2 Kings 2:12-25
2:12 a Elijah was Elisha’s spiritual father and personal mentor. Cp. the tribute given him at his death, 13:14 b.Summary for 2Kgs 2:13-15: 2:13-15 c Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak and successfully parted the Jordan River. Elisha was indeed Elijah’s successor, as the other prophets recognized.
Summary for 2Kgs 2:16-18: 2:16-18 d The prophets searched the wilderness, perhaps to be certain that Elijah had not temporarily disappeared (cp. 1 Kgs 18:12 e). Elisha already knew that the search was pointless.
Summary for 2Kgs 2:20-22: 2:20-22 f Elisha used a new bowl (Deut 21:3 g) filled with salt (Lev 2:13 h; Ezek 43:24 i) to symbolize calling upon God to purify the people and the environment. Elisha made it clear that the Lord, not he or the salt, had purified this water.
2:23 j The group of boys could have been young adults; the Hebrew term has a wide range of meanings, at times being used of a young adult still unskilled in his profession, such as when Solomon petitioned the Lord for wisdom because he was young and inexperienced (1 Kgs 3:7 k). Joshua’s spies at Jericho were designated by the same term (Josh 6:22-23 l).
• To call someone baldy was disrespectful. The young men told Elisha to go away (literally go up), mocking Elisha’s God-given position as successor to Elijah.
2 Kings 3
3:2 m Ahab apparently erected the sacred pillar (or stela) of Baal when instituting Baal worship (see 1 Kgs 16:32-33 n). Similar stones were also erected to pagan deities in Judah (1 Kgs 14:23 o); such pillars were later purged by Jehu (2 Kgs 10:26-27 p) and Josiah (23:13-15 q).Summary for 2Kgs 3:4-27: 3:4-27 r The joint war of Israel and Judah against Moab was the setting for one of Elisha’s miracles.
Summary for 2Kgs 3:4-5: 3:4-5 s The Moabite rebellion (see 1:1 t) began with the withholding of the annual tribute. The Moabite Stone (Mesha Stela) records details of Israel’s domination of northern Moab in the days of Omri and Ahab, a subservience that continued into the reigns of Ahaziah and Joram.
Summary for 2Kgs 3:6-7: 3:6-7 u Jehoshaphat’s ready compliance with Joram’s appeal was typical of his participation in the undertakings of the northern kings (1 Kgs 22:4 v; 2 Chr 20:35-37 w). The marriage of Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram to Ahab’s daughter Athaliah (2 Chr 18:1 x; 21:6 y) heightened Jehoshaphat’s entanglement with Israel.
Summary for 2Kgs 3:8-9: 3:8-9 z The king of Edom ... joined them: Edom was apparently a vassal kingdom to Judah at this time. Later, in the days of Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram, Edom successfully rebelled against Judah (8:20-22 aa). The southern route through Edom avoided strong Moabite fortifications, but it was dangerous because water was scarce.
Summary for 2Kgs 3:11-12: 3:11-12 ab Is there no prophet of the Lord with us? Diviners or prophets often traveled with armies to perceive the divine will. Jehoshaphat again desired an oracle from a true prophet to learn the Lord’s intentions for the battle (cp. 1 Kgs 22:7 ac). However, this time he waited until the campaign had begun before inquiring of the Lord.
Summary for 2Kgs 3:13-14: 3:13-14 ad Elisha participated because of Jehoshaphat’s presence, despite his entanglement with the pagan Joram.
3:15 ae bring me someone who can play the harp: Music stimulated the prophetic spirit (cp. Ps 49:4 af).
Summary for 2Kgs 3:18-20: 3:18-20 ag The supply of water—a simple thing for the Lord—was a harbinger of God’s enabling the allies to defeat the army of Moab.
Summary for 2Kgs 3:24-25: 3:24-25 ah The army of Israel ... destroyed the towns. Elisha’s prophecy was fulfilled, although Kir-hareseth escaped total destruction.
3:26 ai The reason for the Moabite king’s attempt to break through the enemy lines might have been to avenge himself against the Edomite king or to escape through a perceived weakness in the allied lines.
