
Text -- 2 Kings 8:4 (NET)




Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics



collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
Wesley -> 2Ki 8:4
Wesley: 2Ki 8:4 - -- Formerly his servant. The law did not forbid conversing with lepers, but only dwelling with them.
Formerly his servant. The law did not forbid conversing with lepers, but only dwelling with them.
JFB -> 2Ki 8:4-6
JFB: 2Ki 8:4-6 - -- Ceremonial pollution being conveyed by contact alone, there was nothing to prevent a conference being held with this leper at a distance; and although...
Ceremonial pollution being conveyed by contact alone, there was nothing to prevent a conference being held with this leper at a distance; and although he was excluded from the town of Samaria, this reported conversation may have taken place at the gate or in one of the royal gardens. The providence of God so ordained that King Jehoram had been led to inquire, with great interest, into the miraculous deeds of Elisha, and that the prophet's servant was in the act of relating the marvellous incident of the restoration of the Shunammite's son when she made her appearance to prefer her request. The king was pleased to grant it; and a state officer was charged to afford her every facility in the recovery of her family possession out of the hands of the occupier.
Clarke -> 2Ki 8:4
Clarke: 2Ki 8:4 - -- The king talked with Gehazi - This is supposed to have happened before the cleansing of Naaman, for is it likely that the king would hold conversati...
The king talked with Gehazi - This is supposed to have happened before the cleansing of Naaman, for is it likely that the king would hold conversation with a leprous man; or that, knowing Gehazi had been dismissed with the highest disgrace from the prophet’ s service, he could hold any conversation with him concerning his late master, relative to whom he could not expect him to give either a true or impartial account
Some think that this conversation might have taken place after Gehazi became leprous; the king having an insatiable curiosity to know the private history of a man who had done such astonishing things: and from whom could he get this information, except from the prophet’ s own confidential servant? It agrees better with the chronology to consider what is here related as having taken place after the cure of Naaman. As to the circumstance of Gehazi’ s disease, he might overlook that, and converse with him, keeping at a reasonable distance, as nothing but actual contact could defile.
TSK -> 2Ki 8:4
TSK: 2Ki 8:4 - -- the king : As it appears not likely that the king would hold conversation with a leprous man; or, that, knowing Gehazi had been dismissed with the hig...
the king : As it appears not likely that the king would hold conversation with a leprous man; or, that, knowing Gehazi had been dismissed with the highest disgrace from the prophet’ s service, he would talk with him concerning his late master; some have supposed that this happened before the cleansing of Naaman. But it agrees better with the chronology to consider it as having taken place after that event; the king, probably, having an insatiable curiosity to know the private history of a man who had done such astonishing things. As to the circumstances of Gehazi’ s disease, he might overlook that, and converse with him, keeping at a reasonable distance, as nothing but actual contact could defile.
Gehazi : 2Ki 5:20-27, 2Ki 7:3, 2Ki 7:10
Tell : Mat 2:8; Luk 9:9, Luk 23:8; Joh 9:27; Act 24:24
all the great : 2Ki 2:14, 2Ki 2:20-22, 2Ki 2:24, 2Ki 3:14-16, 2Ki 4:3-6, 2Ki 4:16, 2Ki 4:17, 2Ki 5:14, 2Ki 5:27, 2Ki 6:6, 2Ki 6:9-12, 2Ki 6:17-20, 2Ki 6:32; 2Ki 7:1, 2Ki 7:16-20

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Poole -> 2Ki 8:4
Poole: 2Ki 8:4 - -- Quest How could the king speak with Gehazi, who was a leper?
Answ Either the king might speak with him at a convenient distance, it being usual for...
Quest How could the king speak with Gehazi, who was a leper?
Answ Either the king might speak with him at a convenient distance, it being usual for others to discourse with lepers, as 2Ki 7:8 Mat 8:2 Luk 17:12 ; or his leprosy might be of that sort which was not infectious; or, if his leprosy was such as made him yet to be unclean, the king’ s great curiosity might easily prevail with him to break a ceremonial law, who made no scruple of violating God’ s moral law.
Haydock -> 2Ki 8:4
Haydock: 2Ki 8:4 - -- Giezi was not yet infected; (Salien; Menochius) or if he was, (Haydock) the king spoke to him at a distance, overcoming his natural repugnance, in or...
Giezi was not yet infected; (Salien; Menochius) or if he was, (Haydock) the king spoke to him at a distance, overcoming his natural repugnance, in order to know some particulars of the life of Eliseus. (Calmet) ---
This he would more readily do, if Giezi had brought the glad tidings of plenty. (Tirinus) ---
Providence ordered that he should be present at this time, that he might bear witness to the woman. (Calmet)
Gill -> 2Ki 8:4
Gill: 2Ki 8:4 - -- And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God,.... Elisha's servant, just at the same time the woman made her application to him; so t...
And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God,.... Elisha's servant, just at the same time the woman made her application to him; so that this was before he was dismissed from the service of the prophet, and consequently before the affair of Naaman's cure, and so before the siege of Samaria:
saying, tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done; the miracles he wrought, as the dividing of the waters of Jordan, and healing those near Jericho; the affair of procuring water for the armies of the three kings in Edom he needed not to relate, since Jehoram was an eyewitness thereof; the next was the multiplying the widow's cruse of oil, when he in course came to those that were done for the Shunammite woman.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> 2Ki 8:1-29
TSK Synopsis: 2Ki 8:1-29 - --1 The Shunammite, having left her country seven years, to avoid the forewarned famine, for Elisha's miracle's sake has her land restored by the king.7...
MHCC -> 2Ki 8:1-6
MHCC: 2Ki 8:1-6 - --The kindness of the good Shunammite to Elisha, was rewarded by the care taken of her in famine. It is well to foresee an evil, and wisdom, when we for...
Matthew Henry -> 2Ki 8:1-6
Matthew Henry: 2Ki 8:1-6 - -- Here we have, I. The wickedness of Israel punished with a long famine, one of God's sore judgments often threatened in the law. Canaan, that fruit...
Keil-Delitzsch -> 2Ki 8:4
Keil-Delitzsch: 2Ki 8:4 - --
And just at that time the king was asking Gehazi to relate to him the great things that Elisha had done; and among these he was giving an account of...
Constable -> 2Ki 2:1--8:16; 2Ki 8:1-6
Constable: 2Ki 2:1--8:16 - --4. Jehoram's evil reign in Israel 2:1-8:15
Jehoram reigned 12 years in Israel (852-841 B.C.). Hi...
