2 Kings 8:6

_AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS HE WAS TELLING THE KING HOW HE HAD RESTORED A DEAD BODY TO LIFE, THAT, BEHOLD, THE WOMAN, WHOSE SON HE HAD RESTORED TO LIFE, CRIED TO THE KING FOR HER HOUSE AND FOR HER LAND. AND GEHAZI SAID, MY LORD, O KING, THIS IS THE WOMAN, AND THIS IS HER SON, WHOM ELISHA RESTORED TO LIFE._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

1-6 The kindness of the good Shunammite to Elisha, was rewarded by the care taken of her in famine. It is well to foresee an evil, and wisdom, when we foresee it, to hide ourselves if we lawfully may do so. When the famine was over, she returned out of the land of the Philistines; that was no proper place for an Israelite, any longer than there was necessity for it. Time was when she dwelt so securely among her own people, that she had no occasion to be spoken for to the king; but there is much uncertainty in this life, so that things or persons may fail us which we most depend upon, and those befriend us which we think we shall never need. Sometimes events, small in themselves, prove of consequence, as here; for they made the king ready to believe Gehazi's narrative, when thus confirmed. It made him ready to grant her request, and to support a life which was given once and again by mira...

A CERTAIN OFFICER - literally, “a certain eunuch” (margin). Eunuchs were now in common use at the Samaritan court (compare 2 Kings 9:32). They are ascribed to the court of David in Chronicles 1 Chronicles 28:1; and we may conjecture that they were maintained by Solomon. But otherwise we do not find them in the kingdom of Judah until the time of Hezekiah Isaiah 56:3....

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 WHEN THE KING ASKED THE WOMAN, SHE TOLD HIM,.... The whole affair; how that she had a son according to the word of Elisha, when she had been barren, and her husband old; that this child was struck with sickness, and died; and that the prophet, through his prayers, restored it to life: SO THE KING APPOINTED UNTO HER A CERTAIN OFFICER; the word signifies an "eunuch": him he ordered to attend upon her, and assist her, and see to it that she was put into the possession of her house and land: SAYING, RESTORE ALL THAT WAS HER'S, AND ALL THE FRUITS OF THE FIELD, SINCE THE DAY THAT SHE LEFT THE LAND, EVEN TILL NOW; not only her house and land, but all the rent, profits, and dues arising from thence during the time of her absence: the Jews except the rent of her house....

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

FRUITS. produce....

_she told him_ i.e. confirmed the narrative which Gehazi had given, and at the same time took advantage of the king's interest in Elisha, to press her plea for the restitution of her land. _Restore all that_was _hers_ It would seem from this as if the king himself had been put in possession of the land. Hence he could order all the seven years, produce to be given back to her either in kind or in money from the royal stores....

C. PREDICTION OF FAMINE IN ISRAEL 8:1-6 TRANSLATION (1) Now Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had revived, saying, Arise, you and your household go, and sojourn wherever you may sojourn; for the LORD has called for a famine, and it shall also come upon the land seven years. (2) And the woman arose, and did according to the word of the man of God; and she went, she and her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. (3) Then the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, and went out to cry unto the king concerning her house and her land. (4) Now the king was speaking unto Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Relate to me all the great things which Elisha has done. (5) And it came to pass as he was relating to the king how he had revived the dead, then behold the woman whose son he had revived was crying unto the king concerning her hous...

8:6 chamberlain, (d-17) Or 'eunuch.'...