3:27 aj So there was great anger against Israel: The Hebrew phrase translated great anger occurs elsewhere to describe the Lord’s fury against Israel for covenant violations (Jer 21:5 ak; 32:37 al; Zech 7:12 am).
2 Kings 4
4:1 an The widow’s husband had been a member of the group of prophets ... who served Elisha (2:3-18 ao).• take my two sons as slaves: The law of Moses allowed a creditor to place a debtor and his children into slavery to work off a debt (Exod 21:2-4 ap; Lev 25:10 aq).
4:4 ar shut the door: Elisha was meeting a private need; the miracle was not for public show.
• Olive oil, an important staple, had commercial value (see 1 Kgs 5:11 as; 2 Chr 11:11 at; Hos 12:1 au).
Summary for 2Kgs 4:5-6: 4:5-6 av Elisha was absent during the miracle so the woman and her son would recognize that the provision was by the Lord’s power.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:8-37: 4:8-37 aw Elisha’s dealings with the woman from Shunem are presented in two parallel sections (4:8-20 ax, 21-37 ay). Shunem was a border town in the tribal allotment to Issachar (Josh 19:18 az).
Summary for 2Kgs 4:9-10: 4:9-10 ba Because the Shunemite woman recognized that Elisha was a true prophet—a holy man of God—she wished to provide hospitality for him during his frequent travels (see Isa 58:7 bb; Heb 13:2 bc; 3 Jn 1:5 bd).
• A small room ... on the roof, reached by an outside stairway, assured privacy for both Elisha and his hosts.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:11-14: 4:11-14 be Elisha wanted to return some favor to his host.
• his servant Gehazi: Gehazi served as an apprentice, as Elisha had served with Elijah (1 Kgs 19:21 bf). It would not be unusual for a prophet to consult with his attendant.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:15-16: 4:15-16 bg Cp. similar promises and responses at Gen 18:9-15 bh; Luke 1:6-20 bi.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:18-20: 4:18-20 bj “My head hurts!” The boy probably suffered a brain aneurysm. The woman’s faith and character were put to the test with the sudden death of her son on her lap.
4:21 bk laid him on the bed of the man of God: The woman’s action kept her son’s death a secret from others and demonstrated her confidence in Elisha’s ability to do a miracle.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:24-26: 4:24-26 bl Mount Carmel lay about twenty miles northwest of Shunem. The length of the trip and the woman’s obvious haste aroused Elisha’s suspicion that some tragedy concerning the child had occurred.
• “everything is fine”: The woman brushed off Gehazi’s inquiries; she was resolved to deal with no one but Elisha.
4:27 bm caught hold of his feet: With this sign of deep respect and supplication, the woman poured out her heart to Elisha (see Matt 28:9 bn; Luke 8:41 bo, 47 bp; 17:16 bq; Rev 1:17 br).
4:28 bs The loss of her son undid all the joy she felt at his promised birth and seemed to make that birth a cruel deception.
4:29 bt Elisha instructed Gehazi not to talk to anyone along the way, indicating the seriousness and urgency of the mission. Jesus gave similar instructions when he sent out the seventy-two disciples (Luke 10:4 bu).
• Laying Elisha’s staff on the child’s face signified the prophet’s intention to identify with the boy and claim God’s power.
4:31 bv no sign of life: Elisha’s staff held no magical power; only God is the author of life (Acts 17:25-28 bw).
4:33 bx shut the door: Elisha followed the same procedure he had advised the widow to take earlier (4:4 by). If God were to perform the miracle, it would not be for public display. Only the mother knew of the boy’s death and only she needed to know of Elisha’s efforts to petition God for the boy’s life.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:34-35: 4:34-35 bz lay down on the child’s body: Elisha’s actions and faith in the Lord were similar to Elijah’s (1 Kgs 17:17-24 ca).
Summary for 2Kgs 4:36-37: 4:36-37 cb Again, Gehazi summoned the woman (4:12 cc, 15 cd), and again, she fell at Elisha’s feet (4:27 ce), this time overwhelmed with gratitude rather than anguish.
