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Texts -- 2 Kings 6:20-33 (NET)

Context
6:20 When they had entered Samaria , Elisha said , “O Lord , open their eyes , so they can see .” The Lord opened their eyes and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria . 6:21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha , “Should I strike them down , my master ?” 6:22 He replied , “Do not strike them down ! You did not capture them with your sword or bow , so what gives you the right to strike them down ? Give them some food and water , so they can eat and drink and then go back to their master .” 6:23 So he threw a big banquet for them and they ate and drank . Then he sent them back to their master . After that no Syrian raiding parties again invaded the land of Israel .
The Lord Saves Samaria
6:24 Later King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled his entire army and attacked and besieged Samaria . 6:25 Samaria’s food supply ran out . They laid siege to it so long that a donkey’s head was selling for eighty shekels of silver and a quarter of a kab of dove’s droppings for five shekels of silver . 6:26 While the king of Israel was passing by on the city wall , a woman shouted to him, “Help us, my master , O king !” 6:27 He replied , “No , let the Lord help you. How can I help you? The threshing floor and winepress are empty.” 6:28 Then the king asked her, “What’s your problem?” She answered , “This woman said to me, ‘Hand over your son ; we’ll eat him today and then eat my son tomorrow .’ 6:29 So we boiled my son and ate him. Then I said to her the next day , ‘Hand over your son and we’ll eat him.’ But she hid her son !” 6:30 When the king heard what the woman said, he tore his clothes . As he was passing by on the wall , the people could see he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes . 6:31 Then he said , “May God judge me severely if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head by the end of the day !” 6:32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house with the community leaders . The king sent a messenger on ahead , but before he arrived , Elisha said to the leaders , “Do you realize this assassin intends to cut off my head ?” Look , when the messenger arrives , shut the door and lean against it . His master will certainly be right behind him.” 6:33 He was still talking to them when the messenger approached and said , “Look , the Lord is responsible for this disaster ! Why should I continue to wait for the Lord to help?”

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Elisha

    [ebd] God his salvation, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, who became the attendant and disciple of Elijah (1 Kings 19:16-19). His name first occurs in the command given to Elijah to anoint him as his successor (1 Kings 19:16). ...
    [isbe] ELISHA - e-li'-sha 'elisha`, "God is salvalion"; Septuagint Eleisaie; New Testament Elisaios, Eliseus, (Lk 4:27 the King James Version)): I. HIS CALL AND PREPARATION 1. His Call 2. His Preparation 3. The Parting Gift of Elij...
    [smith] (God his salvation), son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah; the attendant and disciple of Elijan, and subsequently his successor as prophet of the kingdom of Israel. The earliest mention of his name is in the command to Elijah in th...
    [nave] ELISHA, successor to the prophet Elijah. Elijah instructed to anoint, 1 Kin. 19:16. Called by Elijah, 1 Kin. 19:19. Ministers to Elijah, 1 Kin. 19:21. Witnesses Elijah's translation, receives a double portion of his spirit...

  • Samaria

    [smith] (watch mountain). This city is situated 30 miles north of Jerusalem and about six miles to the northwest of Shechem, in a wide basin-shaped valley, six miles in diameter, encircled with high hills, almost on the edge of the g...
    [nave] SAMARIA 1. City of, built by Omri, 1 Kin. 16:24. Capital of the kingdom of the ten tribes, 1 Kin. 16:29; 22:51; 2 Kin. 13:1, 10; 15:8. Besieged by Ben-hadad, 1 Kin. 20; 2 Kin. 6:24-33; 7. The king of Syria is led into, by...

  • JEHOAHAZ

    [isbe] JEHOAHAZ - je-ho'-a-haz, je-ho-a'-haz (yeho'achaz, "Yah has grasped"; Ioachas; 2 Ki 13:1-9): (1) Son of Jehu, and 11th king of Israel. He is stated to have reigned 17 years. 1. Chronology of Reign: Josephus was already aware...

  • Ben-hadad

    [nave] BEN-HADAD 1. King of Syria, 1 Kin. 15:18-20; 2 Chr. 16:2-4. 2. A king of Syria, who reigned in the time of Ahab, son of Ben-hadad I, 1 Kin. 20; 2 Kin. 5; 6; 7; 8:7-15. 3. Son of Hazael and king of Syria, 2 Kin. 13:3, 24, 2...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Jehoram

    [ebd] Jehovah-exalted. (1.) Son of Toi, king of Hamath, sent by his father to congratulate David on the occasion of his victory over Hadadezer (2 Sam. 8:10). (2.) A Levite of the family of Gershom (1 Chr. 26:25). (3.) A priest sen...

