(15) And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. (16) But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. (17) And Naa

man said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD. (18) In this thing the LORD

Naaman.

Behold, now.-Behold, I pray thee. The" now" belongs to "behold,” not to “I know."

I know that . . . in Israel.-Naaman, like most of his contemporaries, Jewish as well as Syrian, believed in locally restricted deities. The powerlessness of the Syrian gods and the potency of Jehovah having been brought home to his mind by his marvellous recovery, he concludes that there is no god anywhere save in the land of Israel. In other words, his local conception of deity still clings to him. What a mark of historic truth appears in this representation!

Now therefore.-And now.

little

(20) But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. (21) So Gehazi followed after Naa

epithets in the cuneiform is Râmimu," the thunderer;" and another is Barqu (= Bâriqu), “he who lightens." Rimmon was the god of the atmosphere, called in Accadian, AN. IM ("god of the air or wind "), figured on bas-reliefs and cylinders as armed with the thunderbolt. His name is prominent in the story of the Flood (e.g., it is said Rammánu irmum, "Kimmon thuudered "); and one of his standing titles is Râhiçu (“he who deluges"). The Assyrians identified Rammân with the Aramean and Edomite Hadad. (Comp. the name Hadad-rimmon, Zech. xii. 11; and Tabrimon, 1 Kings xv. 18.) A list of no fewer than forty-one titles of Rimmon has been found among the cuneiform tablets.

Leaneth on my hand.-A metaphor denoting the attendance on the king by his favourite grandee or principal adjutant. (Comp. chap. vii. 2, 17.)

When I bow down myself.-An Aramaic form

(16) But.-And (both times).

I will receive none.-Theodoret compares our Lord's "Freely ye have received, freely give" (Matt. x. 8). (Comp. Acts viii. 20.) Such may have been Elisha's feeling. His refusal, strongly contrasting with the conduct of ordinary prophets, Israelite and heathen (comp. 1 Sam. ix. 6-9), would make a deep impression upon Naaman and his retinue.

(17) Shall there not then.-Rather, If not, let there be given, I pray thee. LXX., kal ei μń.

Two mules' burden of earth ?-Literally, a load of a yoke of mules' (in) earth. It was natural for Naaman, with his local idea of divinity, to make this request. He wished to worship the God of Israel, so far as possible, on the soil of Israel, Jehovah's own land. He would therefore build his altar to Jehovah on a foundation of this earth, or construct the altar itself therewith. (Comp. Exod. xx. 24; 1 Kings xviii. 38.) Burnt offering nor sacrifice.-Burnt offering nor peace offering.

Offer. Literally, make.

(18) In this thing.-Touching this thing (but in at the end of the verse). The LXX. and Syriac read, "and touching this thing," an improvement in the connection.

To worship.-To bow down (the same verb occurs thrice in the verse).

The house of Rimmon.-The Assyrian Rammânu (from ramāmu, “to thunder"). One of his

The Lord pardon thy servant.-Naaman had solemnly promised to serve no god but Jehovah for the future. He now prays that an unavoidable exception— which will, indeed, be such only in appearance-may be excused by Jehovah. His request is not, of course, to be judged by a Christian standard. By the reply, "Go in peace, the prophet, as spokesman of Jehovah, acceded to Naaman's prayer. Naaman durst not profess conversion to the foreign cultus before the king, his master; so he asks leave to go on assisting at the national rites" (Reuss).

66

The Lord pardon.-In the current Hebrew text it is the Lord pardon, I pray. The LXX. appears to have had the same reading; but very many MSS. and all the other versions omit the precative particle. is, however, probably genuine.

99.66

It

a

(19) A little way. Heb., a kibrāh of ground (Gen. XXXV. 16). It seems to mean a length of ground," certain distance," without defining exactly how far. Had it been a parasang, as the Syriac renders, Gehazi could not have overtaken the company so easily. (20) Said-i.e., thought.

This Syrian.-He justifies his purpose on the principle of "spoiling the Egyptians."

But, as the Lord liveth, I will run.-Rather, by the life of Jehovah, but I will run. (Comp. Note on chap. iv. 30.)

(21) He lighted down from the chariot to meet him. An Oriental mark of respect. Literally, fell from off the chariot: an expression denoting haste

And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

CHAPTER VI.-(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 (3) And ye. one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. (4) So he went with them.

the prophet is really pronouncing inspired judgment upon the sin of Gehazi, and milder language might have produced erroneous impressions. Covetousness and lying are never spared in Scripture, and it is well for mankind that it is so. (Comp. Acts v.)