4:38 cf Like Bethel (2:3 cg) and Jericho (2:5 ch, 15 ci), Gilgal was the center for a group of prophets (2:1 cj). Elisha was the leader of these groups, and thus sat at the head of the table for meals.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:39-41: 4:39-41 ck The men immediately recognized that the young man’s wild gourds were poisonous; they did not want to be poisoned or to waste the stew during a famine, so they turned to Elisha for help. The flour was a tangible symbol of God’s miraculous provision of food.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:42-44: 4:42-44 cl grain ... loaves of barley ... first grain: This offering was similar to the first of the crops that were normally presented to God (Lev 23:20 cm) and to the priests (Deut 18:4-5 cn) as their portion. Because of the famine, Elisha shared the offering with all the people.
• Elisha’s feeding a hundred people with a sack of fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread anticipated the miraculous ministry of Jesus (Matt 14:15-21 co; 15:32-38 cp). Nothing is impossible for God (Matt 19:26 cq; Luke 1:37 cr; 18:27 cs).
2 Kings 5
5:1 ct The king of Aram was probably Ben-hadad II (860–843 BC).• the Lord had given Aram great victories: The Lord is sovereign over all nations (Pss 47:8 cu; 99:1-2 cv; Rom 13:1 cw).
• from leprosy: Naaman’s access to society and Gehazi’s later social freedom (2 Kgs 8:4-5 cx) suggest that the problem was not Hansen’s disease but another incurable skin disease (see Lev 13:10-11 cy, 45-46 cz).
Summary for 2Kgs 5:2-3: 5:2-3 da During Joram’s reign, strained relations between Israel and the Arameans led to incursions by Aramean raiders into the northern kingdom (see 6:8 db, 24 dc).
Summary for 2Kgs 5:5-6: 5:5-6 dd The lavish gifts and the royal letter of introduction, common practices in the ancient Near East, underscored Naaman’s wealth, his value to the Aramean king, and Elisha’s reputation. Unlike Ahaziah, who sent his messengers directly to the temple of Baal-zebub in Philistia (1:2 de), the Aramean king followed diplomatic protocol by sending Naaman first to King Joram.
5:7 df tore his clothes: This action was often a sign of intense agitation (11:4 dg), grief (Gen 37:34 dh; 2 Sam 13:31 di), or sorrow (2 Kgs 6:30 dj; Job 1:20 dk; 2:12 dl). Due to the perennial distrust and hostilities between the Arameans and the Israelites, Joram assumed that the Aramean king was trying to pick a fight, as had occurred in the days of his father Ahab (1 Kgs 20:1-12 dm).
5:8 dn Elisha had no respect for King Joram (3:14 do), but he sent the message because of the opportunity for a testimony to the Lord’s power.
Summary for 2Kgs 5:9-12: 5:9-12 dp Rather than receiving Naaman, who came to buy his healing, Elisha left him standing at the door and communicated with him by messenger. Naaman expected special treatment befitting his station and was disappointed both in Elisha’s failure to receive him and at his instructions to wash ... seven times in the Jordan River, which he considered inferior to the rivers of Aram. Washing in the Jordan would be a visible reminder that only Yahweh, the God of Israel, could heal Naaman.
Summary for 2Kgs 5:13-14: 5:13-14 dq Naaman swallowed his pride. He did as the man of God had instructed him and experienced God’s healing power. Obedience to God brings God’s blessings and purity (Ps 119:9-11 dr).
Summary for 2Kgs 5:15-16: 5:15-16 ds No God ... except in Israel: Naaman’s physical healing led to spiritual conversion. Like the Samaritan leper healed by Jesus, Naaman returned to give thanks to his benefactor (Luke 17:15-16 dt).
• Naaman offered a gift out of gratitude, but Elisha refused; God’s grace and blessings were not to be obtained through money, gifts, or favors (Isa 55:1-5 du; Rom 2:4 dv; 1 Cor 2:12 dw; Eph 4:8 dx).
5:17 dy earth from this place: Ancient Near Eastern custom identified a nation’s god with the soil of the country where he was worshiped; Naaman apparently believed he needed Israelite soil in order to build an altar to properly worship Israel’s God.
