CHAPTER VIII _Account of the sojourning of the Shunammite in the land of the_ _Philistines, during the seven years famine_, 1, 2. _She returns, and solicits the king to let her have back her_ _land; which, with its fruits, he orders to be restored to her_, 3-6. _Elisha comes to Damascus, and f... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:4. _THE KING TALKED WITH GEHAZI_] This is supposed to have happened _before_ the cleansing of Naaman, for is it likely that the king would hold conversation with a leprous man; or that, knowing Gehazi had been dismissed with the highest disgrace from the prophet's service, he could h... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:5. _THIS_ IS _THE WOMAN, AND THIS_ IS _HER SON, WHOM ELISHA_ _RESTORED TO LIFE._] This was a very providential occurrence in behalf of the Shunammite. The relation given by Gehazi was now corroborated by the woman herself; the king was duly affected, and gave immediate orders for the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:7. _ELISHA CAME TO DAMASCUS_] That he might lead Gehazi to repentance; according to _Jarchi_ and some others.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:8. _TAKE A PRESENT IN THINE HAND_] But what an immense present was this - _forty camels' burden of every good thing of_ _Damascus_! The prophet would need to have a very large establishment at Damascus to dispose of so much property.... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:11. _HE SETTLED HIS COUNTENANCE STEADFASTLY_] Of whom does the author speak? Of Hazael, or of Elisha? Several apply this action to the prophet: he had a murderer before him and he saw the bloody acts he was about to commit, and was greatly distressed; but he endeavoured to conceal hi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:12. _I KNOW THE EVIL THAT THOU WILT DO_] We may see something of the accomplishment of this prediction, 2 Kings 10:32-12; 2 Kings 13:3; 2 Kings 13:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:13. _BUT WHAT_, IS _THY SERVANT A DOG, THAT HE SHOULD DO THIS_ _GREAT THINGS_] I believe this verse to be wrongly interpreted by the general run of commentators. It is generally understood that Hazael was struck with horror at the prediction; that these cruelties were most alien fro... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:15. _A THICK CLOTH_] The versions, in general, understand this of a _hairy_ or _woollen_ cloth. _SO THAT HE DIED_] He was smothered, or suffocated.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:16. _IN THE FIFTH YEAR OF JORAM_] This verse, as it stands in the present Hebrew text, may be thus read: "And in the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, [and of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah,] reigned Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah." The three Hebrew words, ויהושפ... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:17. _HE REIGNED EIGHT YEARS IN JERUSALEM._] Beginning with the fifth year of Joram, king of Israel. He reigned _three years_ with _Jehoshaphat_ his father, and _five years_ alone; i.e., from A.M. 3112 to 3119, according to Archbishop Usher.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:18. _THE DAUGHTER OF AHAB WAS HIS WIFE_] This was the infamous _Athaliah_; and through this marriage Jehoshaphat and Ahab were confederates; and this friendship was continued after Ahab's death.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:19. _TO GIVE HIM ALWAY A LIGHT_] To give him a _successor_ in his own family.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:21. _JORAM WENT OVER TO ZAIR_] This is the same as _Seir_, a chief city of Idumea. So Isaiah 21:11: _The burden of Dumah_ (Idumea.) _He calleth to me out of Seir_. _SMOTE THE EDOMITES_] It appears that the Israelites were _surrounded_ by the Idumeans; and that in the night Joram and... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:23. _ARE THEY NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES_] Several remarkable particulars relative to Joram may be found in 2 Chronicles 21.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 26. _TWO AND TWENTY YEARS OLD_ WAS _AHAZIAH WHEN HE BEGAN TO_ _REIGN_] In 2 Chronicles 22:2, it is said, _forty and two years old_ was _Ahaziah when he began to reign_; this is a heavy difficulty, to remove which several expedients have been used. It is most evident that, if we follow the rea... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:28. _THE SYRIANS WOUNDED JORAM_] Ahaziah went with Joram to endeavour to wrest Ramoth-gilead out of the hands of the Syrians, which belonged to Israel and Judah. Ahab had endeavoured to do this before, and was slain there; see 1 Kings 22:3, c., and the notes there.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 8:29. _WENT BACK TO BE HEALED IN JEZREEL_] And there he continued till Jehu conspired against and slew him there. And thus the blood of the innocents, which had been shed by Ahab and his wife Jezebel, was visited on them in the total extinction of their family. See the following chapte... [ Continue Reading ]