2 Reis 6
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
2 Reis 6
NJB (MT versing) The Axe Head Recovered The Floating Axe Head The Iron Axe Head The Recovery of the Axe Head The Axe Lost and Found 6:1-7 6:1-7 6:1-7 6:1-2 6:1-7 6:3-5 6:6-7 The Arameans Plot to Capture Elisha The Blinded Syrians Captured The Aramean Army Blinded and Captured The Syrian Army Is Defeated Elisha Captures the Armed Band of Arameans 6:8-10 6:8-12 6:8-10 6:8-10 6:8-10 6:11-14 6:11-14 6:11 6:11-14 6:12 6:13-18 6:13-15 6:15-19 6:15-19 6:15-17 6:16-17 6:18-19 6:18-20 6:19-23 6:20-23 6:20-23 6:20 6:21 6:21-23 6:22-23 The Siege of Samaria‒ Cannibalism Syria Besieges Samaria in Famine Ban-Hadad's Siege of Samaria Repulsed by Divine Intervention The Siege of Samaria Samaria Besieged; the Famine 6:24-31 6:24-29 6:24-32a 6:24-25 6:24-25 6:26 6:26-31 6:27-28a 6:28b-29 6:30-7:2 6:30-32a Elisha Foretells Immanent Relief 6:32-33 6:32-7:2 6:32b-7:2 6:32b-7:2 Etc.
2 Reis 6:1-7
6:1 "the sons of the prophets" See full note at 2 Kgs. 2:3. 6:2 The meeting place or communal living place was too small for their number. As a group they went to the lowland forest near the Jordan River to harvest beams of wood for construction. 6:5 While chopping down a beam, one of the sons of the prophets lost the head of his borrowed axe. ▣ "it was borrowed" This is the VERB (BDB 981, KB 1371, Qal PASSIVE PARTICIPLE) which usually means "to ask" or "to beg," but in this rare context, it connotes "borrow" (i.e., strongly request something to use). 6:6 It is possible that Elisha put a wooden pole in the water and caught the axe head on the piece of wood (Peshitta). The VERB (BDB 897, KB 1012, Hiphil IMPERFECT with waw) basically means "to overflow" (i.e., Deut. 11:4; Lam. 3:54). Only here is it translated "float." this miracle is similar to the cleansing of Exod. 15:23-26 (a tree used to cleanse water) 2 Kgs. 2:15-22 (some salt to purify a spring) 2 Kgs. 4:38-41 (some meal to purify stew)
2 Reis 6:8-10
6:8-14 This paragraph describes the frustration the king of Syria had in trying to attack the king of Israel. Every time he set an ambush, the king of Israel did not show up. The king of Syria thought there was an Israeli spy in his inner circle! But they respond that it was not one of them but the prophet Elisha. It is humorous to me that the king of Syria thought he could take the prophet, who continually warned the king of Israel, by a secret night raid! 6:8 NASB, NKJV, NRSV "shall be my camp" TEV, JPSOA, LXX "encamp" NJB, REB "attack" "lie in wait" The MT has "my camp" but the UBS Text Project, p. 340, gives it only a "C" rating (considerable doubt). The NET Bible, p. 601, suggests an emendation that follows the NJB and REB. 6:10 "more than once or twice" The king of Syria had attempted many times to ambush the king of Israel.
2 Reis 6:11-14
6:11 NASB, NKJV, REB, Peshitta "which of us" NRSV, JPSOA "who among us" "which one of you" "which of you" "who" "who has betrayed us" The NASB follows the MT. The UBS Text Project, p. 341, gives this reading a "B" rating (some doubt). 6:13 "Dothan" This small village was located on a low hill about 10-12 miles north of Samaria.
