1 AND the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence 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 content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.
4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
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 swim.
7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
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 bedchamber.
13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15 And when the servant 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, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, 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.
18 And when 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.
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 them to Samaria.
20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened 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 father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
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 more into the land of Israel.
24 And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
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 dung 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 lord, O king.
27 And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
28 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, 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 next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
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 upon his flesh.
31 Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
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 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?
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 should I wait for the Lord any longer?

1And the sonnes of the Prophets saide vnto Elisha, Beholde now, the place where wee dwell with thee, is too strait for vs:

2Let vs goe, wee pray thee, vnto Iordane, and take thence euery man a beame, and let vs make vs a place there where we may dwell. And hee answered, Goe ye.

3And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and goe with thy seruants. And he answered, I will goe.

4So hee went with them: and when they came to Iordane, they cut downe wood.

5But as one was felling a beame, the axe head fell into the water: and hee cryed, and sayd, Alas master, for it was borrowed.

6And the man of God said, Where fell it? and hee shewed him the place: and he cut downe a sticke, and cast it in thither, and the yron did swimme.

7Therefore said he, Take it vp to thee: And hee put out his hand, and tooke it.

8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and tooke counsell with his seruants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my campe.

9And the man of God sent vnto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou passe not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come downe.

10And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God tolde him, and warned him of, and saued himselfe there, not once nor twise.

11Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing, and he called his seruants, and said vnto them, Will ye not shewe me which of vs is for the king of Israel?

12And one of his seruants sayde, None, my lord O king; but Elisha the Prophet, that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel, the wordes that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber.

13 And he said, Goe and spie where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was tolde him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

14Therefore sent he thither horses, and charets, and a great hoste: and they came by night, and compassed the citie about.

15And when the seruant of the man of God was risen early and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the citie, both with horses and charets: and his seruant said vnto him, Alas my master, how shall we doe?

16And he answered, Feare not: for they that be with vs, are moe then they that be with them.

17And Elisha prayed, and sayde, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and hee saw: and behold, the mountaine was full of horses, and charets of fire round about Elisha.

18And when they came downe to him, Elisha prayed vnto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindnesse. And hee smote them with blindnesse, according to the word of Elisha.

19 And Elisha saide vnto them, This is not the way, neither is this the citie: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seeke. But hee led them to Samaria.

20And it came to passe when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw, and beholde, they were in the mids of Samaria.

21And the king of Israel saide vnto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

22And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captiue with thy sword, and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eate, and drinke, and go to their master.

23And hee prepared great prouision for them, and when they had eaten and drunke, hee sent them away, and they went to their master: so the bands of Syria came no more into the lande of Israel.

24 And it came to passe after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his hoste, and went vp, and besieged Samaria.

25And there was a great famine in Samaria: and behold, they besieged it, vntill an asses head was solde for fourescore pieces of siluer, and the fourth part of a kab of doues doung for fiue pieces of siluer.

26And as the king of Israel was passing by vpon the wall, there cried a woman vnto him, saying, Helpe, my lord, O king.

27And he said, If the Lord do not helpe thee, whence shall I helpe thee? out of the barne floore, or out of the wine presse?

28And the king said vnto her, What aileth thee? And shee answered, This woman said vnto me, Giue thy sonne, that we may eate him to day, and wee will eate my sonne to morrow.

29So we boyled my sonne, and did eate him: and I saide vnto her on the next day, Giue thy sonne, that we may eate him: and she hath hid her sonne.

30 And it came to passe when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes, and hee passed by vpon the wall, and the people looked, and behold, hee had sackcloth within, vpon his flesh.

31Then he said, God doe so, and more also to mee, if the head of Elisha the sonne of Shaphat, shall stand on him this day.

32But Elisha sate in his house (and the elders sate with him) and the king sent a man from before him: but yer the messenger came to him, hee said to the Elders, See yee how this sonne of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? Looke when the messenger commeth, shut the doore, and hold him fast at the doore: Is not the sound of his masters feete behind him?

33And while hee yet talked with them, beholde, the messenger came downe vnto him: and he said, Behold, this euill is of the Lord, what should I waite for the Lord any longer?

I == 2nd Kings 4:38

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VI == 2nd Kings 2:21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIII == Gen 37:17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVI == 2nd Chr 32:7 ; Ps 55:18 ; Rom 8:31

XVII == 2nd Kings 2:11 ; Ps 34:7 ; 68:17 ; Zech 1:8 ; 6:1-7

 

 

XVIII == Gen 19:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXII == Rom 12:20

 

 

 

 

XXIII == 2nd Kings 5:2 ; 6:8-9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXIX == Lev 26:29 ; Deut 28:53 , 57

 

 

XXX == 1st Kings 21:27

 

 

XXXI == Ruth 1:17 ; 1st Kings 19:2

 

XXXII == 1st Kings 18:4 ; Ezek 8:1 ; 20:1 ; Luke 13:32

 

 

 

 

XXXIII == Job 2:9

 

 

 

 

 

1 The guild prophets once said to Elisha: "There is not enough room for us to continue to live here with you.

2 Let us go to the Jordan, where by getting one beam apiece we can build ourselves a place to live." "Go," Elisha said.

3 "Please agree to accompany your servants," one of them requested. "Yes, I will come," he replied.

4 So he went with them, and when they arrived at the Jordan they began to fell trees.

5 While one of them was felling a tree trunk, the iron axhead slipped into the water. "O master," he cried out, "it was borrowed!"

6 "Where did it fall?" asked the man of God. When he pointed out the spot, Elisha cut off a stick, threw it into the water, and brought the iron to the surface.

