2 Kings 3 - Introduction
_THE KINGS OF ISRAEL, OF JUDAH, AND OF EDOM, FIGHT AGAINST THE KING OF MOAB: ELISHA OBTAINETH WATER FOR THEM, AND A PROMISE OF VICTORY: THE MOABITES ARE OVERCOME._ _Before Christ 896._... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE KINGS OF ISRAEL, OF JUDAH, AND OF EDOM, FIGHT AGAINST THE KING OF MOAB: ELISHA OBTAINETH WATER FOR THEM, AND A PROMISE OF VICTORY: THE MOABITES ARE OVERCOME._ _Before Christ 896._... [ Continue Reading ]
HE PUT AWAY THE IMAGE OF BAAL, &C.— It is a little strange, that his mother Jezebel, who brought this worship with her from the Sidonians, should suffer him to remove the image of her favourite god. See 1 Kings 16:31. But perhaps she might be a little daunted by the many disasters which had befallen... [ Continue Reading ]
AN HUNDRED THOUSAND LAMBS, &C.— Though this is a very large number, we are to consider that these countries abounded with sheep, insomuch that Solomon offered a hundred and twenty thousand at the dedication of the temple, 2 Chronicles 7:5 and the Reubenites drove from the Hagarites two hundred and f... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH POURED WATER ON THE HANDS OF ELIJAH— This is a fine eastern expression, signifying to _serve_ or _minister to._ Houbigant renders it, _who gave water to the hands of Elijah._... [ Continue Reading ]
BRING ME A MINSTREL— See on 1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Samuel 16:14 and Joh. Mulleri, _Eliseus, ad Musices sonum Propheta._... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL NOT SEE WIND, &C.— See the note on 1 Kings 18:45. It is very common in the eastern countries, and particularly in the deserts of Arabia, to be in want of water, which is so scarce there, that travellers, and the beasts they carry with them, often perish with thirst. Their last resource for... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MAR EVERY GOOD PIECE OF LAND WITH STONES— Commentators seem to have been at no pains to account for this part of the punishment of the king of Moab's rebellion; though it does not appear very easy to conceive how the thing was to be done to any purpose; and, indeed, without giving as much troubl... [ Continue Reading ]
TOOK HIS ELDEST SON—AND OFFERED HIM FOR A BURNT-OFFERING UPON THE WALL.— Not only the holy Scriptures, but several heathen writers, assure us, that in cases of great extremity it was customary among various people to sacrifice to their gods whatever was most dear to them. Caesar in his war with the... [ Continue Reading ]