2 Kings 6

The ax head that floated; God protects the king of Israel
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Explanation
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 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.
  1 - Sons of the prophets Students in the schools of the prophets 2ki0203.
  1 - Where we dwell Literally "where we sit before thee." The place of assembly. Too straight would indicate "too tight."
  2 - Let us go ... make They not only accepted the responsibility of manual labor, they suggested it. The situation shows the importance of simultaneous development of hand and head and heart.
 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.
  5 - Axe head fell Iron objects were used by Hebrew people from early times de1905. The young man may not have considered that Elijah would be instrumental in getting it back.
  6 - Where fell it The stick had no properties of attracting iron. Its use shows that we need to do our part in cooperation when we ask for divine assistance. Satan has developed a counterfeit system known as "water witching." The very term indicates appeal to the occult. A witch is a female spirit medium although men also seek water sources this way, too. Many who do this probably have no idea of participating in devil worship. Thank God for prayer. We do use ceremonies to get Him to grant our request. We simply ask for His blessing realizing that He may say No. Nothing is too small for us to take to Him.
 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.
  8 - King of Syria Israel and Syria were in practically constant conflict then. See 1ki2203.
  8 - Camp The Hebrew word is not known. From the context we see that it is a hiding place from which to attack those who passed by.
  9 - Are come down Rather, "are coming or planning to come."
 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?
  13 - Dothan On the main route between Gilead and Egypt. See ge3717. Dothan was north of the city of Samaria. See map. Also on Carmel map.
  15 - Servant See on 2ki0443. It was not Gehazi who was cursed with leprosy 2ki0527.
.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.
  16 - Open his eyes God has many ways to protect us when this is best and we have committed our lives to Him.
  18 - Blindness They were blind spiritually and physically. Some argue that the blindness was that they were unable to understand but this is not a complete explanation.
 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.

  22 - Set bread and water See pr2521.
 24 ¶ And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad 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.
  24 - After this Likely several years later. The courtesy of v23 was, no doubt, remembered. The king mentioned would have been Benhadad II.
.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.   30 - Rent his clothes But not in repentance as had his father 1ki2127.
.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?
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