6 For the Lord H136 had made the host H4264 of the Syrians H758 to hear H8085 a noise H6963 of chariots, H7393 and a noise H6963 of horses, H5483 even the noise H6963 of a great H1419 host: H2428 and they said H559 one H376 to another, H251 Lo, the king H4428 of Israel H3478 hath hired H7936 against us the kings H4428 of the Hittites, H2850 and the kings H4428 of the Egyptians, H4714 to come H935 upon us.
And let it be, when thou hearest H8085 the sound H6963 of a going H6807 in the tops H7218 of the mulberry trees, H1057 that then thou shalt bestir H2782 thyself: for then shall the LORD H3068 go out H3318 before H6440 thee, to smite H5221 the host H4264 of the Philistines. H6430
And a chariot H4818 came up H5927 and went out H3318 of Egypt H4714 for six H8337 hundred H3967 shekels of silver, H3701 and an horse H5483 for an hundred H3967 and fifty: H2572 and so for all the kings H4428 of the Hittites, H2850 and for the kings H4428 of Syria, H758 did they bring them out H3318 by their means. H3027
And it came to pass, that in the fifth H2549 year H8141 of king H4428 Rehoboam H7346 Shishak H7895 king H4428 of Egypt H4714 came up H5927 against Jerusalem, H3389 because they had transgressed H4603 against the LORD, H3068 With twelve hundred H3967 H505 chariots, H7393 and threescore H8346 thousand H505 horsemen: H6571 and the people H5971 were without number H4557 that came H935 with him out of Egypt; H4714 the Lubims, H3864 the Sukkiims, H5525 and the Ethiopians. H3569
A dreadful H6343 sound H6963 is in his ears: H241 in prosperity H7965 the destroyer H7703 shall come H935 upon him.
Woe H1945 to them that go down H3381 to Egypt H4714 for help; H5833 and stay H8172 on horses, H5483 and trust H982 in chariots, H7393 because they are many; H7227 and in horsemen, H6571 because they are very H3966 strong; H6105 but they look H8159 not unto the Holy One H6918 of Israel, H3478 neither seek H1875 the LORD! H3068
And they rose up early H7925 in the morning, H1242 and the sun H8121 shone H2224 upon the water, H4325 and the Moabites H4124 saw H7200 the water H4325 on the other side H5048 as red H122 as blood: H1818 And they said, H559 This is blood: H1818 the kings H4428 are surely H2717 slain, H2717 and they have smitten H5221 one H376 another: H7453 now therefore, Moab, H4124 to the spoil. H7998 And when they came H935 to the camp H4264 of Israel, H3478 the Israelites H3478 rose up H6965 and smote H5221 the Moabites, H4124 so that they fled H5127 before H6440 them: but they went forward H5221 smiting H5221 the Moabites, H4124 even in their country. And they beat down H2040 the cities, H5892 and on every good H2896 piece H2513 of land cast H7993 every man H376 his stone, H68 and filled H4390 it; and they stopped H5640 all the wells H4599 of water, H4325 and felled H5307 all the good H2896 trees: H6086 only in Kirharaseth H7025 left H7604 they the stones H68 thereof; howbeit the slingers H7051 went about H5437 it, and smote H5221 it. And when the king H4428 of Moab H4124 saw H7200 that the battle H4421 was too sore H2388 for him, he took H3947 with him seven H7651 hundred H3967 men H376 that drew H8025 swords, H2719 to break through H1234 even unto the king H4428 of Edom: H123 but they could H3201 not. Then he took H3947 his eldest H1060 son H1121 that should have reigned H4427 in his stead, and offered H5927 him for a burnt offering H5930 upon the wall. H2346 And there was great H1419 indignation H7110 against Israel: H3478 and they departed H5265 from him, and returned H7725 to their own land. H776
And it came to pass on the morrow, H4283 that Pashur H6583 brought forth H3318 Jeremiah H3414 out of the stocks. H4115 Then said H559 Jeremiah H3414 unto him, The LORD H3068 hath not called H7121 thy name H8034 Pashur, H6583 but Magormissabib. H4036 For thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Behold, I will make H5414 thee a terror H4032 to thyself, and to all thy friends: H157 and they shall fall H5307 by the sword H2719 of their enemies, H341 and thine eyes H5869 shall behold H7200 it: and I will give H5414 all Judah H3063 into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and he shall carry them captive H1540 into Babylon, H894 and shall slay H5221 them with the sword. H2719