VI.

THE HISTORY OF ELISHA'S MIGHTY WORKS CONTINUED.

(1-7) The prophet causes an iron ax-head to float in the Jordan.

(1) And the sons of the prophets said.-The form of the verb implies connection with the preceding narrative; but as the section refers to Elisha's activity among the sons of the prophets, it was probably connected originally with chap. iv. 44. The compiler may have transferred it to its present position in order, as Thenius suggests, to indicate the lapse of some time between the events described here and there; and further, to separate the account of the renewed warfare between Syria and Israel (verse 8, seq.) from that of Elisha's good deed to Naaman the Syrian.

The place where we dwell with thee.-Rather, the place where we sit before thee: scil., habitually, for instruction. The phrase occurred in chap. iv. 38. The common hall is meant; whether that at Gilgal or at Jericho is uncertain. Jericho was close to the Jordan (verse 2), but that does not prove that it is meant here. The prophet's disciples did not live in a single building, like a community of monks. Their settlement is called "dwellings” (nāyôth) in the plural (1 Sam. xix. 18); and they could be married (chap. iv. 1).

Too strait. Their numbers had increased. (Comp. chap. iv. 43.)

(2) Take thence every man a beam.-The Jordan valley was well wooded. Its present bed is still "overarched by oleanders, acacias, thorns, and similar shrubbery." If all were to take part in felling the trees, the work would soon be done.

Where we may dwell.-Literally, to sit (or, dwell) there. The reference seems still to be to sitting in the hall of instruction.

(3) One.-Heb., the one, whoever it was. Be content.-Consent, or, be willing.

Go with thy servants. To superintend their work, and help them in case of unforeseen difficulty. (4) Wood.-Heb., the timber: scil., which they required.

(5) But.-Heb., and it came to pass, the one was felling the beam. Not necessarily "the one" of verse 3,

Iron to swim.

And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. (5) But as one was felling a beam, the 1ax 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

but the one (whoever it was) to whom the mishap occurred, as presently related.

The ax head fell.-Heb., and as for the iron, it fell. The subject of the verb is made prominent by being put first in the accusative. It is thus implied that something happened to the iron. Perhaps, however, it is better to consider that the particle, which usually marks the object of the verb, in cases like the present has its etymological meaning of "something ('eth being regarded as equivalent to yath, and so to yesh). (See Winer, Chaldäische Grammatik, ed. Fischer.)

Master!-My lord, Elisha. He instinctively appeals to Elisha for help.

For it was borrowed.-Heb., and that one was borrowed. Vulg., "et hoc ipsum mutuo acceperam." (6) Where. Whereinto? or, Where fell it in?

The iron did swim.-He caused the iron to float. (Comp. Deut. xi. 4 for the verb.) The iron ax-head did not swim, but simply rose to the surface. It had fallen in near the bank. Elisha's throwing in the stick was a symbolical act, intended to help the witnesses to realise that the coming up of the iron was not a natural, but a supernatural, event, brought about through the instru mentality of the prophet. As in the case of the salt thrown into the spring at Jericho, the symbol was appropriate to the occasion. It indicated that iron could be made to float like wood by the sovereign power of Jehovah. The properties of material substances depend on His will for their fixity, and may be suspended or modified at His pleasure. The moral of this little story is that God helps in small personal troubles as well as in great ones of larger scope. His providence cares for the individual as well as the race. (7) Therefore.-And he said.

(8-23) Elisha baffles several predatory attempts of the Syrians, and strikes with blindness those sent to seize

him.

(8) Then the king of Syria warred.-Rather, Now the king of Syria (Aram) was warring, i.e., continually. The time intended cannot be the reign of Jehoahaz, for here the Syrians achieve nothing of importance. (Comp. verse 32.)

Took counsel with.-Comp. 2 Chron. xx. 21.

Such and such.-The compound Hebrew expres sion (pělônî 'almôní) means “a certain one, I will not mention which;" the Greek, d deîva.

My camp.-Heb., tahănôthî; a difficult expression, found only here. Its form is anomalous, and probably corrupt. The Targum renders "house of my camp;

hold, 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

The mountain.-On which Dothan stood.

