Elisha's advice B. C. 892. B. C. 892. A. M. 3112. flour was sold for a shekel, and two || barley for a shekel, and a measure of A. M. 3112. h measures of barley for a shekel, ac- fine flour for a shekel, shall be tocording to the word of the Lord. morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria: 19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. 20 And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died. 17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. 18 And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of k h Verse 1. i Chap. vi. 32; Verse 2. -Finding the camp empty, as the lepers had related, they followed them as far as this river. All the way was full of garments, &c., cast away in their haste-Hebrew, Don, bechaphezam, in their fear, trepidation, or consternation, wherewith God had struck them. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, &c.-They found such store of provisions in the tents of the Syrians, that it made this sudden change in the price of corn, according|| to Elisha's prediction. Verses 17-20. The king appointed the lord to have the charge of the gate--To prevent tumults and disorders among the people, and to take care to have the gates shut, if need were, and if the Syrians should happen to return upon them. And that lord answered, &c.-This part of the history is re k Verse 1. peated, because it attests a remarkable fulfilment of a divine prediction. The people trode upon him in the gate, and he died-Before he could enjoy, in any measure, the benefit of that plenty which God had bestowed upon them. This fact is an awful proof how heinously God resents men's distrust of him, and of his power, providence, and promise. When Israel said, Can God furnish a table? the Lord heard and was wroth. Infinite wisdom will not be limited by our folly. God never promises the end, but he knows where to provide the means. Here also we learn how certain God's threatenings are, and how sure to fall on the heads of the guilty. Let all men fear before the great God, who treads upon princes as mortar, and is terrible to the kings of the earth. CHAPTER VIII. Elisha's advice to the Shunammite, 1, 2. The king restores her land, 3-6. Elisha's prophecy to Hazael, and the death of Ben-hadad, 7-15. The reign of Jehoram, 16-24. Succeeded by Ahaziah, 25–29. B. a b B. C. 891. A. M. 3113. THEN spake Elisha unto the wo- || sojourn for the LORD hath called A. M. 3113. man whose son he had restored for a famine; and it shall also come to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thy upon the land seven years. household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst a Chap. iv. 35. NOTES ON CHAPTER VIII. Verse 1. Then spake Elisha-There is nothing in the Hebrew for this particle of time, then. It is literally, And Elisha spake, or, as Houbigant renders it, had spoken. So verse 2, The woman had arisen, and done, &c. He conjectures, from verse 4, that this event happened before Gehazi was struck with the leprosy this, however, is by no means certain. On the other hand, most commentators seem to be of opinion that it took place in the order in which it is recorded in the history, after the events related in the former chapter, and some think several years after. Unto the woman whose son he had restored to life-Manifesting his grati 2 And the woman arose, and did after the b Psa. cv. 16; Hag. i. 11. tude for her former kindness, by taking special care for her preservation. Go thou, and sojourn, &c.— In any convenient place out of the land of Israel. For the Lord hath called for a famine-Hath appointed to bring a famine upon the country, or a great scarcity of provisions. The manner of speaking intimates that all afflictions are sent by God, and come at his call. Seven years-A double time to the former famine under Elijah, which was but just, because they were still incorrigible under all the judgments of God, and under the powerful ministry of Elisha, who confirmed his doctrine by so many astonishing miracles. Verse 2. The woman arose, and sojourned in the I She returns from the B. C. 885. B. C. 895. A. M. 3119. saying of the man of God: and she || O king, this is the woman, and this A. M. 3119. B. C. 885. went with her household, and sojourn ed in the land of the Philistines seven years. About 3 And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house, and for her land. 4 And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. 5 And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, Ch. v. 27. Ch. iv. 35.1 Or, eunuch.- 1 Kings xix. 15. land of the Philistines-Which, though bordering upon Israel, was free from the famine: by which it appeared, that the special hand of God was in that calamity, and that it was a judgment from him upon the Israelites for their idolatry, and abuse of the means of grace, which they now enjoyed in such abundance through Elisha and many other prophets. Verse 3. She went to cry unto the king for her house and land-Which, having been forsaken by her, were possessed by her kindred or others, who probably had obtained a grant of them from the king, and now intended to keep possession of them. Verse 4. The king talked with Gehazi, the sertant of the man of God-Or, who had been his servant formerly. The law did not forbid conversing with lepers at a due distance, but only the dwelling with them. Thus Naaman conversed with Elisha's family at a distance; and the lepers called to our Lord, as he went along the highway. Verses 5, 6. As he was telling the king, &c., the woman cried to the king, &c.