7:1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith
the LORD, a To morrow about this time [shall] a measure of
fine flour [be sold] for a shekel, and two measures of
barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
(a) The godly are always assured of God's help in their
necessity, but the times and hours are only revealed by
God's Spirit.
7:2 Then a lord on whose hand the king b leaned answered the
man of God, and said, Behold, [if] the LORD would make c
windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold,
thou shalt see [it] with thine eyes, but shalt not d eat
thereof.
(b) To whom the king gave the charge and oversight of things
as in (2Ki 7:17).
(c) He mocked at the prophets words saying, that if God
rained down corn from heaven, yet this could not come to
pass.
(d) Your infidelity will be punished in this when you see
this miracle, and yet not partake of it.
7:3 And there were four leprous men at the e entering in of
the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here
until we die?
(e) For it was commanded in the law that they should dwell
apart, and not among their brethren, (Le 13:46).
7:6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a f
noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, [even] the noise
of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king
of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites,
and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
(f) Thus God needs no great preparation to destroy the
wicked. Though they are many he can scatter them with a
small noise, or shaking of a leaf.
7:7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left
their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the
camp as it [was], and g fled for their life.
(g) The wicked need no greater enemy than their own
conscience to pursue them.
7:12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his
servants, h I will now shew you what the Syrians have
done to us. They know that we [be] hungry; therefore are
they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field,
saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them
alive, and get into the city.
(h) He mistrusted the prophets words, and therefore could
believe nothing, as they who are more prudent than
godly always cast more doubt than is needed.
7:13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let [some] take,
I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left
in the city, (behold, they [are] as all the i multitude
of Israel that are left in it: behold, [I say], they [are]
even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are
consumed:) and let us send and see.
(i) There are no more left, but they, or the rest are
consumed by the famine, as the rest of the people.
7:16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the
Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was [sold] for a
shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, k
according to the word of the LORD.
(k) Which he spoke by the mouth of Elisha, (2Ki 7:1).
7:17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to
have the charge of the gate: and the people l trode upon
him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said,
who spake when the king came down to him.
(l) As the people pressed out of the gate to run to the
Syrian's tents, where they had heard meat and great
spoil was left.
