(KJV) 2 Kings 61

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⥃The Axe Head Floats

[1] And the sons2 of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place3 where we dwell with thee is too strait for us4. [2] Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence5 every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. [3] And one said, Be content6, I pray thee, and go with thy7 servants. And he answered, I will go. [4] So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood8. [5] But as one was felling a beam, the axe head9 fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master10! for it was borrowed11. [6] And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down12 a stick, and cast [it] in thither; and the iron13 did swim. [7] Therefore said he, Take [it] up14 to thee. And he put out15 his hand, and took it.

⥃Elisha Captures the Blinded Arameans

[8] Then the king16 of Syria warred against Israel, and took17 counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place [shall be] my camp18. [9] And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware19 that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians20 are come down. [10] And the king of Israel sent to the place21 which the man of God told him and warned him22 of, and saved23 himself there, not once nor twice. [11] Therefore24 the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not25 shew me which of us [is] for the king of Israel? [12] And one of his servants said, None26, my lord, O king: but Elisha27, the prophet that [is] in Israel, telleth28 the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

[13] And he said, Go and spy where29 he [is], that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, [he is] in Dothan30. [14] Therefore sent he thither horses31, and chariots, and a great32 host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. [15] And when the servant33 of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas34, my master! how shall we do? [16] And he answered, Fear not35: for they that [be36] with us [are] more than they that [be] with them. [17] And Elisha prayed37, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes38, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain [was] full of horses39 and chariots of fire round about Elisha. [18] And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people40, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

[19] [¶]And Elisha said unto them, This [is] not the way, neither [is] this the city: follow me41, and I will bring42 you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. [20] And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes43 of these [men], that they may see. And the Lord opened44 their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, [they were] in the midst of Samaria. [21] And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father45, shall46 I smite [them]? shall I smite [them]? [22] And he answered, Thou shalt not smite [them]: wouldest47 thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword48 and with thy bow? set bread49 and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. [23] And he prepared50 great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands51 of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

⥃The Siege and Famine of Samaria

[24] And it came to pass after this, that Ben–hadad king of Syria gathered52 all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. [25] And there was a great famine53 in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head54 was [sold] for fourscore [pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung55 for five [pieces] of silver. [26] And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord56, O king. [27] And he said, If the Lord57 do not help thee, whence58 shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? [28] And the king said unto her, What aileth thee59? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son60, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. [29] So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next61 day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid62 her son.

[30] [¶]And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes63; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, [he had] sackcloth within upon his flesh. [31] Then he said, God do so64 and more also to me, if the head65 of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. [32] But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders66 sat with him; and [the king] sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger67 came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how68 this son of a murderer69 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 sound70 of his master’s feet behind him? [33] And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil [is] of the Lord71; what should I wait for the72 Lord any longer?

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  1. 2Kgs 6:1, Elisha, giving leave to the young prophets to enlarge their dwellings, causes iron to swim; 2Kgs 6:8, He discloses the king of Syria’s counsel; 2Kgs 6:13, The army which was sent to Dothan to apprehend Elisha, is smitten with blindness; 2Kgs 6:19, Being brought into Samaria, they are dismissed in peace; 2Kgs 6:24, The famine in Samaria causes women to eat their own children; 2Kgs 6:30, The king sends to slay Elisha. ↩

  2. 2Kgs 2:3, 2Kgs 4:1; 1Kgs 20:35 ↩

  3. 2Kgs 4:38; 1Sam 19:20 ↩

  4. Josh 17:14, Josh 19:47; Job 36:16; Isa 49:19-20, Isa 54:2-3 ↩

  5. John 21:3; Acts 18:3, Acts 20:34-35; 1Cor 9:6; 1Thess 2:9; 2Thess 3:8; 1Tim 6:6 ↩

  6. 2Kgs 5:23; Judg 19:6; Job 6:28 ↩

  7. Judg 4:8 ↩

  8. Deut 19:5, Deut 29:11 ↩

  9. Heb. iron, Eccl 10:10; Isa 10:34 ↩

  10. 2Kgs 6:15, 2Kgs 3:10; Rev 18:10, Rev 18:16, Rev 18:19 ↩

  11. 2Kgs 4:7; Exod 22:14-15; Ps 37:21 ↩

  12. This could have no natural tendency to raise the iron and cause it to swim. It was only a sign, or ceremony, which the prophet chose to employ on the occasion. 2Kgs 2:21, 2Kgs 4:41; Exod 15:25; Mark 7:33-34, Mark 8:23-25; John 9:6-7 ↩