-By the order of Providence she came to present her petition, and brought her son with her, in that very instant of time when Gehazi was telling the story of Elisha's restoring him to life, that the king might be more fully satisfied of the truth of what he related from her own mouth, and that it might make the deeper impresslon upon him. Providence ought to be carefully observed, and devoutly acknowledged, in ordering the circumstances of events; for sometimes, as here, those that are minute of themselves, prove of great consequence. And when the king asked the woman, she told him-That is, she confirmed what Gehazi had said. Thus did God even force him to believe, what he might have had some colour to question, if he had only had Gehazi's word for it. So the king appointed, saying, Restore all that was hers-Not only her house and land, but all the profits that had been made of them, and brought into his treasury. This was a high act of justice, and an argument of some goodness left in a bad man. Verse 7. Elisha came to Damascus-Either to the city so called, or rather, as it seems from verse 9, to the kingdom of Damascus; as Samaria, which properly was the name of a city, sometimes means the kingdom of which that city was the capital. Some have thought that Elisha went thither to avoid the famine; but it is more probable that he was sent by God, on the errand following. Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, was sick-For neither honour, wealth, nor power will secure men from the common diseases and disasters of human life: palaces and thrones lie as open to the arrests of death as the meanest cottage. It was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither-Which doubtless had rarely, if ever, been the case before; and his having cured Naaman had raised a great opinion of his power with God in that country. Verse 8. The king said, Go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord, &c.-In his health he bowed down in the house of Rimmon, but now he sends to inquire of the God of Israel. It is not long since he sent a great force to seize and treat Elisha as an enemy; yet now he courts and inquires of him as a prophet: thus affliction brings those to God, who, in their prosperity, made light of him: it opens men's eyes, and rectifies their mistakes: and among other instances of the change it produces in their minds, this is one, and not the least considerable, that it often gives them other thoughts of God's ministers, and teaches them to value those whom they before hated and despised. Affliction, however, has not this good effect upon all: it only blinds and hardens some. We lately saw even a king of Israel sending, in his sickness, to inquire of the god of Ekron, as if there had been no God in Israel. How does the conduct of this heathen, in similar circumstances, reprove and condemn the idolatrous 1 4 The prophecy of B. C. 885. II. KINGS. A. M. 3119. 9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present 2 with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? 10 And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit, the LORD hath showed me, that he shall surely die. Heb. in his hand. Ver. 15.3 Heb. and set it. Luke xix. 41. k Chap. x. 32; xii. 17; xiii. 3, 7; Amos i. 3. Elisha to Hazael. 11 And he settled his countenance A. M. 3119. B. C. 885. 3 steadfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God i wept. 12 And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. 13 And Hazael said, But what! mis thy ser 1 Chapter xv. 16; Hosea xiii. 16; Amos i. 13.-1 Samuel xvii. 43. and incorrigible Israelite! Thus does God some-countenance, that Hazael was ashamed, as appretimes fetch that honour to himself from strangers, which is denied him, and alienated from him, by his own professing people. Verse 9. And took a present with him, forty camels' burden-By this noble present, consisting of every good thing of Damascus, the king testified his affection to the prophet, bid him welcome to Damascus, and provided for his sustenance while he was there, and the sustenance of those that were with him for some have inferred, from the king's sending him so very large a quantity of provisions, beyond measure too much for a single person, that Elisha, besides his servant, had several of the sons of the prophets with him. It is probable he accepted this present; for if he had refused it, it is likely his refusal would have been noticed. hending that the prophet discerned or suspected something of an evil and shameful nature in him. The Hebrew words, however, rendered till he was || ashamed, are ambiguous, and may be indifferently referred either to the prophet or to Hazael: but they seem more properly to belong to the latter, because it follows by way of distinction, The man af God wept. || Verse 12. I know the evil thou wilt do unto the children of Israel-It was not in Hazael's countenance that Elisha read what he would do; but God did at this time reveal it to him, and gave him such a clear and full view of it, that it greatly affected him. The sins of Israel provoked God to give them up into the hands of their cruel enemies: yet Elisha wept to think that ever Israelites should be so abused as Verse 10. Say unto him, Thou mayest certainly || he foresaw they would be by Hazael. For though recover: howbeit, &c.