oil, she pays her debt, and lives with her sons on the surplus (2 K 4'-'). (4) The next reminiscence (2 K 4*"") gives a charming picture of private life
in Israel. As E. chances to pass the village of Sliunem (now S61am, three miles from Jezreel.on the slopes of little Hermon), be is pressed to accept hospitality by a lady of substance. Whenever he passes that way again, he turns in to eat bread. The lady is so impressed by the character of the man of God that she persuades her husband to build a chamber on the roof of the house, to which the prophet may have free access at all times. As a recompense for her kindness, E. grants her fondest wish : a child is bom to her. After some years—
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the narrative goes on without break — her son dies of sunstroke. The la<ly riiles to Carniel, and Buniiiions E., wlio comes and restores the boy to life. (5) E. is next found re.siding at Gilgal, with the Bona of the prophets, during a famine (4^-*'). People are subsisting on any roots tliat can be found. One of the young propliets brings home some wild gourds (ni',?5, Vulg. coloci/tithic/ds agri), and shreils them into the caldron, uut when they begin to eat, the taste reveals the presence of poison, and they cry out, 'O man of God, there is death in the pot. ' IJring meal,' answers the wonder-worker, and forthwith the dish is rendered harmless and wholesome. (6) Apparently during the same famine, wliile E. is still living at Gilg.il, he is visited by a farmer from IJaal-shalisliah (4^-" ), who brings him a present of lirst-fruits— twenty loaves of new barley and a sack full of fresh ears of com (Lv 2" as"). E. bids his servant set them before a hundred men. The servant hesitates, but the small sup|ily is miraculously rendered .sutticient for the whole company. (7) The next narrative (2 K 5) gives an account of the healing of Naaman — the only miracle of E. which is referred to in the NT (Lk 4^). Naaman, commander-in-chief of the army of Syria, being alllicted with the most malignant kind of leprosy (the white variety, v.^), hears of the prophet in Samaria through a Hebrew maiil, kidnapped in a border foray and taken into his household. He resolves to visit the great healer. Wlien he arrives at the prophet's door, attended by his train of horses and chariots, E. sends a servant to direct him to go and bathe seven times in the Jordan. Naaman, who has expected a deferential reception and a striking ceremonial, is enraged by the .seeming want of courtesy, and even more by the nature of the prescription. But his servants calm his rutiled temper; and when he obeys the projphct's command, liis flesh comes again as the flesh of a little child. He returns to thank and reward his benefactor, but E. refuses to touch any of the presents which are pressed on his accept- ance. Naaman, made to feel by E.'s self-denial that the glory is due to E.'s God, resolves to be- come a worshipper of .)". He asks permission to take earth from Israel, that he may erect an altar to the God of Israel ; his idea being the popular one, that J" was a local deity, and could only be worshipped on his own soil. E. does not seel< to correct his mistake. He even gives the proselyte
fermission to continue to pay outward homage to {iiiiTiion, the god worshipped by the king of Syria (5"-'"). Naaman having departed in peace, E.'s servant Gehazi follows him, and by dint of lying obtains the trea.sure which E. refused. But E. divines his dishonesty, and dooms him and his house to be alllicted with the leprosy of Naaman for evi'r (5"). (8) The sons of tlie prophets, who are inrrea.sing in numbers, resolve to build a larger dwelling-place by the Jordan, While they are engageil in felling trees, the head of a borrowed axe Hies oir and falls into the water. It would be vain to search for it in the deep and turbid river. Hut a cry brings the man of God to the spot. He breaks oil' a stick and casts it into the stream, and forthwith the iron comes to the surface, and is restored to its jiosscssor.
B. The remaining narratives exhibit E. in his relation to kings and rulers, and recount some of his services to his country as an inspired seer and wise counsellor. (1) E. is with the confederate armies of Israel, Judali, and Edom, in a campaign again.st Mesha, king of Moah (2 K 3"'"). His presence is not discovered till the armies are perishing for lack of water. When the three kings, in their extremity, come to him for counsel, ho refuses to have anything to do with the king of Israel, bidding him go to the prophet.sof his father
Ahab and his mother Jezebel. Bnt out of retpect for Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, he con.sents to give his advice. When a minstrel plays before Tiir,. and the hand of J" is upon him, he commands that deep trenches be dug, and prophesies that though they shall see no rain, yet the valley will be tilled with water. His orders are obeyed, and next morning, owing to a plentiful fall of rain high among tlie mountains of Moab, the torrents swell.