7 "Pick it up," he said. And the man reached down and grasped it.

8 When the king of Aram was waging war on Israel, he would make plans with his servants to attack a particular place.

9 But the man of God would send word to the king of Israel, "Be careful! Do not pass by this place, for Aram will attack there."

10 So the king of Israel would send word to the place which the man of God had indicated, and alert it; then they would be on guard. This happened several times.

11 Greatly disturbed over this, the king of Aram called together his officers. "Will you not tell me," he asked them, "who among us is for the king of Israel?"

12 "No one, my lord king," answered one of the officers. "The Israelite prophet Elisha can tell the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom."

13 "Go, find out where he is," he said, "so that I may take him captive." Informed that Elisha was in Dothan,

14 he sent there a strong force with horses and chariots. They arrived by night and surrounded the city.

15 Early the next morning, when the attendant of the man of God arose and went out, he saw the force with its horses and chariots surrounding the city. "Alas!" he said to Elisha. "What shall we do, my lord?"

16 "Do not be afraid," Elisha answered. "Our side outnumbers theirs."

17 Then he prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes, that he may see." And the LORD opened the eyes of the servant, so that he saw the mountainside filled with horses and fiery chariots around Elisha.

18 When the Arameans came down to get him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike this people blind, I pray you." And in answer to the prophet's prayer the LORD struck them blind.

19 Then Elisha said to them: "This is the wrong road, and this is the wrong city. Follow me! I will take you to the man you want." And he led them to Samaria.

20 When they entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open their eyes that they may see." The LORD opened their eyes, and they saw that they were inside Samaria.

21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked, "Shall I kill them, my father?"

22 "You must not kill them," replied Elisha. "Do you slay those whom you have taken captive with your sword or bow? Serve them bread and water. Let them eat and drink, and then go back to their master."

23 The king spread a great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went back to their master. No more Aramean raiders came into the land of Israel.

24 After this, Ben-hadad, king of Aram, mustered his whole army and laid siege to Samaria.

25 Because of the siege the famine in Samaria was so severe that an ass's head sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a fourth of a kab of wild onion for five pieces of silver.

26 One day, as the king of Israel was walking on the city wall, a woman cried out to him, "Help, my lord king!"

27 "No," he replied, "the LORD help you! Where could I find help for you: from the threshing floor or the winepress?"

28 Then the king asked her, "What is your trouble?" She replied: "This woman said to me, 'Give up your son that we may eat him today; then tomorrow we will eat my son.'

29 So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Now give up your son that we may eat him.' But she hid her son."

30 When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his garments. And as he was walking on the wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth underneath, next to his skin.

31 "May God do thus and so to me," the king exclaimed, "if the head of Elisha, son of Shaphat, stays on him today!"

32 Meanwhile, Elisha was sitting in his house in conference with the elders. The king had sent a man ahead before he himself should come to him. Elisha had said to the elders: "Do you know that this son of a murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? When the messenger comes, see that you close the door and hold it fast against him. His master's footsteps are echoing behind him."

33 While Elisha was still speaking, the king came down to him and said, "This evil is from the LORD. Why should I trust in the LORD any longer?"

v 1-7. The young prophets had outgrown their school and persuaded Elisha to go with them to build a larger place near Jordan. When an ax head fell off into the water, Elisha responded to the man’s concern over losing a borrowed ax. He threw a stick into the water and the ax floated up to where the man could retrieve it. The stick was a mere illustration of the power of God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 8-14. When the king of Syria camped on the border to raid Israel, Elisha warned of his location several times, so the king of Israel defended it with his army. The Syrian king thought he had a disloyal subject who was giving the warning, but a servant told him that Elisha knew every thing the king said. When he learned Elisha was in Dothan, Syria stupidly sent a host with horses and chariots and surrounded the city.

 

 

v 15-17. Elisha’s servant (still Gehazi, 8:4, or this is not in chronological order) was alarmed by the host, so Elisha prayed for the Lord to open his eyes. He was able to see they were surrounded by more angels than the enemy had soldiers. (horses and chariots of fire, Ps. 68:17, are actually” twenty thousand, even thousands of angels”, and symbolized military power. They may have actually appeared as wheels of a chariot, Ezek. 1:19, 10:16.) 

 

V 18-23. Elisha prayed for the Lord to blind the enemy, and he led them into the center of the city of Samaria. The king of Israel calls Elisha “father” a term of respect, and wondered if he should kill them, but Elisha told him to treat them with hospitality and release them. According to Eastern custom, an enemy was protected under your roof, likewise the enemy were bound by custom not to attack them. This ended their threat for some time.

v 24-29. Eventually Ben-hadad of Syria besieged Samaria with a vast army instead of the raiding bands of v 23, The resulting famine was so severe that a donkey’s head (undesirable and from unclean animal) sold for about two pounds of silver. The original words for dove’s dung have no where else been translated as fecal material. It can best be considered one half pint of some type of seed pods ordinarily used for animal feed. The woman protested to the king that she agreed with another woman to cook and eat their sons, but the other woman’s turn came and she hid hers.

v 30-33. The king put on garments of sorrow, but he certainly didn’t repent for his sins, because he put the blame on Elisha and on impulse sought to kill him. Verse 33 perhaps explains why Jehoram was putting the blame on Elisha. Elisha had the messenger detained and waited for King Jehoram to come personally. Apparently Elisha had  previously told Jehoram to wait for the Lord’s deliverance, and instead of seeking now to kill Elisha, he now uses better sense and asks him why he should wait any longer on the Lord.