5:18 dz The name Rimmon appears in the name Tabrimmon (1 Kgs 15:18 ea), the father of Ben-hadad I. In Aramean, the god’s name is properly Ramman (the thunderer), a storm-god noted in Assyrian inscriptions. The spelling Rimmon (which means pomegranate) may reflect a deliberate pun belittling the deity.
Summary for 2Kgs 5:22-23: 5:22-23 eb Naaman believed Gehazi’s fabricated story to be genuine and was happy to repay Elisha.
5:24 ec the citadel: The Hebrew word means hill or high point in a city. Citadels were often erected in such places (2 Chr 27:3 ed).
Summary for 2Kgs 5:25-27: 5:25-27 ee Gehazi could not conceal his deed from Elisha. Gehazi’s deception and misuse of his privileged position earned his master’s disapproval and the loss of his status as Elisha’s servant. But it also brought on him the penalty of Naaman’s leprosy, a sign that Gehazi had traded places with Naaman spiritually as well.
2 Kings 6
Summary for 2Kgs 6:1-2: 6:1-2 ef logs ... new place for us to meet: The forest areas of the Jordan Valley near Jericho and Gilgal (see 2:1 eg, 4 eh) provided several types of wood for building.6:5 ei The Hebrew text indicates that the ax head was made of iron, quite valuable in a time when few iron tools were available. Because it was ... borrowed, the loss was even more acute.
Summary for 2Kgs 6:8-10: 6:8-10 ej Elisha’s ability to know the Aramean king’s raiding strategies allowed him to warn Joram of danger. Apparently, the healing of Naaman (5:1-19 ek) had improved relations between Elisha and Joram (see 3:13-14 el).
Summary for 2Kgs 6:11-14: 6:11-14 em When the king of Aram learned that Elisha had the ability to give advance warning to the king of Israel, he commanded his men to capture the prophet.
• Dothan was situated about ten miles north of Samaria. Archaeological excavations have confirmed the city’s existence in this period.
6:15 en The identity of Elisha’s alarmed servant is unknown. He was evidently the replacement of Gehazi (5:27 eo).
Summary for 2Kgs 6:16-17: 6:16-17 ep Elisha asked the Lord to open the young man’s eyes, revealing an angelic force protecting the city. Angels are active in the affairs of the world (Ps 34:7 eq; Dan 10:20–11:1 er; Heb 1:7 es).
6:21 et My father: Elisha had used this term of respect when addressing Elijah (2:12 eu), as had Naaman’s servant when speaking to his master (5:13 ev).
6:23 ew great feast: The Israelites’ kind treatment had the result that the Arameans no longer raided Israel. However, it only provided a temporary suspension of hostilities.
Summary for 2Kgs 6:24-25: 6:24-25 ex So severe was this famine that normally unclean things were not only eaten but sold for an exorbitant price. Donkey meat, for example, was forbidden by the laws regarding unclean foods (Lev 11:1-7 ey). Dove’s dung may be a variety of wild vegetable, but the consumption of dung is known from other sources describing siege conditions (Isa 36:12 ez). The dove’s dung might also have been used for fuel.
Summary for 2Kgs 6:26-29: 6:26-29 fa Cannibalism under severe conditions was part of God’s curse for unfaithfulness and disobedience (Deut 28:53 fb, 57 fc). It also occurred during the siege that brought about the fall of Jerusalem (Lam 4:9-10 fd).
6:30 fe When Joram learned of cannibalism in the city, he tore his clothes in despair.
• wearing burlap under his robe next to his skin: Doing this was an outward sign of mourning.
6:31 ff separate Elisha’s head from his shoulders: Decapitation of one’s enemy was frequent (10:6-8 fg; 1 Sam 17:51 fh; 31:9 fi; 2 Sam 4:7-8 fj, 12 fk; 20:22 fl; Matt 14:11 fm) in the ancient Near East. Joram reasoned that the situation stemmed from Elisha’s earlier sparing of Ben-hadad’s troops (2 Kgs 6:22-23 fn). Moreover, Ben-hadad had been after Elisha (6:13 fo), so the prophet’s presence had endangered the whole city.