  • Famine

    [ebd] The first mentioned in Scripture was so grievous as to compel Abraham to go down to the land of Egypt (Gen. 26:1). Another is mentioned as having occurred in the days of Isaac, causing him to go to Gerar (Gen. 26:1, 17). But...
    [isbe] FAMINE - fam'-in (ra`abh; limos): 1. Natural Causes 2. Famines Mentioned 3. Divine Relations 4. Figurative Uses The common Old Testament word for "famine" is ra`abh; re`abhon also occurs (Gen 42:19,33; Ps 37:19), and kaphan ...
    [nave] FAMINE Pharaoh forewarned of, in dreams, Gen. 41. Described, Deut. 28:53-57; Isa. 5:13; 9:18-21; 17:11; Jer. 5:17; 14:1-6; 48:33; Lam. 1:11, 19; 2:11-22; 4:4-10; Joel 1:17-20. Sent as a judgment, Lev. 26:19-29; Deut. 28:23...

  • Armies

    [nave] ARMIES Who of the Israelites were subject to service in, Num. 1:2, 3; 26:2; 2 Chr. 25:5; who were exempt from service in, Num. 1:47-50; 2:33; Deut. 20:5-9; Judg. 7:3. Enumeration of Israel's military forces, Num. 1:2, 3; 26...

  • Siege

    [isbe] SIEGE - sej (matsor (Dt 28:52,53; 1 Ki 15:27; 2 Ki 25:2; Isa 29:3; Ezek 4:2); "to be besieged," "to suffer siege," ba-matsor bo' (Dt 20:19; 2 Ki 24:10; 25:2)): 1. In Early Hebrew History 2. In the Monarchy 3. Preliminaries t...
    [nave] SIEGE Offer of peace must be made to the city before begiing, Deut. 20:10-12. Conducted by erecting embankments parallel to the walls of the besieged city, Deut. 20:19, 20; Isa. 29:3; 37:33. Battering-rams used in, See: Ba...

  • JEHOASH; JOASH

    [isbe] JEHOASH; JOASH - je-ho'-ash, the uncontracted form of (yeho'ash, yo'ash, "Yahweh has bestowed"; compare 2 Ki 11:2,21; 12:1,19; 2 Ch 24:1, etc.; Ioas): (1) The 9th king of Judah; son of Ahaziah and Zibiah, a woman of Beersheb...

  • BENHADAD

    [isbe] BENHADAD - ben-ha'-dad (ben-hadhadh; Septuagint huios Hader): The Name I. BENHADAD I 1. The Kingdom of Syria Founded 2. Syria and Judah 3. Shortsightedness of Asa II. BENHADAD II 1. Hadad-'idri of the Monuments 2. Expedition...

  • Blindness

    [nave] BLINDNESS Disqualified for priestly office, Lev. 21:18. Of animals, disqualified for a sacrifice, Lev. 22:22; Deut. 15:21; Mal. 1:8. Miraculously inflicted upon the Sodomites, Gen. 19:11; Syrians, 2 Kin. 6:18-23; Saul of T...

  • Joram

    [nave] JORAM 1. A son of Toi, 2 Sam. 8:9, 10. Called Hadoram, 1 Chr. 18:10. 2. Called also Jehoram. King of Israel, 2 Kin. 1:17; 3:1. King of Syria sends Naaman to, that he may be healed of his leprosy, 2 Kin. 5:1-27. Has war w...

  • Malice

    [nave] MALICE. Gen. 3:15; Lev. 19:14, 17, 18; Deut. 27:17, 18; Deut. 32:32, 33; 2 Kin. 6:21, 22; Job 31:29, 30; Psa. 4:2; Psa. 7:14-16 Job 15:35. Psa. 10:7-10, 14; Psa. 21:11; Psa. 22:7, 8; Psa. 35:15, 16, 19-21; Psa. 38:16, 19; P...

  • Oath

    [isbe] OATH - oth (shebhu`ah, probably from shebha`, "seven," the sacred number, which occurs frequently in the ritual of an oath; horkos; and the stronger word 'alah, by which a curse is actually invoked upon the oath-breaker Sept...
    [nave] OATH, a solemn qualification. Used in solemnizing covenants: Between Abraham and the king of Sodom, Gen. 14:22, 23; and Abimelech, Gen. 21:22, 23; between Isaac and Abimelech, Gen. 26:26-29, 31. Abraham requires oath of his ...

  • Women

    [nave] WOMEN Creation of, Gen. 1:27; 2:21, 22. Named, Gen. 2:23. Fall of, and curse upon, Gen. 3:1-16; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14. Promise to, Gen. 3:15. Had separate apartments in dwellings, Gen. 24:67; 31:33; Esth. 2:9, 11. Ve...

