_ELIJAH FLEES INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND THERE GOES, IN THE STRENGTH OF THE MEAT WHICH HE HAD TAKEN, FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS. HE IS COMMANDED TO ANOINT HAZAEL TO BE KING OF SYRIA, JEHU KING OF ISRAEL, AND ELISHA TO BE PROPHET. ELISHA FOLLOWS ELIJAH._ _Before Christ 906._... [ Continue Reading ]
JEZEBEL SENT A MESSENGER UNTO ELIJAH— This certainly was the effect of Jezebel's blind rage, and not of any prudence in her; for prudence would have advised her to conceal her resentment till she had been ready to put her designs in execution: whereas this sending him word was giving him notice of h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE SAW THAT, HE AROSE, &C.— It is very doubtful, whether _juniper-tree_ be the proper rendering of the original word רתם _rothem._ Parkhurst says, that it signifies the _broom_ or _birch-tree,_ so called from its tenacity or toughness, which was so great that its twigs served for cords. See... [ Continue Reading ]
WENT IN THE STRENGTH OF THAT MEAT FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS— From Beer-sheba to mount Horeb is at the most not above a hundred and fifty miles, and the prophet, it seems, had advanced one day's journey into the wilderness; so that he had not now more to finish than any active man might have done i... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CAME THITHER UNTO A CAVE, &C.— Elijah being now come to the same place where God had delivered the law to his servant Moses, God was inclined to communicate the like favour to his prophet; namely, to unveil his glory to him, and to give him some signal of his actual presence. Various are the spec... [ Continue Reading ]
HIM THAT ESCAPETH THE SWORD OF HAZAEL, &C.— It is evident, that the text mentions not the things according to the order of time wherein they happened; for Elisha was prophet before Hazael was king, and Hazael was king before Jehu; but they are spoken of according to the decree of God; and the words... [ Continue Reading ]
AND EVERY MOUTH WHICH HATH NOT KISSED HIM— This verse seems to be inserted to correct Elijah's mistaken opinion, that he alone remained a worshipper of Jehovah. Kissing the image of a false god, or kissing the hand and stretching it out towards the image, was esteemed an act of adoration. See Job 31... [ Continue Reading ]
ELISHA—WAS PLOWING WITH TWELVE YOKE OF OXEN, &C.— This was so far from being an argument of Elisha's poverty, that it was in reality a token of his wealth. For he who could keep _twelve yoke of oxen_ at plough was, in this respect, no inconsiderable man; and yet, according to the manner of these ear... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHAT HAVE I DONE TO THEE?— It seems very difficult to give any satisfactory explanation of these words as they stand in our version. They might be rendered _for I have done something to thee:_ Elijah giving Elisha to understand, that, by casting his mantle upon him, he was thus appointed to foll... [ Continue Reading ]