And the sound H6963 of the cherubims' H3742 wings H3671 was heard H8085 even to the outer H2435 court, H2691 as the voice H6963 of the Almighty H7706 God H410 when he speaketh. H1696
And G2532 the kings G935 of the earth, G1093 and G2532 the great men, G3175 and G2532 the rich men, G4145 and G2532 the chief captains, G5506 and G2532 the mighty men, G1415 and G2532 every G3956 bondman, G1401 and G2532 every G3956 free man, G1658 hid G2928 themselves G1438 in G1519 the dens G4693 and G2532 in G1519 the rocks G4073 of the mountains; G3735 And G2532 said G3004 to the mountains G3735 and G2532 rocks, G4073 Fall G4098 on G1909 us, G2248 and G2532 hide G2928 us G2248 from G575 the face G4383 of him that sitteth G2521 on G1909 the throne, G2362 and G2532 from G575 the wrath G3709 of the Lamb: G721
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Kings 7
Commentary on 2 Kings 7 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 7
2Ki 7:1-16. Elisha Prophesies Incredible Plenty in Samaria.
1. Hear ye the word of the Lord—This prediction, though uttered first to the assembled elders, was intimated to the king's messengers, who reported it to Jehoram (2Ki 7:18).
To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, &c.—This may be estimated at a peck of fine flour for 2s. 6d., and two pecks of barley at the same price.
in the gate of Samaria—Vegetables, cattle, all sorts of country produce, are still sold every morning at the gates of towns in the East.
2. a lord on whose hand the king leaned—When an Eastern king walks or stands abroad in the open air, he always supports himself on the arm of the highest courtier present.
if the Lord would make windows in heaven—The scoffing infidelity of this remark, which was a sneer against not the prophet only, but the God he served, was justly and signally punished (see 2Ki 7:20).
3. there were four leprous men—The account of the sudden raising of the siege and the unexpected supply given to the famishing inhabitants of Samaria, is introduced by a narrative of the visit and discovery, by these poor creatures, of the extraordinary flight of the Syrians.
leprous men at the entering in of the gate—living, perhaps, in some lazar house there (Le 13:4-6; Nu 5:3).
5. they rose up in the twilight—that is, the evening twilight (2Ki 7:12).
the uttermost part of the camp of Syria—that is, the extremity nearest the city.
6, 7. the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots—This illusion of the sense of hearing, whereby the besiegers imagined the tramp of two armies from opposite quarters, was a great miracle which God wrought directly for the deliverance of His people.
8-11. these lepers … did eat and drink—After they had appeased their hunger and secreted as many valuables as they could carry, their consciences smote them for concealing the discovery and they hastened to publish it in the city.
10. horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were—The uniform arrangement of encampments in the East is to place the tents in the center, while the cattle are picketed all around, as an outer wall of defense; and hence the lepers describe the cattle as the first objects they saw.
12-15. the king … said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done—Similar stratagems have been so often resorted to in the ancient and modern wars of the East that there is no wonder Jehoram's suspicions were awakened. But the scouts, whom he despatched, soon found unmistakable signs of the panic that had struck the enemy and led to a most precipitate flight.
2Ki 7:17-20. The Unbelieving Lord Trodden to Death.
17. the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned,—&c. The news spread like lightning through the city, and was followed, as was natural, by a popular rush to the Syrian camp. To keep order at the gate, the king ordered his minister to keep guard; but the impetuosity of the famishing people could not be resisted. The lord was trodden to death, and Elisha's prophecy in all respects accomplished.