  13. This was the real miracle; for the gravity of the metal must otherwise still have kept it at the bottom of the river. ↩

  14. 2Kgs 4:7, 2Kgs 4:36; Luke 7:15; Acts 9:41 ↩

  15. Exod 4:4 ↩

  16. 2Kgs 6:24; 1Kgs 20:1, 1Kgs 20:34, 1Kgs 22:31 ↩

  17. 1Kgs 20:23; Job 5:12-13; Prov 20:18, Prov 21:30; Isa 7:5-7, Isa 8:10 ↩

  18. or, encamping ↩

  19. 2Kgs 3:17-19; 1Kgs 20:13, 1Kgs 20:28 ↩

  20. 2Kgs 4:27; Amos 3:7; Rev 1:1 ↩

  21. To see if it were so. But the Vulgate renders, misit rex Israel ad locum, et preoccupavit eum; "the king of Israel sent to the place, and pre-occupied it;" which is very likely, though not expressed in the Hebrew Text. 2Kgs 5:14; Exod 9:20-21; 1Kgs 20:15; Prov 27:12; Matt 24:15-17 ↩

  22. Ezek 3:18-21; Matt 2:12, Matt 3:7; Heb 11:7 ↩

  23. 2Kgs 2:12, 2Kgs 13:14; 2Chr 20:20; Amos 7:1-6; Acts 27:24 ↩

  24. 1Sam 28:21; Job 18:7-11; Ps 48:4-5; Isa 57:20-21; Matt 2:3-12 ↩

  25. 1Sam 22:8 ↩

  26. Heb. No ↩

  27. 2Kgs 5:3, 2Kgs 5:8, 2Kgs 5:13-15; Amos 3:7 ↩

  28. 2Kgs 6:9-10; Isa 29:15; Jer 23:23-24; Dan 2:22-23, Dan 2:28-30, Dan 2:47, Dan 4:9-18, thy bed chamber, Ps 139:1-4; Eccl 10:20 ↩

  29. 1Sam 23:22-23; Ps 10:8-10, Ps 37:12-14, Ps 37:32-33; Jer 36:26; Matt 2:4-8; John 11:47-53; Acts 23:12-27 ↩

  30. This is supposed to be the same place where Joseph was sold by his brethren; and it is placed by Eusebius 12 miles north of Samaria. Gen 37:17 ↩

  31. It is strange the Syrian monarch did not think, that he who could penetrate his secrets with respect to the Israelitish army, could inform himself of all the machinations against his own life. 2Kgs 1:9-13; 1Sam 23:26, 1Sam 24:2; Matt 26:47, Matt 26:55; John 18:3-6 ↩

  32. Heb. heavy, 2Kgs 18:17 *marg. ↩

  33. or, minister, 2Kgs 3:11, 2Kgs 5:20, 2Kgs 5:27; Exod 24:13; 1Kgs 19:21; Matt 20:26-28; Acts 13:5 ↩

  34. 2Kgs 6:5; 2Chr 20:12; Ps 53:5; Matt 8:26 ↩

  35. Exod 14:13; Ps 3:6, Ps 11:1, Ps 27:3, Ps 118:11-12; Isa 8:12-13, Isa 41:10-14; Mark 16:6; Acts 18:9-10; Phil 1:28 ↩

  36. 2Chr 16:9, 2Chr 32:7-8; Ps 46:7, Ps 46:11, Ps 55:18; Isa 8:10; Matt 26:53; Rom 8:31; 1John 4:4 ↩

  37. Ps 91:15; Jas 5:16-18 ↩

  38. 2Kgs 6:18-20; Ps 119:18; Isa 42:7; Acts 26:18; Eph 1:18; Rev 3:7 ↩

  39. 2Kgs 2:11; Ps 34:7, Ps 68:17, Ps 91:11, Ps 104:3; Ezek 1:13-16; Zech 1:8, Zech 6:1-7; Matt 26:53; Heb 1:14; Rev 19:11, Rev 19:14 ↩

  40. Confound their sight, so that they may not know what they see; and so mistake one place for another. The word sanverim, rendered blindness, occurs only here and in Gen 19:11 (see note). Deut 28:28; Job 5:14; Zech 12:4; John 9:39, John 12:40; Acts 13:11; Rom 11:7 ↩

