2 Kings 8:10

_AND ELISHA SAID UNTO HIM, GO, SAY UNTO HIM, THOU MAYEST CERTAINLY RECOVER: HOWBEIT THE LORD HATH SHEWED ME THAT HE SHALL SURELY DIE._ Go, say ... Thou mayest certainly recover. There was no contradiction in this message. This part was properly the answer to Ben-hadad's inquiry. The second part was intended for Hazael, who, like an artful and ambitious courtier, reported only as much of the prophet's statement as suited his own views (cf. 2 Kings 8:14). Waterland ('Scripture Vindicated,' part 2:, p. 122), however, translates Elisha's words, 'Go, say, thou shalt certainly not live; for the Lord hath shown me,' etc....

7-15 Among other changes of men's minds by affliction, it often gives other thoughts of God's ministers, and teaches to value the counsels and prayers of those whom they have hated and despised. It was not in Hazael's countenance that Elisha read what he would do, but God revealed it to him, and it fetched tears from his eyes: the more foresight men have, the more grief they are liable to. It is possible for a man, under the convictions and restraints of natural conscience, to express great abhorrence of a sin, yet afterwards to be reconciled to it. Those that are little and low in the world, cannot imagine how strong the temptations of power and prosperity are, which, if ever they arrive at, they will find how deceitful their hearts are, how much worse than they suspected. The devil ruins men, by saying they shall certainly recover and do well, so rocking them asleep in security. Hazae...

Verse 2 Kings 8:10. _THOU MAYEST CERTAINLY RECOVER: HOWBEIT THE LORD HATH_ _SHOWED ME THAT HE SHALL SURELY DIE._] That is, God has not _determined_ thy death, nor will it be a _necessary consequence_ of the _disease_ by which thou art now afflicted; but this wicked man will abuse the power and trust thou hast reposed in him, and take away thy life. Even when God has not _designed_ nor _appointed_ the death of a person, he may nevertheless die, though not without the _permission_ of God. This is a farther proof of the doctrine of _contingent events_: he might live for all his sickness, but thou wilt put an end to his life....

Translate - “Go, say unto him, Thou shalt certainly live: howbeit the Lord hath showed me that he shall certainly die.” i. e.,” Say to him, what thou hast already determined to say, what a courtier is sure to say (compare 1 Kings 22:15), but know that the fact will be otherwise.”...

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 8:1 THE SEQUEL OF THE STORY OF THE SHUNAMMITE. THE KILLING OF BENHADAD BY HAZAEL; AND THE WICKED REIGNS OF JEHORAM AND AHAZIAH IN JUDAH. 2 KINGS 8:1 Elisha is still the _protagonistes_ of the historical drama. The writer brings together in the present section two more occasions of a public character in which he was c

AND ELISHA SAID UNTO HIM, GO, SAY UNTO HIM, THOU MAYEST CERTAINLY RECOVER,.... That is, of the disease; and there was not only a probability that he might recover of it, it not being a mortal one, but a certainty that he should not die of it, as he did not, but die a violent death, which the prophet predicts in the next clause; though some take these words not as a command, what he should say, but as a prediction of what he would say; that he would go and tell him he should certainly recover, because he would not discourage him, though the prophet assures him in the next clause that he should die: there is a various reading of these words; we follow the marginal reading, but the textual reading is, "say, thou shall not certainly recover", or "in living live"; which agrees with what follows: HOWBEIT or "for" THE LORD HATH SHOWED ME, THAT HE SHALL SURELY DIE; though not of that sickness,...

ELISHA AND THE SHUNAMMITE. HAZAEL, KING OF SYRIA. This chapter is somewhat varied as to composition. It opens with a short story about Elisha (2 Kings 8:1), of which we may presuppose (_a_) that it is earlier than 5, because Gehazi (2 Kings 8:4) is not a leper; (b) that the king of Israel is an admirer of the prophet, By Elisha's advice the Shunammite lady, whose husband is apparently dead, leaves her home to avoid a famine (_cf_. Ruth 1:1), and her lands were restored when the king ascertained who she was. 2 Kings 8:6 is a second narrative of the prophet. Jehoram must have been king of Israel at the time, as Hazael was contemporary with Jehu. Th

MAYEST CERTAINLY RECOVER, &C.. "so far as re-covering goes, thou wilt recover. And [yet] Jehovah hath made me plainly see that he will surely die. " SURELY DIE. Figure of speech _Polyptoton_. See notes on Genesis 2:17 with Genesis 26:28....

_Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly_[R.V. SHALT SURELY] _recover_ This is not the translation of the Hebrew text (_Kethib_) but of the marginal reading [_Keri_. The variation is between לא the negative and לו the pronoun and preposition. The text would be rendered -Go say; Thou shalt _not_recover". This does not suit with what follows, -Howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die". We should expect -For the Lord &c." The meaning of the prophet's words is, -Go and carry him such a message as a courtier is likely to carry, a message of good promise, for this I know you are likely to do, yet the Lord has made known to me that he will die". The R.V. has given the translation of the _Kethib_on the margin, but as that is so little in harmony with the context, has translated the _Keri_in the text, though this is contrary to the usual rule of the Revisers. Another way of expla...

GO SAY UNTO HIM, THOU MAYEST CERTAINLY RECOVER, &C.— _Go say, Thou shalt certainly not live,_ &c. See Kennicott's first Dissert. p. 163.; but Houbigant thinks that ours is the just translation, and that the words contain a silent reproof from Elisha, who well knew that a courtier like Hazael would certainly flatter his king; and therefore the meaning, according to this interpretation, is, _"Go THOU, and, courtier-like, say to him, you will certainly recover; howbeit, the Lord hath shewn me_ very much the contrary; _he will surely die,_ and die by your traitorous hand." See Exodus 8:15 and Waterland's Script. Vind. part 2: p. 122....