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| 1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha,–See, we pray thee, the place wherein we sit before thee, is too strait for us. |
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| 2 Let us go, we pray thee, as far as the Jordan, and fetch from thence every man a single beam, and let us make us a place wherein we may sit. And he said–Go ye. |
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| 3 Then said one–Be content, we pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he said–I myself, will go. |
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| 4 So he went with them,–and, when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood. |
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| 5 And it came to pass, as one was felling a branch, that, the axe-head, fell into the water, so he made outcry and said–Alas! my lord, for, it, was borrowed! |
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| 6 And the man of God said–Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a piece of wood and cast it in thither, and the iron did swim. |
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| 7 And he said–Take it up to thee. So he put forth his hand, and took it. |
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| 8 Now, the king of Syria, was making war against Israel,–so he took counsel with his servants, saying–In such and such a place, shall be my encampment. |
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| 9 The man of God, therefore, sent unto the king of Israel, saying–Beware of passing by this place,–for, thither, are the Syrians coming down. |
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| 10 So the king of Israel sent unto the place whereof the man of God had spoken to him and warned him, and was on his guard there,–not once nor twice |
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| 11 Then was the heart of the king of Syria disquieted concerning this thing,–and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not tell me, who of our men are for the king of Israel? |
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| 12 Then said one of his servants, None, my lord O king,–but, Elisha, the prophet, who is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words which thou speakest in thy bed-chamber. |
But Elisha, the prophet – Apparently the knowledge of Jehovah and Elisha had spread from General Naaman to some of the household of the king. R5781:4
Telleth the king – Probably angels were the divine instrumentality in informing Elisha of the things proper to be told the king of Israel for his protection. R2349:3
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| 13 And he said–Go, and see where he is, that I may send and take him. And it was told him, saying–Lo! in Dothan. |
Go and spy where he is – The king was not wise in his determination, not realizing that the prophet would be informed by the wisdom of God. R3440:6
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| 14 Therefore sent he thither–horses and chariots, and a strong force,–and they came in by night, and encompassed the city. |
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| 15 And, when the attendant of the man of God arose early and went forth, lo! a force surrounding the city, with horses and chariots. Then said his young man unto him–Alas! my lord, what shall we do? |
The servant – Not Gehazi, but another more worthy. R2349:6
Was risen early – Elisha doubtless understood in advance, but did not flee. R3441:1
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| 16 And he said–Do not fear,–for, more, are, they who are with us, than, they who are with them. |
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| 17 Then prayed Elisha, and said, O Yahweh! open, I beseech thee, his eyes, that he may see. And Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and lo! the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire, round about Elisha. |
Open his eyes – The spiritual body, though shining "above the brightness of the firmament," cannot be seen by mortals without a special revelation. HG28:6
That he may see – Angels can be, and frequently are, present, yet invisible. A182
Giving to his eyes of understanding a proper conception of the divine power present with the prophet. R3441:2, R5781:5
A prayer doubtless intended of the Lord as a lesson for his people down through the ages. R3441:1
And he saw – A vision, an active parable, a picture similar to the symbolic pictures of Revelation. R3441:2, R5781:5
Horses and chariots – Illustrative of the divine power and protection. R3441:2
Of fire – Like fire, as all spirit beings are described in Scripture. R2350:1
Round about Elisha – The Father has numberless messengers to care for the interests of his cause on earth, ministering especially unto the very elect. (Psa. 34:7; Matt. 18:10) R3441:3, R5781:5, R4769:3, R2350:1
God's omnipotent power, like a mighty army, completely surrounds those who are his. R5781:5, R4769:3
The Christian is enabled, through faith, to see the armies of the Lord encamped about him without a miracle being performed on his natural sight. R2350:1
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| 18 And, when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto Yahweh, and said–Smite, I beseech thee, this people, with sudden blindness. And he smote them with sudden blindness, according to the word of Elisha. |
With blindness – Not total blindness, but bewilderment or hallucination similar to that produced by hypnotism; the eyes of their understanding being closed. R5781:6, R4769:6, R3441:5, R2350:4
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| 19 Then Elisha said unto them–This, is not the way, neither is, this, the city, follow me, that I may lead you unto the man, whom ye would secure! So he led them to Samaria. |
Neither Is this the city – True, for Dothan was not Elisha's city; his house was in Samaria, where he took them and brought them to the man they sought--himself. R2350:5
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| 20 And it came to pass, when they had entered Samaria, that Elisha said, O Yahweh! open the eyes of these men, that they may see! And Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw, and lo! they were in the midst of Samaria! |
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| 21 Then said the king of Israel unto Elisha, when he saw them,–Shall I smite–shall I smite, my father? |
Shall I smite them? – Israel's kings were learning gradually that the will of the Lord was to be considered. R2350:5
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| 22 And he said–Thou shalt not smite. Them whom thou hadst taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow, wouldst, thou, have been smiting? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go their way unto their lord. |
Set bread and water – "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." (Rom. 12:20) R3441:6
How many enemies could be won by kind treatment, who would be made bitter by even just treatment. R4770:1
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| 23 And he made for them a great feast, and, when they had eaten and drunk, he let them go, and they went their way unto their lord. So then, troops of Syrians came again, no more, into the land of Israel. |
Came no more – The best victories are the bloodless ones; where the spirit of righteousness, mercy and benevolence are victorious over the spirit of rivalry, ambition and selfishness. R2350:6
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| 24 But it came to pass, after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered together all his host,–and came up and laid siege against Samaria. |
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| 25 And there came to be, a great famine, in Samaria, and lo! they continued the siege against it,–until an ass's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and one pint of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. |
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| 26 And so it was that, as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman, made outcry unto him, saying–Save, my lord, O king! |
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| 27 And he said–If Yahweh do not save thee, whence should I save thee? out of the threshing-floor or out of the wine-press? |
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| 28 And the king said to her–What aileth thee? And she said–This woman, said unto me–Give thy son, that we may eat him, today, and, my son, will we eat tomorrow. |
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| 29 So we cooked my son, and did eat him,–and I said unto her, on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him; But she had hid her son. |
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| 30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes, while yet he was passing by upon the wall,–so the people looked, and lo! sackcloth upon his flesh, within. |
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| 31 And he said–So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add,–if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remain on him, today! |
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| 32 Now, Elisha, being seated in his house, and, the elders, seated with him,–when he had sent a man from before him, ere yet the messenger could come in unto him, he himself, said unto the elders–Do ye see how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away my head? See! when the messenger is coming in, close ye the door, and press him back with the door, is not the sound of his lord's feet behind him? |
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| 33 While yet he was speaking with them, lo! the messenger, coming down unto him,–and he said,–Lo! this, is a calamity from Yahweh, why should I wait for Yahweh, any longer? |
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