2 Kings 3:11

_BUT JEHOSHAPHAT SAID, IS THERE NOT HERE A PROPHET OF THE LORD, THAT WE MAY INQUIRE OF THE LORD BY HIM? AND ONE OF THE KING OF ISRAEL'S SERVANTS ANSWERED AND SAID, HERE IS ELISHA THE SON OF SHAPHAT, WHICH POURED WATER ON THE HANDS OF ELIJAH._ Which poured water on the hands of Elijah - i:e., was his servant-this being one of the common offices of a servant; for the custom is not to plunge one's hands into a basin, but to hold them out, so that a servant may pour water on the hands of his master. One who is the servant of a holy Man 1:1 :e., a priest or dervish, is, on this account, highly esteemed (Joseph Wolff's 'Missionary Labours,' p. 493)....

6-19 The king of Israel laments their distress, and the danger they were in. He called these kings together, yet he charges it upon Providence. Thus the foolishness of man perverteth his way, and then his heart fretteth against the Lord, Proverbs 19:3. It was well that Jehoshaphat inquired of the Lord now, but it had been much better if he had done it before he engaged in this war. Good men sometimes neglect their duty, till necessity and affliction drive them to it. Wicked people often fare the better for the friendship and society of the godly. To try their faith and obedience, Elisha bids them make the valley full of pits to receive water. Those who expect God's blessings, must dig pools for the rain to fill, as in the valley of Baca, and thus make even that a well, Psalms 84:6. We need not inquire whence the wa...

Verse 2 Kings 3:11. _IS THERE NOT HERE A PROPHET OF THE LORD_] The kings of Judah still acknowledged the true God, and him only. _POURED WATER ON THE HANDS OF ELIJAH_] That is, was his constant and confidential _servant_....

A PROPHET OF THE LORD - i. e. of Yahweh. It was necessary to inquire thus definitely, as there were still plenty of prophets who were only prophets of Baal 2 Kings 3:13. HERE IS ELISHA - Jehoram appears to have been ignorant of his presence with the host, and one of his “servants,” or officers, answered Jehoshaphat’s inquiry. WHICH POURED WATER - An act signifying ministration or attendance (compare John 13:5 ff)....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 3:1 THE GENERAL CHARACTER OF JEHORAM'S REIGN OVER ISRAEL; HIS WAR WITH MOAB. 2 KINGS 3:1 NOW JEHORAM THE SON OF AHAB BEGAN TO REIGN OVER ISRAEL IN SAMARIA THE EIGHTEENTH YEAR OF JEHOSHAPHAT KING OF JUDAH. This note of time is not quite in accordance with the chronology of 1 Kings, which gives Jehoshaphat a reign of twenty-five years (1 Kings 22:42), Ahab one of twenty-two years ...

BUT JEHOSHAPHAT SAID, IS THERE NOT HERE A PROPHET OF THE LORD, THAT WE MAY INQUIRE OF THE LORD BY HIM?.... This the good king should have done before be set out, but had neglected it; however, it was not too late: AND ONE OF THE KING OF ISRAEL'S SERVANTS ANSWERED AND SAID; who might be one that feared the Lord, and was intimate with Elisha, or however had knowledge of him, as appears by what follows: HERE IS ELISHA THE SON OF SHAPHAT, WHICH POURED WATER ON THE HANDS OF ELIJAH; or ministered to him, as the Targum; was his menial servant, waited on him, and assisted him when he washed his hands g; some Jewish writers understand it of his pouring water on the hand of Elijah at Carmel, when the altar and trench were filled with it, and when a miracle was wrought, as they fancy, and the fingers of Elijah became as fountains of water. g See the like phrase of the business of a servant in Ho...

2. JEHORAM, MOAB, AND ELISHA CHAPTER 3 _ 1. Jehoram, King of Israel (2 Kings 3:1)_ 2. Moab's rebellion (2 Kings 3:4) 3. Elisha's message and prediction (2 Kings 3:10) 4. The defeat of Moab (2 Kings 3:21) In chapter 1:17 we read, “And Jehoram reigned in his stead (Ahaziah) in the second year of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah.” (He was associated with his father in the government of the kingdom. See 2 Kings 8:27;...

REIGN OF JEHORAM. WAR WITH MOAB. The only two kings of Israel on whom the censure pronounced is in any way qualified are Jehoram, the last of the house of Omri, and Hoshea (2 Kings 17:2), the last king of Israel. All the others are said to have done evil. The war with Moab is the subject of the famous inscription of Mesha discovered in 1868 (pp. 34, 69). On this Mesha states that Omri occupied the land of Mehedebah (Medeba, Numbers 21:30; Joshua 13:9; Isaiah 15:2) his days, half his son's days, forty years. In Kings it is specially said that Mesha's rebellion was after the death of Ahab. Omri and Ahab together according to Kings reigned on

IS THERE NOT HERE... ?. similar question asked before by Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:7). POURED WATER, &C. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Adjunct), App-6, for being an attendant....

_Jehoshaphat said_, Is there _not here a prophet of the Lord_ He made the same enquiry before the march to Ramoth-Gilead (1 Kings 22:7). The prophets who would be in attendance on Jehoram would be those connected with the worship of the calves. It is however interesting to note that Jehoram ascribes to the Lord Jehovah the calling together of the armies for this expedition. We see from this how the calf-worship was not felt to be in direct opposition to the true worship. The presence of Elisha with the host shews also that there was something which a prophet of the Lord found to warrant his presence with the army. The promptness too with which he is mentioned indicates that he was well known and honoured by some who were about the king's person. _Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah_ The sort of service here indicated marks one who had been in con