2 Reis 7
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
2 Reis 7
NJB (MT versing) Elisha Promises Food Syria Besieges Samaria in Famine (6:24-7:2) Ben-Hadad's Siege of Samaria Repulsed by Divine Intervention (6:24-7:20) The Siege of Samaria (6:24-7:2) Elisha Foretells Imminent Relief (6:32-7:2) 7:1-2 7:1-2 7:1-2 7:1-2 7:1-2 Four Lepers Relate Arameans' Flight The Syrians Flee The Syrian Army Leaves The Arameans Camp Is Found Abadnoned 7:3-8 7:3-8 7:3-8 7:3-7 7:3-8 7:8-10 The Siege At the End; The Famine Ceases 7:9-14 7:9-11 7:9-15 7:9-11 7:11-12 7:12-16 7:12-15 The Promise Fulfilled 7:13-15 7:15 7:16-20 7:16-20 7:16 7:16-20 7:17-20 7:17-20 Etc.
2 Reis 7:1-2
7:1 There is obviously a relationship between 2 Kgs. 6:32-33 and chapter 7, but the question is how! Is 2 Kgs. 6:32-33 viewed as the king speaking? Is Elisha's response positive or negative? I do not see 2 Kgs. 6:32-33 as a positive response. The king planned to kill Elisha (2 Kgs. 6:31). ▣ "Listen to the word of the Lord" This is a key phrase in the historical books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. YHWH does have a spokesperson reveal His will expect obedience The thoughts and plans of humans are not the same as the thoughts and plans of YHWH (i.e., Isa. 55:8-11). The siege will be broken by "tomorrow"! ▣ "a measure" This is literally "seah" (BDB 684). SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES ▣ "a shekel" The prophecy of verse 1 is fulfilled in v.16 and the prophecy of v. 2 is fulfilled in vv. 17,20. Unbelief, like disobedience, is a serious and deadly form of spiritual rebellion. SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH, AND FAITHFULNESS (OT) SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP 7:2 "The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning" This could be literal, like 2 Kgs. 2:18 a title for a close counselor of the king Literally the term (BDB 1026 III) is from the root "three," often used of a three stringed musical instrument. This person could be a royal counselor (2 Kgs. 7:2,17,19) a high military officer (2 Sam. 23:8; 2 Kgs. 9:25; 15:25, which may be related to the two chariots of v. 14) specifically the captain of three-man chariots (cf. Exod. 14:7) a title for the "third rank" in leadership (NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p.126) If #2 is correct, as BDB suggests, it is unusual for a different name to be used of the king's close servant in v. 12 (BDB 713), which is a much more common term for "servant." ▣ "windows in heaven" Heaven refers to the atmosphere above the earth. The OT saw it as a hard dome with windows. Rain came from the windows (cf. Ps. 78:23-29; Mal. 3:10). SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN ▣ "you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it" Rejection of "the word of the Lord" was a serious offense. This royal official will pay with his life (vv. 17,20).
2 Reis 7:3-8
7:3 "leprous men" The term "leper" had a much wider meaning in the ANE than today (cf. Leviticus 13-14). But it did cause social isolation. These men were outside the walled city of Samaria, a locked gate on one side and a besieging enemy on the other. 7:5 "twilight" This term (BDB 676, KB 730) can refer to the low light time of morning or evening. It was usually accompanied by a breeze (Akkadian root, NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 191-194). 7:6 "the Lord had caused. . .to hear" This also occurs in the conquest of Canaan. YHWH (the MT has Adonai here) confuses the enemy. He is the Divine Warrior of the covenant people (i.e., Lord of hosts). A similar event occurs in 2 Sam. 5:24. The horses and chariots are related to those who separated Elijah from Elisha ‒ 2 Kgs. 2:10-12 those who the attendant to Elisha saw in 2 Kgs. 6:17 SPECIAL TOPIC: Lord OF HOSTS ▣ "the Hittites" This is an OT way of identifying the kingdom of Anatolia (i.e., modern Turkey). The name "Hittites" appeared only in the OT and many liberal scholars thought they were a legend or myth, but in the 1950's archaeologists found the royal library of this empire in central Turkey and saw from its documents that the empire went by two names. Again, the historicity of the OT was confirmed. SPECIAL TOPIC: OT HISTORIOGRAPHY COMPARED WITH NEAR EASTERN CULTURES SPECIAL TOPIC: OT HISTORICAL NARRATIVES ▣ "the Egyptians" The MT has "Mizraim" (BDB 595), which usually means Egypt, but in a few other texts it might be another group to the north. 1 Kings 10:28; 2 Chr. 1:16,17; 9:28 (see UBS Text Project, pp. 313-314) ‒ a place in northern Syria (BDB 596) called Musri (Tyndale OT Commentary, p. 212) Kue or Cilicia, just north of Cyprus on southern coast of Turkey See full note online at 2 Chr. 1:16 (freebiblecommentary.org). It may be an idiom for foreign mercenaries from the north to the south. There are historical questions about the term ever referring to anything but Egypt. The PLURAL "kings" is unusual in referring to Egypt, which had a united monarchy.
2 Reis 7:9-14
7:9 "punishment will overtake us" This is a personification. The OT often uses this kind of imagery. A good book on biblical imagery is G. B. Caird, The Language and Imagery of the Bible. There are real time consequences to our choices and actions! 7:10 "no one. . .man" These are two of the most common words for a human person. Here, they are synonymous (cf. Isa. 2:9; 5:15; Eccl. 5:19; 6:3). ish (BDB 35) Adam (BDB 9) 7:12-13 The king, like his servant, did not really believe Elisha's prophecy. His other servants (possibly believers in the prophecy) encouraged him to check out the message of the lepers. The horses, like the citizens, would all die of hunger soon anyway. 7:14 NASB, NKJV "two chariots with horses" NRSV, REB, LXX "two mounted men" "two chariot teams" "two teams of horses" "two couples of horsemen mounted" The MT has "two mounted men" (three terms). The CONSTRUCT BDB 1040, "two"; BDB 939, "horsemen" or "charioteer," BDB 692. This could mean two chariots two mounted horsemen (LXX, Josephus, and Tyndale OT Commentary, p. 212)
2 Reis 7:15
7:15 NASB, NKJV, NRSV, REB, JPSOA, Peshitta "in their haste" "in their panic" "in their alarm" The MT has a Niphal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT (BDB 342, KB 339). The Masoretic scholars suggested an emendation to a Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT. The Niphal stem means "hurry/run" away in alarm. The Qal stem implies "be in a hurry."
2 Reis 7:16-20
7:17-20 This is the fulfillment of Elisha's short term prophecy that confirmed he was a true prophet of YHWH (cf. Deut. 13:1-5; 18:21-22).