2 Kings 7:17

_AND THE KING APPOINTED THE LORD ON WHOSE HAND HE LEANED TO HAVE THE CHARGE OF THE GATE: AND THE PEOPLE TRODE UPON HIM IN THE GATE, AND HE DIED, AS THE MAN OF GOD HAD SAID, WHO SPAKE WHEN THE KING CAME DOWN TO HIM._ The king appointed the lord ... The news, spreading like lightning through the city, was followed, as was natural, by a popular rush to the Syrian camp. To keep order at the gate, the king ordered his minister to keep guard; but the impetuosity of the famishing people could not be resisted. The lord was trodden to death, and Elisha's prophecy, in all respects, accomplished....

12-20 Here see the wants of Israel supplied in a way they little thought of, which should encourage us to depend upon the power and goodness of God in our greatest straits. God's promise may be safely relied on, for no word of his shall fall to the ground. The nobleman that questioned the truth of Elisha's word, saw the plenty, to silence and shame his unbelief, and therein saw his own folly; but he did not eat of the plenty he saw. Justly do those find the world's promises fail them, who think that the promises of God will disappoint them. Learn how deeply God resents distrust of his power, providence, and promise: how uncertain life is, and the enjoyments of it: how certain God's threatenings are, and how sure to come on the guilty. May God help us to inquire whether we are exposed to his threatenings, or interested in his promises....

Verse 2 Kings 7:17. _AND THE PEOPLE TRODE UPON HIM_] This officer being appointed by the king to have the command of the _gate_, the people rushing _out_ to get spoil, and _in_ to carry it to their houses, he was borne down by the multitude and trodden to death. This also was foreseen by the spirit of prophecy. The literal and exact fulfillment of such predictions must have acquired the prophet a great deal of credit in Israel. DR. _Lightfoot_ remarks that, between the _first_ and _last year_ of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, there are very many occurrences mentioned which are not referred nor fixed to their _proper year_; and, therefore, they must be calculated in a _gross sum_, as coming to pass _in one of these years_. These are the stories contained in chapters iv., v., vi., and vii., of this book; and in...

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 7:1 THE SIEGE OF SAMARIA (_continued_)_: _THE DELIVERANCE. 2 KINGS 7:1, 2 KINGS 7:2 The separation of these verses from the preceding narrative is most unfortunate. They are an integral part of it, and form its climax. In answer to the king's attempt upon his life, and hasty speech in which he has threatened to renounce Jehovah, Elisha is commissioned to proclaim that the siege is on the point of terminating, the famine about to be within twenty-four hours succeeded by a time of plenty. There is thu

AND THE KING APPOINTED THE LORD, ON WHOSE HAND HE LEANED, TO HAVE THE CHARGE OF THE GATE,.... Not to keep out the enemy, of which there was no danger; but to prevent disorders and tumults among the people, and that they might go out in an orderly and regular manner: AND THE PEOPLE TROD UPON HIM IN THE GATE; being eager to get out for food; and he endeavouring to keep order among them, they pressed upon him, and threw him down, and trampled him under foot; or he was placed here to regulate the market, that everyone might be supplied in course, but through the people's pressing to get provisions, he was overborne, and trod upon: AND DIED, AS THE MAN OF GOD HAD SAID, WHO SPAKE WHEN THE KING CAME DOWN TO HIM; so that he saw the plenty, but partook not of it, as he said, see 2 Kings 7:2....

6. ELISHA'S PREDICTION AND ITS FULFILMENT CHAPTER 7 _ 1. Elisha's prediction (2 Kings 7:1)_ 2. The unbelieving lord (2 Kings 7:2) 3. The four lepers and their discovery (2 Kings 7:3) 4. The day of good tidings (2 Kings 7:9) 5. The prediction fulfilled (2 Kings 7:16) 6. The death of the unbelieving lord (2 Kings 7:19) When the worst had come, Samaria starving to death, the king in despondency, Elisha's life threatened, t

2 Kings 6:24 to 2 Kings 7:20. THE SIEGE OF SAMARIA. The date and source of this episode need discussion. The name of the king of Syria, as in 1 Kings 20, was Ben-hadad; the king of Israel is not named at all. Two Benhadads are possible, the king in 1 Kings 20 who was defeated by Ahab, and the son and successor of Hazael (2 Kings 13:24). If the first is meant, then Jehoram was king of Israel; if not, Jehoash, the grandson of Jehu. Elisha was called in the days of Ahab, and lived under Ahab and his two sons Ahaziah and Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Joash, dying under the last-named king. It is true that Elisha called the king this son of a murderer, which may be applicable to a son of Ahab; but son of may be used as the commo

KING CAME DOWN. See note on 2 Kings 6:33....

The unbelieving captain is trodden to death in the gate (Not in Chronicles) 17. _the king appointed the lord_ R.V. CAPTAIN. For the change cf. verse 2. The captain was told off to restrain the impetuosity of the crowd, where crowding would be most dangerous. _as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him_ These words help us to understand the somewhat broken connexion of the language in verses 32 and 33 of the last chapter. Jehoram himself came down to Elisha's house after he had sent his messenger. Hence Elisha says -Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?" (the messenger). And we can then understand the question in the following verse, which is intelligible in the mouth of the king, but could hardly have been spoken by the messenger....

II. ELISHA'S PREDICTIVE MIRACLES 6:24-8:15 Three predictive miracles of Elisha are recorded in connection with this period of Aramean invasion: He predicted (1) the deliverance of Samaria from an Aramean siege (2 Kings 6:24 to 2 Kings 7:20); (2) a famine in Israel (2 Kings 8:1-6); and (3) the murderous career of Hazael (2 Kings 8:7-15). A. PREDICTION OF DELIVERANCE FOR SAMARIA 6:24-7:20 Several different stories connected with an Aramean siege of Samaria have been collected in 2 Kings 6:24 to...