6:32 fp Elisha was aware that Joram was sending a messenger to assassinate him and that the king was not far behind.
6:33 fq And the king said: Literally And he said. The messenger might have been delivering the king’s words verbatim.
• Because the misery of the siege appeared to be from the Lord, Joram felt that further prayer for rescue was useless.
2 Kings 7
7:1 fr This is what the Lord says: Despite Joram’s pessimism and hostility, Elisha brought a message of hope. Tomorrow would bring a complete change in conditions, with good products again available.• twelve quarts ... only one piece of silver: Cp. with the prices in 6:25 fs.
7:2 ft The disbelief of Joram’s officer would cause him to miss God’s blessings.
7:3 fu These four men were outcasts because of their condition and remained outside the city gates (Lev 13:45-46 fv; see Luke 17:11-13 fw).
Summary for 2Kgs 7:5-7: 7:5-7 fx The Hittites had settled in the areas just north of Aram and were often in conflict with the Arameans.
Summary for 2Kgs 7:8-9: 7:8-9 fy The men realized that they needed to share their good fortune with the people in Samaria.
Summary for 2Kgs 7:10-12: 7:10-12 fz Joram suspected that the Arameans had set a trap, perhaps attempting to lure the Israelites into an ambush. Joshua had used a similar battle tactic in taking the city of Ai (Josh 8:3-23 ga).
Summary for 2Kgs 7:13-17: 7:13-17 gb The trail of abandoned articles confirmed the Arameans’ rush to escape, and the Israelites plundered the Aramean camp. True to Elisha’s prophecy, food supplies were now readily available, and Joram’s doubting officer was knocked down and trampled to death.
Summary for 2Kgs 7:18-20: 7:18-20 gc The repetition of Elisha’s previous conversation with Joram’s officer emphasizes the exact fulfillment of the prophecy.
2 Kings 8:1-15
8:3 gd getting back her house and land: Her property might have been held in trust or confiscated.Summary for 2Kgs 8:4-5: 8:4-5 ge Gehazi, Elisha’s former servant, had gained sufficient social standing to serve the king. Although Joram had often been Elisha’s adversary, he apparently wanted to know more about the great things Elisha had done.
8:6 gf everything ... was restored: Not only did the woman receive her land but Joram made sure that she received all income due to the selling of crops that had been harvested during her absence. Joram, who sometimes displayed less than noble characteristics (3:13-14 gg; 6:31-33 gh), on this occasion showed higher ethical standards than his father Ahab had regarding Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kgs 21:1-16 gi).
8:7 gj Elisha’s freedom to visit Damascus demonstrated the great respect that even Israel’s enemies had for him. The visit fulfilled the commission originally given to Elijah (1 Kgs 19:15 gk).
8:8 gl Will I recover? Cp. 1:2 gm.
8:9 gn forty camels with the finest products: Although gifts were not unusual when inquiring of a prophet (see 1 Sam 9:6-8 go), Ben-hadad’s gifts were lavish, testifying both to his wealth and to the esteem he had for Elisha.
8:10 gp Elisha instructed Hazael to tell the king that he would surely recover because his illness was not life-threatening. Yet Elisha knew that Ben-hadad would surely die.
8:11 gq Elisha started weeping because he foresaw the atrocities that Hazael would commit against God’s people when he became king (8:28 gr; 9:14-15 gs; 10:32-33 gt; 12:17-18 gu; 13:3 gv, 22 gw).
8:13 gx a nobody like me: Literally a dog. As scavengers, dogs were held in low esteem in the ancient Near East. King Shalmaneser III of Assyria observed in his annals, “Hazael, son of a nobody, seized the throne.”
8:15 gy Hazael became the next king of Aram: Although Hazael obediently delivered Elisha’s answer to Ben-hadad, the next day he hastened the fulfillment of Elisha’s prophecy by assassinating the king and taking the throne for himself. Perhaps Hazael falsely reasoned that the prophecy gave him a divine mandate.
Copyright information for
TNotes