2 Kings 6
1 Elisha, giving leave to the young prophets to enlarge their dwellings, causes iron to swim.
8 He discloses the king of Syria's counsel.
13 The army which was sent to Dothan to apprehend Elisha, is smitten with blindness.
19 Being brought into Samaria, they are dismissed in peace.
24 The famine in Samaria causes women to eat their own children.
30 The king sends to slay Elisha.
<01121> [the sons.]
place <04725> [the place.]
cramped <06862> [too strait for us.]
Each ..... get .... from <03947 0376> [and take thence.]
Please <02974> [Be content.]
servants <03212 05650> [go with thy.]
cutting down trees <01504 06086> [they cut down wood.]
ax head <01270> [axe head. Heb. iron.]
Oh .... master <0162 0113> [Alas, master.]
borrowed <07592> [for it was borrowed.]
cut off <07094> [he cut down.]
This could have no natural tendency to raise the iron and cause it to swim: it was only a sign, or ceremony, which the prophet chose to employ on the occasion.
ax head <01270> [the iron.]
This was the real miracle; for the gravity of the metal must otherwise still have kept it at the bottom of the river.
Lift <07311> [Take it up.]
reached <07971> [put out.]
king <04428> [the king.]
consulted <03289> [took.]
Invade <08466> [camp. or, encamping.]
sure <08104> [Beware.]
Syria <0758> [thither the Syrians.]
sent ...... place <07971 04725> [sent to the place.]
To see if it were so. But the Vulgate renders, {misit rex Israel ad locum, et pr‘occupavit eum;} "the king of Israel sent to the place, and pre-occupied it;" which is very likely, though not expressed in the Hebrew text.
warning ....... guard <02094 08104> [warned him.]
guard <08104> [saved.]
upset <03820> [Therefore.]
helping <05046> [Will ye not.]
master <0113> [None. Heb. No. Elisha.]
telling <05046> [telleth.]
[thy bed chamber.]
find out where <0351 07200> [spy where.]
Dothan <01886> [Dothan.]
This is supposed to be the same place where Joseph was sold by his brethren; and it is placed by Eusebius 12 miles north of Samaria.
sent horses <05483 07971> [sent he thither horses.]
It is strange the Syrian monarch did not think, that he who could penetrate his secrets with respect to the Israelitish army, could inform himself of all the machinations against his own life.
good-sized <03515> [great. Heb. heavy.]
attendant <08334 05288> [servant. or, minister.]
Oh <0162> [Alas.]
afraid <03372 07227> [Fear not.]
<07227> [they that be.]
prayed <06419> [prayed.]
open ... eyes ........ opened .... eyes <05869 06491> [open his eyes.]
full ... horses <05483 04390> [full of horses.]
Strike ... people ...... struck <05221 01471> [Smite this people.]
Confound their sight, so that they may not know what they see; and so mistake one place for another. The word {sanverim,} rendered blindness, occurs only here and in Ge 19:11, on which see the Note.
<03212> [follow me. Heb. come ye after me.]
<03212> [I will bring.]
open ... eyes .... can ..... opened ... eyes <06491 05869> [open the eyes.]
open .......... opened <06491> [opened.]
master <01> [My father.]
This was dastardly: the utmost he ought to have done with these men, when thus brought into his hand, was to make them prisoners of war.
strike ... down <05221> [shall.]
strike ..................... strike <05221> [wouldest.]
sword <02719> [thy sword.]
Give .... food <07760 03899> [set bread.]
threw <03739> [he prepared.]
raiding parties <01416> [So the bands.]
That is, for a considerable time. What is mentioned in the next verse was more than a year afterwards. See on ver.
assembled <06908> [gathered.]
food supply ran out <07458 01419> [a great famine.]
donkey's head <07218 02543> [an ass's head.]
If the pieces of silver were {drachms,} the whole would amount to about 2Å“. 9s.; which was a great price for so mean a part of this unclean animal.
<01686> [dove's dung.]
This probably denotes, as Bochart, Scheuchzer, and others suppose, a kind of {pulse,} or {vetches,} which the Arabs still call pigeon's dung. "They never," says Dr. Shaw, (Travels, p. 140), "constitute a dish by themselves, but are strewed singly as a garnish over {cuscasowe, pillowe,} and other dishes. They are besides in the greatest repute after they are parched in pans and ovens; then assuming the name {leblebby;}" and he thinks they were so called from being pointed at one end, and acquiring an ash colour in parching.
Help .... master <03467 0113> [Help, my lord.]
Lord <03068> [If the Lord, etc. or, Let not the Lord save thee. whence.]
answered .... said <0559> [What aileth thee.]
Hand .... son .......... son <01121 05414> [Give thy son.]
next <0312> [next. Heb. other. she hath hid.]
tore ... clothes <0899 07167> [he rent his clothes.]
May God <0430 06213> [God do so.]
head <07218> [if the head.]
leaders ................. leaders <02205> [the elders.]
messenger ........................... messenger <04397> [ere the messenger.]
realize ... assassin ........ Look <07200 01121> [See ye how.]
assassin <07523 01121> [son of a murderer.]
<06963> [the sound.]
Lord ...... disaster .......... Lord <03068 07451> [this evil is of the Lord.]
Lord ............ wait .... Lord <03176 03068> [wait for the.]