-Here is no contradiction: || he foretold, he did not desire, the woful day. Their for the first words contain an answer to Ben-hadad's strong holds wilt thou set on fire, &c.-See what question, Shall I recover? To which the answer is, havoc and destruction war makes! what destrucThou mayest, notwithstanding thy disease, which is tion sin makes! and how the nature of man is not mortal. The latter words contain the prophet's changed by the fall, and stripped even of humanity addition to that answer, which is, that he should die, || itself! not by the power of his disease, but by some other || cause. But it must be observed, that this is according, not to the Hebrew text, but the marginal reading of the Jewish rabbins, who have substituted the pro- | noun 1, lo, to him, for the adverb x, lo, not. In the text it is, Go say, Thou shalt not recover; or, as Dr. Waterland renders it, Thou shalt certainly not live;|| for the Lord hath showed me that he shall surely die. Dr. Kennicott is clearly of opinion that this is the true reading and sense of the passage. See his first Dissert., p. 163. Houbigant, however, prefers our translation, and thinks that the words contain a silent reproof from Elisha, who well knew that a || courtier, like Hazael, would certainly flatter his king: he therefore understands the meaning to be, "Go thou, and, courtier-like, say to him, Thou wilt certainly recover; howbeit, the Lord hath shown me very much the contrary; he will surely die, and|| die by thy traitorous hand." Wilt dash their children-That dashing young children against the stones was one piece of barbarous cruelty, which the people of the East were apt to run into, in the prosecution of their wars, is plainly intimated Psa. cxxxvii. 8, 9. Nor was this inhuman practice out of use among nations pretending to more politeness; for, according to the remains of ancient fame, the Grecians, when they became masters of Troy, were so cruel as to throw Astyanax, Hector's son, a child in his mother's arms, headlong from one of the towers of the city. The ripping up of women with child is the highest degree of brutal cruelty; but there is reason to believe that Hazael, in his war with the Gileadites, (chap. x. 32, 33,) verified this part of the prophet's prediction. concerning him; for, what Amos, complaining of his cruelty to this people, calls thrashing. Gilead with thrashing instruments of iron, both the Seventy and Arabic versions read, He sawed the pregnant women with iron saws.-Le Clerc and Calmet. Verse 11. He settled his countenance steadfastly Verse 13. Hazael said, But what, is thy servanı -Elisha fixed his eyes on Hazael, and looked upon a dog? &c.-The expression is used in Scripture to him so earnestly, so long, and with such a settled || signify vile and unworthy, as in 2 Sam. iii. 8, and ix, Jehoram is made B. C. 892. CHAPTER VIII. A. M. 3112. vant a dog that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. 14 So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover. 15 And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead. 1 Kings xix. 15.2 Chron. xxi. 3, 4.-Heb. reigned. Began to reign in consort with his father. 8; and fierce, barbarous, and inhuman, Psa. xxii. 16, king over Judah. B. C. 892. 16 ¶ And in the fifth year of Joram A. M. 3112. the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. 17 P Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. P2 Chron. xxi. 5, &c. Verse 26. as Mr. Scott justly observes, "it was not the cause of his crime, and forms no excuse for it. Had he been of David's disposition, he would have waited in the path of duty till the Lord had performed his word in that manner which pleased him." Thus he soon began to manifest the rapaciousness and cruelty of the dog, of which he desired to be thought incapable. Verse 15. And spread it on his face-Pretending, it may be, to cool his immoderate heat with it, but applying it so closely that he choked him therewith; the king being weak, and unable to help himself, or perhaps asleep. By this artifice he prevented his crying out, and his death would appear to be natural, there being no signs of violence upon his body. Such a bubble is the life of the greatest men, and so exposed are princes to treachery and outrage. We found this haughty monarch (1 Kings xx. 1-10) the terror of the mighty in the land of the living; but now he goes down slain into the pit, with his iniquity upon his bones, Ezek. xxxii. 25. And Hazael reigned in his stead-Being, it is likely, in great favour, both with the people and the soldiery, and not suspected of the murder of Ben-hadad; and he leaving no son to succeed him in the government. Verse 16. Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign-Jehoram was first made king or viceroy by his father, divers years before this time, at his expedition to Ramoth-gilead, which dominion of his ended at his father's return. But now Jehoshaphat, being not far from his death, and having divers sons, and fearing some competition among them, makes Jehoram king the second time, as David did Solomon upon the like occasion. See note on chap. i. 17. Verse 18. And he walked in the way of the kings Verse 14. He told me that thou shouldest surely recocer-This was abominably false. He told him he should die, verse 10; but Hazael unfairly and of Israel-That is, after his father's death. For the unfaithfully concealed that, either because he was daughter of Ahab-Namely, Athaliah, verse 26; was loath to put the king out of humour with bad news, his wife-By whom he was seduced from the relior because he thought he should thereby the more gion of his pious father and grandfather. easily put in execution the design which he had al-equal marriage, though Jehoshaphat possibly deready formed against his life, finding he was to be signed it as a means of uniting the two kingdoms his successor, and which he was eager to see accom- under one head, is here and elsewhere noted, as the plished. Elisha's prediction might give Satan an cause both of the great wickedness of his posterity, ocension of suggesting this villany to his mind; but, and of those sore calamities which befell them. No This un Ahaziah and Joram A. M. 3119. B. C. 885. 19 Yet the LORD would not destroy || Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the A. M. 3119. Judah, for David his servant's sake, son of Jehoram king of Judah begin ras he promised him to give him always a to reign. light, and to his children. 20 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. 21 So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents. 226 Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. "Then Libnah revolted at the same time. 23 And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah? 24 And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. About B. C. 885. 25 26 Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel. 27 And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the sonin-law of the house of Ahab. In the twelfth year of Joram the son of he was sick. 2 Chron. xxi. 7. Chapter iii. 27; And so fulfilled, 2 Samuel vii. 13; 1 Kings xi. 36; xv. 4; Heb. candle, or, lamp. Gen. xxvii. 40; 2 Chron. xxi. 8, 10.- 1 Kings xxii. 47.Genesis xxvii. 40.- -u 2 Chron. xxi. 10.- 2 Chron. xxii. 1. "Called Azariah, 2 Chron. xxii. 6, and Jehoahaz, 2 Chronicles good could be reasonably expected from such a union. Those that are ill matched are already half ruined. Verse 19. To give him always a light-A son and successor, until the coming of the Messiah: for so long, and not longer, this succession might seem necessary for the making good of God's promise and covenant made with David. But when the Messiah was once come, there was no more need of any succession, and the sceptre might and did without any inconvenience depart from Judah, and from all the succeeding branches of David's family, because the Messiah was to hold the kingdom for ever in his own person, though not in so gross a way as the carnal Jews imagined. Verse 20. In his days Edom revolted-After they had been subject to Judah one hundred and fifty years, ever since the time of David, who subdued that country. This was a great dishonour to him. Hereby, however, the prophecy of Isaac (Genesis xxvii. 40) was fulfilled. xxi. 17; xxv. 23. 2 Chron. xxii. 2.- 8 Or, grand-daughter, Verse 18.- 22 Chronicles xxii. 3.-a 2 Chronicles xxii. 5. b Chap. ix. 15.-9 Heb. wherewith the Syrians had wounded. 10 Called Ramoth, Verse 28.- - Chap. ix. 16; 2 Chronicles xxii. 6.- 11 Heb. wounded. ites herein following the example of their captains. Yet Edom revolted-Notwithstanding this victory, Joram could not recover his dominion over this country; probably because he was recalled by the revolt of some of his own subjects, who had taken the occasion of his absence to rebel, and he feared that others would follow their example if they had the like opportunity. So that Edom continued a kingdom under its own king. Unto this dayWhen this record was written. Indeed, they were not brought again under the power of the Jews till after their return from the captivity of Babylon. Then Libnah revolted-A considerable city in Judah belonging to the priests. For the reason why they revolted, see 2 Chron. xxi. 10, 11. It is probable they returned to their obedience, because those words, unto this day, which are added to the former clause, are omitted here. Verses 26, 27. Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign-How this agrees with 2 Chron. xxii. 2, see on that place. The Verse 21. Joram went over to Zair-This word daughter of Omri-That is, his grand-daughter, is written differently from Seir, and therefore, it verse 18. He walked in the way of the house of seems, does not signify any part of the country of|| Ahab-He not only worshipped the calves, but also Edom, but some city near to it. And smote the Baal. For he was son-in-law of the house of Ahab Edomites which compassed him about-The Edom--And so was corrupted in his religion by his conites were not wanting in their own defence, but had surrounded him with an army; through which he broke in the night, and routed them. And the people fled, &c.-The common soldiers of the Edom nection with that idolatrous and wicked family. He was the proper son of Athaliah, daughter of Ahab, and the grandson-in-law of Ahab, his father Joram being properly Ahab's son-in-law. |