2 Reis 6:15-19
6:15 "the attendant of the man of God" This would have been a new servant because Gehazi had leprosy (2 Kgs. 5:20-27). Elisha had been an attendant to Elijah (i.e., 2 Kgs. 3:11). ▣ "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" The Syrian army had surrounded the village by night to capture one man! 6:16-17 I just love this text! Wow, how many times we as believers face circumstances and evil intentions with "fear"! Elisha prays that YHWH will open the attendant's spiritual eyes that he might see the spiritual realm (notice Gen. 21:19; 32:1-2; and Num. 22:31; also note Ps. 37:7; 91). Elisha had seen these very things in 2 Kgs. 2:10-11. I think what happened in 2 Kgs. 7:6 is related to these spiritual armies of the Lord of hosts. Our wonderful hymn "Open My Eyes" comes from this text. There is one passage where opening one's spiritual eyes is a disaster (i.e., Gen. 3:5,7)! SPECIAL TOPIC: ANGELS AND DEMONS SPECIAL TOPIC: LORD OF HOSTS 6:18 There is irony here. The attendant's eyes are opened but the Syrian army's eyes are closed. YHWH is the provider of both (v. 20). The NOUN "blindness" (BDB 703, KB 760) is used here (twice) and also Gen. 18:11. 6:19 YHWH not only sent blindness but also confusion.
2 Reis 6:20-23
6:21-23 The king of Israel and Elisha had drastically different ideas of what to do with these captured soldiers. Elisha's plan caused the tension between these two neighboring countries to cease for a period. 6:21 "My father" This was a title of respect and acknowledgment of leadership of a priest ‒ Jdgs. 17:10; 18:19 of a king ‒ 1 Sam. 24:11 of a servant of his lord ‒ 2 Kgs. 2:12; 5:13 of a prophet ‒ 2 Kgs. 2:12; 5:13; 6:21; 13:14 of a teacher ‒ Pro. 1:8; 4:1,3 of a governor ‒ Isa. 22:20-21 It was most often used of a parent or of YHWH. SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD SPECIAL TOPIC: FATHER 6:22 "with sword and bow" This was an idiom for the use of any kind of weapon in warfare.
2 Reis 6:24-31
6:24 "Ben-hadad" This is the first time in this context that a king of Israel or Syria is named. It is still hard to date these events because there were two known kings of Syria by this name at this time. It meant "son of Hadad," a royal title. 6:25 "famine" A besieged city had several problems. no food no water rampant disease In the paragraph this terrible situation is characterized as the high cost of a poor piece of meat (even an unclean and unusual piece of meat) the high cost of cooking fuel (dung) the JPSOA's footnote says it refers to "carob pods" (Akkadian), which were normally not eaten by humans Roland deVauz, Ancient Israel, p. 200 calls it "wild onions" during sieges humans even ate dung and drank urine (cf. Isa. 36:12) the cannibalism (vv. 28-29) For a good brief discussion of "siege warfare," see Roland DeVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 236-238. 6:30 "tore his clothes. . .sackcloth" See SPECIAL TOPIC: GRIEVING RITES. 6:31 "May God do so to me and more also, if. . ." This was an oath formula (i.e., Ruth 1:17; 1 Kgs. 19:2; 20:10). The king of Israel blamed Elisha for the siege and the problems connected to it.
2 Reis 6:32-33
6:32 "a man from his presence" This person is called "the messenger" in v. 32, twice and once in v. 33. When verse 33 says "he said," it must refer to this messenger. The exact meaning of the message from the king is difficult to understand. The king is attributing the problem to YHWH. The king implies he has waited for YHWH to act, but no more. 2 Kings 7:1-2 should go with chapter 6. Chapters 6-7 form a literary unit. ▣ "this son of a murderer" This is an idiom not directed at the parents but at the king of Israel himself. BDB 119 uses "son" as a member of a group (i.e., 1 Sam. 20:30). SPECIAL TOPIC: "SONS OF. . ." 6:33 AB, p. 80, along with other commentaries, thinks the person speaking in v. 33 is not the messenger of the king, but the king himself. Probably the messenger sent to assassinate Elisha came with the king right behind him. Josephus (Antiq. 9.4.4) states that the king had changed his mind about killing Elisha and hurried to the meeting to stop his messenger!