Horses and chariots of fire.-Literally, horses and chariots, to wit, fire. Fire was the well-known symbol of Jehovah's visible presence and protective or destroying might, from the days of the patriarchs onwards (Gen. xv. 17; Exod. iii. 2, xiii. 21, seq., xix. 16, seq.; Isa. xxix. 6, xxx. 30, 33, xxxiii. 14). As fiery chariots and horses parted Elijah from Elisha (chap. ii. 12), so now a similar appearance surrounds and protects the latter. "It is a fine thought," says Thenius, "that on this occasion the veil of earthly existence was lifted for a moment for one child of man, so as to allow him a clear glimpse of the sovereignty of Providence." The form of the supernatural appearance was, no doubt, conditioned by the circumstances of the time. Chariots and horses were the strength of the Aramean oppressors of Israel; therefore, Jehovah causes His earthly ministers to see that He also has at His command horses and chariots, and that of fire.

(18) And when they came down to him.-This would mean that the Syrians came down to Elisha. But the prophet was, to begin with, in the city, which lay on the top of the hill; and the heavenly host intervened between him and his enemies, so that the latter must have occupied the lower position. The reading of the Syriac and Josephus is," and they (i.e., Elisha and his servant) went down to them"-i.e., to the Syrian force; and this is apparently right. The sight of the heavenly host guarding his master had inspired the prophet's follower with courage to face any danger in his master's company.

Elisha prayed.-And Elisha prayed-mentally, as he approached his foes.

This people.-Perhaps in the sense of multitude. Blindness.-Sanwērim: the term used in Gen. xix. 11, and nowhere besides. It denotes not so much blindness as a dazing effect, accompanied by mental bewilderment and confusion. " They saw, but knew not what they saw" (Rashi). Ewald pronounces the passage in Genesis the model of the present one.

(19) This is not the way, neither is this the city. These words pre-suppose, according to Josephus, that the prophet had asked them whom they were seeking, and that they had replied, "The prophet Elisha.' Thenius and Bahr accept this. Keil says, "Elisha's words contain a falsehood, and are to be judged of in the same way as every ruse by which an enemy is deceived." Thenius declares that "there is no untruth in the words of Elisha, strictly taken; for his home was not in Dothan (where he had only stayed for a time), but in Samaria; and the phrase to the man' might well

struck Blind, and Restored.

And the

these men, that they may see. 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

mean 'to his house."" Surely it is easier to suppose that the "dazing" had caused the Syrians to go wandering about in the valley at the foot of the hill, vainly seeking to find the right way up to the city gate. (Comp. Gen. l.c., "They wearied themselves to find the door.") If the prophet found them in this plight, his words would be literally true.

The man whom ye seek.-An irony.
Bring you.-Lead you.

But he led.-And he led (or, guided).

To Samaria.-Heb., Shôměrônah. The Assyrian spelling is Shâmerina; and this, compared with the Greek Zauápeia, suggests that the original name was Shamirin ("the warders"). The final ō in the present Hebrew form may be due to confounding y with w.

(20) Behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.-Michaelis wonders how such a host could be led

into the city without putting themselves on their guard. He overlooks the supernatural bewilderment which had fallen upon them. When their eyes were opened, and they realised their whereabouts, dismay and astonishment would paralyse their energies.

(21) My father.-Comp. chaps. ii. 12, viii. 9 (“Thy son Ben-hadad"), xiii. 14.

Shall I smite them? shall I smite them ?— Or, May I smite? may I smite, my father? The repetition expresses the king's eagerness to slay his powerless enemies. He asks the prophet's permission. (Comp. chap. iv. 7.)

(22) Thou shalt not.-Or, thou must not. Wouldest thou smite thy bow ?-The Hebrew order is, "An quos ceperis gladío et arcu percussurus es?" (Comp. Gen. xlviii. 22.) Elisha says, "These men are virtually prisoners of war, and therefore are not to be slain in cold blood."

The LXX., Targum, Syriac, and Vulg., ignore the interrogative particle. The Targum and Syriac render, "Lo those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword, &c., thou dost (or mayst) kill." (Comp. Deut. xx. 13.) The Vulg., "neque enim cepisti eos, ut percutias," and the Arabic, "Didst thou take them captive with thy sword, &c., that thou shouldest slay them?" come to the same thing. These renderings are interesting, as they make Elisha deny the king's right of disposal of these prisoners of Jehovah. The purpose of the miracle would have been frustrated by killing the Syrians. That purpose was to force their king and them to acknowledge the might of the true God. (23) He.-The king of Israel.

Prepared great provision.-Or, a great feast. The Hebrew verb (kārāh) occurs nowhere else in this