:18-23.

HIS

ARMY

SMITTEN WITH

BLINDNESS.

18. Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness--not a total and

material blindness, for then they could not have followed him, but a

mental hallucination (see

Ge 19:11)

so that they did not perceive or recognize him to be the object of

their search.

19-23. This is not the way, neither is this the city--This statement

is so far true that, as he had now left the place of his residence,

they would not have got him by that road. But the ambiguity of his

language was purposely framed to deceive them; and yet the deception

must be viewed in the light of a stratagem, which has always been

deemed lawful in war.

he led them to Samaria--When they were arrived in the midst of the

capital, their eyes, at Elisha's request, were opened, and they then

became aware of their defenseless condition, for Jehoram had received

private premonition of their arrival. The king, so far from being

allowed to slay the enemies who were thus unconsciously put in his

power, was recommended to entertain them with liberal hospitality and

then dismiss them to their own country. This was humane advice; it was

contrary to the usage of war to put war captives to death in cold

blood, even when taken by the point of the sword, much more those whom

the miraculous power and providence of God had unexpectedly placed at

his disposal. In such circumstances, kind and hospitable treatment was

every way more becoming in itself, and would be productive of the best

effects. It would redound to the credit of the true religion, which

inspired such an excellent spirit into its professors; and it would not

only prevent the future opposition of the Syrians but make them stand

in awe of a people who, they had seen, were so remarkably protected by

a prophet of the Lord. The latter clause of

2Ki 6:23

shows that these salutary effects were fully realized. A moral conquest

had been gained over the Syrians.

2Ki 6:24-33.

BEN-HADAD

BESIEGES

SAMARIA.

24. Ben-hadad . . . besieged Samaria--This was the predicted

accomplishment of the result of Ahab's foolish and misplaced kindness

(1Ki 20:42).

25. an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver--Though the

ass was deemed unclean food, necessity might warrant their violation of

a positive law when mothers, in their extremity, were found violating

the law of nature. The head was the worst part of the animal. Eighty

pieces of silver, equal to £5 5s.

the fourth part of a cab--A cab was the smallest dry measure.

The proportion here stated was nearly half a pint for 12s.

6d.

dove's dung--is thought by BOCHART

to be a kind of pulse or pea, common

in Judea, and still kept in the storehouses of Cairo and Damascus, and

other places, for the use of it by pilgrim-caravans; by

LINNÆUS, and

other botanists, it is said to be the root or white bulb of the plant

Ornithogalum umbellatum, Star of Beth-lehem. The sacred historian does

not say that the articles here named were regularly sold at the rates

described, but only that instances were known of such high prices being

given.

26. as the king was passing--to look at the defenses, or to give some

necessary orders for manning the walls.

29. we boiled my son, and did eat

him--(See on

De 28:53).

30. had sackcloth within upon his flesh--The horrid recital of this

domestic tragedy led the king soon after to rend his garment, in

consequence of which it was discovered that he wore a penitential shirt

of haircloth. It is more than doubtful, however, if he was truly

humbled on account of his own and the nation's sins; otherwise he would

not have vowed vengeance on the prophet's life. The true explanation

seems to be, that Elisha having counselled him not to surrender, with

the promise, on condition of deep humiliation, of being delivered, and

he having assumed the signs of contrition without receiving the

expected relief, regarded Elisha who had proved false and faithless as

the cause of all the protracted distress.

32. But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him--The

latter clause of

2Ki 6:33,

which contains the king's impatient exclamation, enables us to account

for the impetuous order he issued for the beheading of Elisha. Though

Jehoram was a wicked king and most of his courtiers would resemble

their master, many had been won over, through the prophet's influence,

to the true religion. A meeting, probably a prayer-meeting, of those

was held in the house where he lodged, for he had none of his own

(1Ki 19:20, 21);

and them he not only apprised of the king's design against himself, but

disclosed to them the proof of a premeditated deliverance.