y Either it was ſo originally, at leaſt, as to that part of the City Ly Heb. where the Colledge of the Prophets was ; for it is not neceſſary to cauſing #® underſtand this of the whole Territory : ory it became ſo from the miſcarry. Curſe of God inflifted upon it, either when 7ojbua firſt took it ; or afterwards, when Hel rebuilt ir. Howloever, upon the Prophers' Care, it grew exceeding fruitful, and therefore 15 commended for irs Fertility by later Writers. |
20 And he faid, Bring me a new cruſe x, and pus falt cherein a. And they brought it to him. |
z Partly, thar there might be no ground of Suſpicion, that the Cure was wrought by any natural Vertue of any thing which was, or had been in the Crute before, but only by Gods Power : and partly, that there might be no Legal Pollution init which mighe offend God, and hinder his MiracuJous Operation by it. . # A moſt improper Remedy; for Salt naturally makes Waters brackiſh, and Lands barren. Hereby therefore he would ſhew, Thar this was efccted tolely by the Divine Power, which could work either without means, Or againſt them.
21 Andhe went forth untothe ſpring ofthe waters, and caſt the ſalt inthereb,and ſaid, Thus ſaiththe LORD, I have healed theſe warers : there ſhall not be from tnence any more death c, or barren land.
b Which was in it {elf idle and ineffeQual, conſidering both the quality of Salt,and the ſmall quantity of it,and the place where it was put; the Fountain which quickly works out any thing which is put into It ; Sec Lev 11: 36, but was only uted as a {ign of Gods Preſence and Power, which did the thing ; compare £x2d:15. 25: 2 Kings 4:41: and 6: 6; c1.e. Hurt, or Danger, as dearh is oft a:cd, ( as 2 Cor: 115 23- ) to Men or Beaits by arinking of it, a fo-merly.
Mi |
22 SOthe waters were hcaledunto t nis day, according. to the ſaying of Eliſha which he ſpake .
31. 3 ” if
} Heb. at
Ke le” Kings 16.31, 32,
ap. Il.
23 | And he went up from thenee unto Bethel d : and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children e out of the city f, and mocked him g, and ſaid unto him, Go up &, thou bald-head , go up thou bald-head &.
4 To the other School or Colledge of Prophets, to inform them of El:jaks tranſlation, and his Succeſhon into therſame Office ; and to dire and comfort, and ftabliſh them, as he ſaw occaſion, e Or, children ; or, young men : as. this Hebrew word oft ſignifies, as Gen: 22: 5, 12: and 41: 12: 2 Chron: 13: 7; Iſa- 11: 6. Itis more than probable they were old enough to diſcern between Good and Evil, as their Expreſſion ſheweth. f Bethel, which was the Mother-City of Ido- larry, 1 Kings 12: 28, 29; Hoſt 4 15: and 5:8. where rhe Prophets
laated themſelves, that they might bear witneſs againſt it, and
;ifſuade the people from itz though, it ſeems, they had but ſmall ſucceſs there. & With great petulancy and vehemency , as the Conjugation of the Hebrew Verb ſignifies; deriding both his Perſon and Miniſtry. and that from a prophane Contempr of the True Religion, and apaſſionate Love to that ldolatry which they knew he oppoſed. h Goupinto Heaven, whather thou pretendeſt that Elijah is gone. Why didſt not thou accompany thy Friend and Maſter to Heaven ? O that the ſame Spirit would take thee up alſo, thatthou mighteſt not.trouble us nor out 1ſrael, as Elijah did ! i So they mock his naturs] Infirmity, which is a great Sin. & The repetition ſhews their Heartineſs and Earneſtneſs, that it was no ſudden nor raſh flip of their Tongue, bur a Scoff proceeding from a rooted Impiety and Hatred of God and his Prophets»
24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and
curſed them / in the name of the LORD mw : and there came forth two ſhe-bears » out of the wood, and tare
forty and two children o of them.
I Nor was this Puniſhment too great for the Offence, if it be conſidered, that theſe Chiidren were grown up to ſome maturity ; ( See on v. 23- ) that their mocking proceeded from a great mal:- gnity ofmind againſt God ; that they mocked not only a man, and an ancient man, whoſe very Age commanded reverence ; and a Prophet ; but even God himſelf, and that moſt admirable and glorious Work of God, the aſſumption of Elijah into Heaven. which makes it in ſome degree reſemble the Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt ; that they might be guilry of many other hainous Crimes, which God and the Prophet knew ; and were guilty of Idolatry, which by Gods Law deſerved Death 3 that the Idolatrous Parents were puniſhed in their Children ; and that, if any of theſe Children were'more innocent and ignorant of what they ſaid, God might have mercy upon their Souls, and then this Death was nor a Miſery, but a real Blefling to them, that they.were taken away from that wicked and idolatrous Education which was molt likely to expoſe them not only to Temporal, but to an Ercrnal Deſtruftion- mm Not from any carnal or revengetul Paſſion, but |y the morion of Gods Spirit, and by Gods Command and Commiſſion, as appears by Gods concurrence with him. Which God did, partly, for the terror and caution of all other Idolaters and prophane perſons who abounded in that place : partly, to vindi- cate rhe Honour, and maintain the Authority of his Prophets; and
articularly, of Eliſhs, now eſpecially inthe beginning of his Sacred Miniſtry. And this did beget ſuch a Confidence in Eljba. that he durſt venture to go into Bethel after this was done ; and ſucha teror in the Berhelices, that they durſt not avenge themſelves of him. » Poſlibly robbed their Whelps, and therefore more fierce. Prov: 17:12: Hoj 13: 8. but certainly a&ed by an extraordinary Fury. which God raiied in them for this purpoſe. o This Hebrew word ſignifies not only young Children, but thoſe alſo who are grown up to maturity, as ven: 32: 22: and 34. 4: and 37; 30; Ruth 1. 5. 25 And he went from thence to mount carmel p, and from thence he returnedto Samaria 9g.
p Partly, to decline the Fury of the people of Bethel: partly, that he might retire himſelf from Men, and converſe more freely with Ged. and ſo fit himſelf more for the diſcharge of his Employment : and partly, that he might viſit the Sons of the Prophets who lived in that place, or nearit. q By the direQtion of Gods Spirit for the Service which he did, chap, 3. 11. &Cc,