E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 2 Kings 7:8
uttermost = outermost. read more
8-11. these lepers . . . did eat and drink—After they had appeased their hunger and secreted as many valuables as they could carry, their consciences smote them for concealing the discovery and they hastened to publish it in the city. read more
The Relief of Samaria1. A measure] Heb. a seah, equal to 6 cabs, and rather less than 3 gallons. In the gate of Samaria] The open space at the gate of an Eastern city served as a market-place!2. Windows in heaven] These were the outlets from which the rain came (Genesis 7:11), and the officer asked scornfully whether the famine could be relieved even if rain fell immediately.3. The gate] Lepers would be required to keep outside the city: cp. Leviticus 13:45, Leviticus 13:46. 5. The uttermost... read more
(8) And when . . . tent.—Literally, And (so) those lepers came to the edge of the camp, and they went into one tent, taking up the thread of the narrative again at 2 Kings 7:5, where it was broken by the parenthesis about the panic flight of the Syrians.Went and hid it.—A common practice of Orientals, with whom holes in the ground or in the house wall supply the place of banks. read more
3THE FAMINE AND THE SIEGE2 Kings 6:24-33; 2 Kings 7:1-20"‘Tis truly no flood plan when princes play The vulture among carrion; but when They play the carrion among vultures-that Is ten times worse."-LESSING, "Nathan the Wise, " Act I, Sc. 3IF the Benhadad, King of Syria, who reduced Samaria to the horrible straits recorded in this chapter, {; 2 Kings 6:1-33} was the same Benhadad whom Ahab had treated with such impolitic confidence, his hatred against Israel must indeed have burned hotly.... read more
6. Elisha’s Prediction and Its Fulfilment CHAPTER 7 1. Elisha’s prediction (2 Kings 7:1 ) 2. The unbelieving lord (2 Kings 7:2 ) 3. The four lepers and their discovery (2 Kings 7:3-8 ) 4. The day of good tidings (2 Kings 7:9-15 ) 5. The prediction fulfilled (2 Kings 7:16-18 ) 6. The death of the unbelieving lord (2 Kings 7:19-20 ) When the worst had come, Samaria starving to death, the king in despondency, Elisha’s life threatened, then the mercy and kindness of God is revealed... read more
GOD INTERVENES (vv.1-20). The prophet whom Jehoram wanted to kill then gave a wonderful message of grace from God. What a response to the callous folly of the king of Israel! Elisha tells them, "Hear the word of the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria" (v.1). This was the word of the Lord, yet an officer of the king answered derisively, "If the Lord would make windows in heaven, could... read more
ELISHA AND THE SYRIAN INVASION THE STRATAGEM AT DOTHAN (2 Kings 6:8-23 ) The incident in 2 Kings 6:1-7 seems an interpolation; and some think it belongs at 2 Kings 4:38 in connection with the two miracles, having a somewhat similar occasion. “Swim” (2 Kings 6:6 ) is in the Hebrew the same as “float,” and the idea seems to be that by throwing the stick into the water the iron was caused to come to the surface where the young man could get it. It is difficult to say when the event of 2... read more
2 Kings 7:0 1. Then [And] Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour [ Gen 18:6 ] be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley [ Jdg 7:13 ] for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. 2. Then a lord [adjutant or aide-de-camp (comp. 2 Samuel 23:8 ; 1 Kings 9:22 ; 1Ch 11:11 )] on whose hand [comp. chap. Jdg 5:18 ] the king leaned [was leaning], answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in... read more
Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 7:1-20
Miracles of warning to Israel (6:8-8:15)The remaining stories of Elisha concentrate on his dealings with the rulers of Israel and Syria. God was going to use Syria to punish Israel for its sin during the period of the Omri dynasty, but first he had various lessons to teach the two nations.On one occasion when Israel and Syria were fighting each other, Elisha repeatedly warned the Israelite king of Syrian ambushes (8-10). The Syrian king was furious when he learnt why his ambushes failed, and... read more