2Ki 6 | TSK | STEP | Elisha, giving leave to the young prophets to enlarge their dwellings, causes iron to swim. He discloses the king of Syria's counsel. The army which was sent to Dothan to apprehend Elisha, is smitten with blindness. Being brought into Samaria, they are dismissed in peace. The famine in Samaria causes women to eat their own children. The king sends to slay Elisha. the sons. the place. too strait for us.

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.

2:21; 4:41; Ex 15:25; Mr 7:33,34; 8:23-25; Joh 9:6,7

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.

Take it up.

4:7,36; Lu 7:15; Ac 9:41

put out.

Ex 4:4

the king.

24; 1Ki 20:1,34; 22:31

took.

1Ki 20:23; Job 5:12,13; Pr 20:18; 21:30; Isa 7:5-7; 8:10

camp. or, encamping.

Beware.

3:17-19; 1Ki 20:13,28

thither the Syrians.

4:27; Am 3:7; Re 1:1

sent to the place.To see if it were so. But the Vulgate renders, {misit rex Israel ad locum, et præoccupavit eum;} "the king of Israel sent to the place, and pre-occupied it;" which is very likely, though not expressed in the Hebrew text.

5:14; Ex 9:20,21; 1Ki 20:15; Pr 27:12; Mt 24:15-17

warned him.

Eze 3:18-21; Mt 2:12; 3:7; Heb 11:7

saved.

2:12; 13:14; 2Ch 20:20; Am 7:1-6; Ac 27:24

Therefore.

1Sa 28:21; Job 18:7-11; Ps 48:4,5; Isa 57:20,21; Mt 2:3-12

Will ye not.

1Sa 22:8

None. Heb. No. Elisha.

5:3,8,13-15; Am 3:7

telleth.

9,10; Isa 29:15; Jer 23:23,24; Da 2:22,23,28-30,47; 4:9-18

thy bed chamber.

Ps 139:1-4; Ec 10:20

spy where.

1Sa 23:22,23; Ps 10:8-10; 37:12-14,32,33; Jer 36:26; Mt 2:4-8

Joh 11:47-53; Ac 23:12-27

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.

Ge 37:17

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.

1:9-13; 1Sa 23:26; 24:2; Mt 26:47,55; Joh 18:3-6

great. Heb. heavy.

18:17; *marg:

servant. or, minister.

3:11; 5:20,27; Ex 24:13; 1Ki 19:21; Mt 20:26-28; Ac 13:5

Alas.

5; 2Ch 20:12; Ps 53:5; Mt 8:26

Fear not.

Ex 14:13; Ps 3:6; 11:1; 27:3; 118:11,12; Isa 8:12,13; 41:10-14

Mr 16:6; Ac 18:9,10; Php 1:28

they that be.

2Ch 16:9; 32:7,8; Ps 46:7,11; 55:18; Isa 8:10; Mt 26:53; Ro 8:31

1Jo 4:4

prayed.

Ps 91:15; Jas 5:16-18

open his eyes.

18-20; Ps 119:18; Isa 42:7; Ac 26:18; Eph 1:18; Re 3:7

full of horses.

2:11; Ps 34:7; 68:17; 91:11; 104:3; Eze 1:13-16; Zec 1:8; 6:1-7

Mt 26:53; Heb 1:14; Re 19:11,14

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.

De 28:28; Job 5:14; Zec 12:4; Joh 9:39; 12:40; Ac 13:11; Ro 11:7

follow me. Heb. come ye after me.

Mt 16:24; Mr 8:34; Lu 9:23

I will bring.

2Sa 16:18,19; Lu 24:16

open the eyes.

17; Lu 24:31

opened.

Jud 20:40-42; Lu 16:23

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.

2:12; 5:13; 8:9; 13:14

shall.

1Sa 24:4,19; 26:8; Lu 9:54-56; 22:49

wouldest.

De 20:11-16; 2Ch 28:8-13

thy sword.

Ge 48:22; Jos 24:12; Ps 44:6; Ho 1:7; 2:18

set bread.

Pr 25:21,22; Mt 5:44; Ro 12:20,21

he prepared.

1Sa 24:17,18; 2Ch 28:15; Pr 25:21,22; Mt 5:47; Lu 6:35; 10:29-37

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.

8,9; 5:2; 24:2

gathered.

17:5; 18:9; 25:1; De 28:52; 1Ki 20:1; 22:31; Ec 9:14

a great famine.

28,29; 7:4; 25:3; 1Ki 18:2; Jer 14:13-15,18; 32:24; 52:6

an ass's head.If the pieces of silver were {drachms,} the whole would amount to about 2£. 9s.; which was a great price for so mean a part of this unclean animal.

Eze 4:13-16

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, my lord.

2Sa 14:4; Isa 10:3; Lu 18:3; Ac 21:28

If the Lord, etc. or, Let not the Lord save thee. whence.

Ps 60:11; 62:8; 118:8,9; 124:1-3; 127:1; 146:3; Isa 2:2; Jer 17:5

What aileth thee.

Ge 21:17; Jud 18:23; 1Sa 1:8; 2Sa 14:5; Ps 114:5; Isa 22:1

Give thy son.

Le 26:29; De 28:53-57; Isa 9:20,21; 49:15; La 4:10; Eze 5:10

Mt 24:18-21; Lu 23:29

next. Heb. other. she hath hid.

1Ki 3:26; Isa 49:15; 66:13

he rent his clothes.