6:2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every
man a a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we
may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
(a) Or a piece of wood fit to build with.
6:6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him
the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast [it] in
thither; and the iron did b swim.
(b) God wrought this miraculously to confirm the authority
of Elisha, to whom he had given such abundance of his
Spirit.
6:8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took
counsel with his servants, saying, In c such and such a
place [shall be] my camp.
(c) Meaning, that he would lie in ambush and take the
Israelites unawares.
6:10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of
God told him and warned him of, and d saved himself
there, not once nor twice.
(d) The wicked conspire nothing so craftily, but God can
reveal it to his servants, and cause their counsel to
be disclosed.
6:12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but
Elisha, the prophet that [is] in Israel, telleth the king
of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy e
bedchamber.
(e) There is nothing so secret that you can go about, but
he knows it, and reveals it to his king.
6:14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a f
great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city
about.
(f) Though it was nothing in man's judgment to have taken
Elisha, yet the wicked doubt, and think they are never
able to prepare enough power, though it be but against
one or a few.
6:16 And he answered, g Fear not: for they that [be] with us
[are] more than they that [be] with them.
(g) For he was assured of God's help, and that millions of
angels camped about the godly to deliver them.
6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his
eyes, h that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of
the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain [was]
full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
(h) That he may behold how you have prepared an army to
rescue us.
6:18 And when i they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the
LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with
blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to
the word of Elisha.
(i) Meaning the Syrians his enemies, who came down thinking
themselves sure of him.
6:19 And Elisha said unto them, This [is] not the way, neither
[is] this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the
man whom ye seek. But he led k them to Samaria.
(k) Thus he did being led by the Spirit of God, and not
because he sought his own revenge, but only to set
forth the glory of God.
6:21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them,
l My father, shall I smite [them]? shall I smite [them]?
(l) The wicked use reverent and grave words toward the
servants of God, when they think to have any blessing
from them, though in their heart they cannot abide
them.
6:23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had
eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their
master. So the bands of Syria came no m more into the
land of Israel.
(m) For this gentle intreaty and the miracle wrought by the
prophet, did more for peace than if they had been
overcome in battle for they did not return at that time
to fight against Israel, or in that king's days.
6:25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they
besieged it, until an ass's head was [sold] for fourscore
[pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's
n dung for five [pieces] of silver.
(n) The Hebrews write, that they burned it in the seige for
lack of wood.
6:27 And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I
help thee? out of the o barnfloor, or out of the
winepress?
(o) Meaning, any kind of food as corn and wine.
6:30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the
woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the
wall, and the people looked, and, behold, [he had]
sackcloth within p upon his flesh.
(p) Thus hypocrites when they feel God's judgments think to
please him with outward ceremonies whom in prosperity
they will not know.
6:32 But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him;
and [the king] sent a man from before him: but ere the
messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how
this son of a q murderer hath sent to take away mine
head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and
hold him fast at the door: [is] not the sound of his
master's feet behind him?
(q) Meaning, Jehoram Ahab's son, who killed the prophets
and caused Naboth to be stoned.
6:33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger
came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil [is] of
the LORD; what r should I wait for the LORD any longer?
(r) So the wicked fall into a rage and desperation, if they
do not find a quick remedy for their afflictions.