  41. Heb. come ye after me, Matt 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23 ↩

  42. 2Sam 16:18-19; Luke 24:16 ↩

  43. 2Kgs 6:17; Luke 24:31 ↩

  44. Judg 20:40-42; Luke 16:23 ↩

  45. This was dastardly. The utmost he ought to have done with these men, when thus brought into his hand, was to make them prisoners of war. 2Kgs 2:12, 2Kgs 5:13, 2Kgs 8:9, 2Kgs 13:14 ↩

  46. 1Sam 24:4, 1Sam 24:19, 1Sam 26:8; Luke 9:54-56, Luke 22:49 ↩

  47. Deut 20:11-16; 2Chr 28:8-13 ↩

  48. Gen 48:22; Josh 24:12; Ps 44:6; Hos 1:7, Hos 2:18 ↩

  49. Prov 25:21-22; Matt 5:44; Rom 12:20-21 ↩

  50. 1Sam 24:17-18; 2Chr 28:15; Prov 25:21-22; Matt 5:47; Luke 6:35, Luke 10:29-37 ↩

  51. That is, for a considerable time. What is mentioned in the next verse was more than a year afterwards. See note on 2Kgs 6:8-9, 2Kgs 5:2, 2Kgs 24:2 ↩

  52. 2Kgs 17:5, 2Kgs 18:9, 2Kgs 25:1; Deut 28:52; 1Kgs 20:1, 1Kgs 22:31; Eccl 9:14 ↩

  53. 2Kgs 6:28-29, 2Kgs 7:4, 2Kgs 25:3; 1Kgs 18:2; Jer 14:13-15, Jer 14:18, Jer 32:24, Jer 52:6 ↩

  54. If the pieces of silver were drachms, the whole would amount to about 2£ 9s; which was a great price for so mean a part of this unclean animal. Ezek 4:13-16 ↩

  55. This probably denotes, as Bochart, Scheuchzer, and others suppose, a kind of pulse, or vetches, which the Arabs still call pigeon's dung. "They never," says Dr. Shaw (Travels, p. 140), "constitute a dish by themselves, but are strewed singly as a garnish over cuscasowe, pillowe, and other dishes. They are besides in the greatest repute after they are parched in pans and ovens; then assuming the name leblebby;" and he thinks they were so called from being pointed at one end, and acquiring an ash colour in parching. ↩

  56. 2Sam 14:4; Isa 10:3; Luke 18:3; Acts 21:28 ↩

  57. etc. or, Let not the Lord save thee ↩

  58. Ps 60:11, Ps 62:8, Ps 118:8-9, Ps 124:1-3, Ps 127:1, Ps 146:3; Isa 2:2; Jer 17:5 ↩

  59. Gen 21:17; Judg 18:23; 1Sam 1:8; 2Sam 14:5; Ps 114:5; Isa 22:1 ↩

  60. Lev 26:29; Deut 28:53-57; Isa 9:20-21, Isa 49:15; Lam 4:10; Ezek 5:10; Matt 24:18-21; Luke 23:29 ↩

  61. Heb. other ↩

  62. 1Kgs 3:26; Isa 49:15, Isa 66:13 ↩

  63. 2Kgs 5:7, 2Kgs 19:1; 1Kgs 21:27; Isa 58:5-7 ↩

  64. Ruth 1:17; 1Sam 3:17, 1Sam 14:44, 1Sam 25:22; 2Sam 3:9, 2Sam 3:35, 2Sam 19:13; 1Kgs 2:23 ↩

  65. 1Kgs 18:17, 1Kgs 19:2, 1Kgs 22:8; Jer 37:15-16, Jer 38:4; John 11:50; Acts 23:12-13 ↩

  66. Ezek 8:1, Ezek 14:1, Ezek 20:1, Ezek 33:31 ↩

  67. 2Kgs 6:12, 2Kgs 5:26 ↩

  68. Luke 13:32 ↩

  69. 1Kgs 18:4, 1Kgs 18:13-14, 1Kgs 21:10 ↩

  70. 1Kgs 14:6 ↩

  71. Gen 4:13; Exod 16:6-8; 1Sam 28:6-8, 1Sam 31:4; Job 1:11, Job 1:21, Job 2:5, Job 2:9; Prov 19:3; Isa 8:21; Jer 2:25; Ezek 33:10; Matt 27:4-5; 2Cor 2:7, 2Cor 2:11; Rev 16:9-11 ↩

  72. Ps 27:14, Ps 37:7, Ps 37:9, Ps 62:5; Isa 8:17, Isa 26:3, Isa 50:10; Lam 3:25-26; Hab 2:3; Luke 18:1 ↩