  • CAPTIVE

    [isbe] CAPTIVE - kap'-tiv (shebhi, galah; aichmalotos and its derivatives): The frequent references in the Old Testament to captives as men forcibly deported (from the Hebrew root shabhah) or inhabiting a land foreign to them (from...

  • Good for Evil

    [nave] GOOD FOR EVIL, Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:27-36 Returning Instances of: Abraham, to Abimelech, Gen. 20:14-18. David, to Saul, 1 Sam. 24:17; 26. Elisha, to the Syrians, 2 Kin. 6:22, 23. David, to his enemies, Psa. 35:12-14. ...

  • Shaphat

    [smith] (judge). 1.The Simeonite spy, son of Hori. (Numbers 13:5) (B.C. 1490). The father of the prophet Elisha. (1 Kings 19:18,19; 2 Kings 3:11; 6:31) (B.C. before 900.) One of the six sons of Shemaiah in the royal line of Ju...
    [nave] SHAPHAT 1. The representative of Simeon among the spies sent into Canaan, Num. 13:5. 2. Father of Elisha, 1 Kin. 19:16, 19; 2 Kin. 3:11; 6:31. 3. Son of Shemaiah, 1 Chr. 3:22. 4. A Gadite, 1 Chr. 5:12. 5. Son of Adlai, 1...

  • Prophecy

    [nave] PROPHECY Concerning Jesus, See: Jesus. Concerning church, See: Church, Prophecies Concerning Prosperity of. Relating to various countries, nations, and cities, see under their respective titles. Respecting individuals, see...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Keilah was about three miles southeast of Adullam in the Shephelah, the foothills between the coastal plain on the west and the hill country of Judah on the east. The Philistines were plundering the threshing floors there. Th...
  • Hadad hated Solomon because of Joab's severe treatment of the Edomites. He may have been a relation of Solomon's by marriage. Pharaoh Siamun apparently gave his daughter to Solomon in marriage and his sister-in-law to Hadad (...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Kings)3. Ahaziah's evil reign in Israel -1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:184. Jehoram's evil reign in Israel 2:1-8:155. Jehoram's evil reign in Judah 8:16-246. Ahaziah's evil reign in Judah 8:25-9:29C. The ...
  • The king of Aram was probably Ben-Hadad II though the writer did not mention him by name (v. 8). Perhaps since he only identified Elisha and Yahweh by name, he wished to focus attention on them as the main characters in this ...
  • Aram's cessation of hostilities resumed after some time (v. 24; cf. v. 23), perhaps between 845 and 841 B.C.43The famine in Samaria resulted from the siege that was a punishment from the Lord for Israel's apostasy (cf. Lev. 2...
  • Several details in this incident hinge on timing that God supernaturally controlled to bring blessing on the woman as God had promised. God directed her away from the famine before it came on Israel for the nation's apostasy ...
  • Hazael was the governor of Damascus.50The Gentile King of Aram had more interest in inquiring of Yahweh than Jehoram's predecessor did (v. 8; cf. 1:2). It was customary in the Near East to make a great show of giving gifts. I...
  • Jehoash (Joash) had respect and affection for Elisha. He anticipated the loss that the death of God's spiritual warrior would be to Israel (v. 14). He recognized that Israel's real defense lay in Yahweh's angelic army and in ...
  • This message to the people involved another symbolic act (cf. 13:1-11). This incident may have occurred between 609 and 605 B.C.19:1 Yahweh told Jeremiah to take some of Judah's elders and senior priests and to go and purchas...
  • 31:15 The Lord described the Israelite mothers, under the figure of Rachel, weeping for their children who had died because of the Assyrian invasion.404Rachel was the mother of Joseph, the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, and ...
  • This last pericope is a prayer to the Lord.2:20 Jeremiah responded to this call to prayer by asking the Lord to consider who was suffering so greatly that women were cannibalizing their own newborn children to stay alive in t...
  • This section of the poem consists of two parallel parts (vv. 1-6, 7-11). The Judahites had become despised (vv. 1-2, 7-8), and both children and adults (everyone) suffered (vv. 3-5, 9-10). This calamity was the result of Yahw...
  • Evidently Ezekiel's verbal explanation of this drama came at the very end of the drama, at the time of the real destruction of Jerusalem. Ezekiel was no longer silent then.5:5-6 The Lord explained that the center of the drama...
  • 21:8 The people where acknowledging Jesus as a King by spreading their garments on the road before Him (cf. 2 Kings 9:13). Likewise throwing small branches before Him symbolized the same thing (cf. 1 Macc. 13:51; 2 Macc. 10:7...
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