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| 1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. |
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| 2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. |
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| 3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. |
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| 4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. |
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| 5 But as one was felling a beam, the ax head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. |
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| 6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. |
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| 7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it. |
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| 8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. |
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| 9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. |
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| 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. |
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| 11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? |
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| 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 that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. |
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 spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is 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 great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. |
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| 15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how 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 answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. |
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| 17 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, behold, 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 the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with 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 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But 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 were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. |
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| 21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? |
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 answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
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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 prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came 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 And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. |
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| 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. |
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| 26 And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. |
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| 27 And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? |
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| 28 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. |
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| 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. |
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| 30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. |
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| 31 Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. |
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| 32 But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: 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? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him? |
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| 33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer? |
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