2 Kings 4:42
Baal Shalisha <01190> [Baal-shalisha.]
food ...... loaves of bread <03899> [bread.]
barley <08184> [of barley.]
said <06861 0559> [the husk thereof. or, his scrip, or garment.]
Note: Parched corn, or corn to be parched; full ears before they are ripe, parched on the fire: a very frequent food in the East. The loaves were probably extremely small, as their loaves of bread still are in eastern countries. But small as this may appear, it would be a considerable present in the time of famine; though very inadequate to the number of persons. Baal-shalisha, of which the person who made this seasonable present was an inhabitant, was situated, according to Eusebius and Jerome, fifteen miles north of Diospolis, or Lydda.
2 Kings 7:16
looted .... camp <04264 0962> [spoiled the tents.]
said <01697> [according to.]
2 Kings 7:18
prophet <0376> [as the man.]
2 Kings 7:1
Elisha replied ............. says <0559 0477> [Elisha said. See on ch.]
tomorrow <04279> [To-morrow.]
seah ... finely milled flour ......... seahs <05560 05429> [a measure of fine flour.]
A {seah} of flour: the {seah} was about two gallons and a half; the shekel 2s. 4d. at the lowest computation: a wide difference between this and the price of the ass's head.
barley <08184> [of barley.]
gate ... Samaria <08179 08111> [in the gate of Samaria.]
From this it appears that the gates were not only used as courts of judicature, but as market-places. So Mr. Morier observes: "In our rides we usually went out of the town at the {Derwazeh Shah Abdul Azeem,} or the gate leading to the village of Shah Abdul Azeem, where a market was held every morning, particularly of horses, mules, asses, and camels. At about sun-rise, the owners of the animals assemble and exhibit them for sale. But besides, here were sellers of all sorts of goods, in temporary shops and tents: and this, perhaps, will explain the custom alluded to in 2 Ki 7:18."
