'( which is near a kin to the Hebrew, and from which many Words
are explained ) is Called Doves Dung : for this was a Food much in uſe amongſt the poorer Iſraelites, and was by all eſteemed a very courſe Food, and therefore fit to be joynei with an afles Head : and a Kab was the uſual Meaſure of all torts of Grains and Fruits of thar ſort.
26 And as the king of Iſrael was pafling by upon
the wall ], there cried a woman unto him, ſaying, Help my lord, O king. 1 To give neceſlary order for the Defence of the City againſt
| Aſſaults, and to ſee if the ſeveral Guards were watchful and dili-
] Or, Le? not the Lord ſave thee.
3
—4
*Deut. 28:53457. + Heb. orher.
gent, and if his Dire&ions were executed, and to obſerve the Mo- tions of the Enem
Y. 27 And he fſaid,|| If the LORD do not help thee ws, whence ſhall I help thee ? our of the barn-tloor, or out
of the wine-preſs » ?
m Or, let not God help thee,as ſome both ancient and late Interpre- ters render the Words. So they are Words of Impatience,& Rage, and a formal Curſe, withing that God would not he'p her, as tc could nor.as Joſephus amongſt others underſtand it : which agrees too well with the Chara&er of the Man, an Infide}, and .n Idolater, and a wicked Man,and at this time ina great Rage,as appears from; wv. 31. Or, they may be rendred thus, No; (as this Hebrew Particle 1s ſometimes uſed, as Job 20 17. Pſal: 34:5.and 41:2.and 50 3 Prov: 3 3, 25. and 31 4.) let the Lord help thee, So it may be taken,cither, Firſt, As a Dire&ion : No : do not cry to me; but to God for help
God help thee, for I cannot; Or rather, Secondly, As a prophane Scoff. No: come not fo me, but go to him to whom El:ſha diretts you ; Pray to the Lord: you ſee how ready he is to help you,by his ſuffering you to come to this Extremity:wait upon God for Relief. as Eliſha adviſeth me: but I will wait no longer for him, v. 33. and T will take a courſe with Eliſha for thus abuſing both me and my People with vain hopes. Or, thus,*he Lord (on whom forlooth thou and 1 are commanded to wait for help) w:/ not help thee, as he cou'd eaſily do, and would do, if he were ſo good as Eliſha pretends ; whence then ſhall T help thee ? n Doſt thou ask of me Corn or Wine
which I want for my ſelf ? ;
28 And the king faid unto her, What aileth thee ?
And ſhe anſwered, This woman ſaid unto me, Give me
thy ſon, that we may cat him to day,and we will eat
1 XN & ©
upon the Wall, either to defend the City ; or rather, t» ſeckfor relief from the Soldiers, for whoſe Provitions the King doubtleſs rook ſpecial care, as it was neceſſary, for the preſervation of the place. { Under his inner Garments, in token of his ſorrow, «nd with a pretence of humiliation, which he would ſhew by ourward ſigns, as his Father 4þab had done, not without ſome advantage to himſelf, 1 King. 21. 27, 28, 29.
- 3X Then he faid,* God do ſo, and more alſo to me, if the head of Eliſha the ſon of Shaphac ſhall ftand on him this day z.
; If I do not this day take his head and life» This wretched and partial Prince overlooks his own great and various fins, & amongſt others,his obſtinate cleaving to the Idolatry of the Calves,and tie Whoredoms and witchcrafts of his Mother Jezebel, 2 King 9.22.and the Wickedneſs of his People, which was the true and preper cauſe of this and all their Calamities ; and lays the blame of all upon Eliſha, either, ſuppoſing that he who had the Spiric of Ejah reſting upon him, had brought this Famine by his Pray ers, as El:ja/ had formerly done, 1 King, 17.1 or, becauſe he had encouraged them ro withſtand the Syrians, by promiſing them help from 'zo0d in due time : or, becauſe he would not by his interceſſion to God, and the working of a Miracle, deliver them from theſe Calamities, as he calily could have done. Burt he did not conſider,that the Prophets could not work what Miracles, and when they pleaſed, but only as far as God ſaw fit, whoſe time was not yer come ; otherwiſe, it was Eliſha's Intereſtygas well as theirs,to be freed from this diſti cls,
32 But Eliſha fat in his houſe »,(and the Elders x tat with him) and the king ſent a man from before him y:
but ere the meſſenger came to him, he ſaid to the el- ders z, See ye how this ſon of a murderer a hath ſent to take away mine head b:Look when the meſſenger com- etch, ſhuc tne door, and hold him c faſt at the door :
Is no. the found of his maſters feet behind him 4d 2?
u In the Houſe where he lodged : for he had no Houſe of his own, having forſaken all when he followed Elijah, 1 Kings 19.20,21. x $o they nughr be called, Either, Firſt, from their age. Or ratherg Secondly,trom their office, which was either Ecclefiatrical,or Civil : ſo they were cither the Sons of the Prophets : or rather,ſome Godly men who were then in ſome power and Office, either in the Court, or Army,or City as may leem probable trom what he requ:res of them. And though Joram was a wicked King, and mol: oi ais Ofi=
; Ccrs probably I.ke himielf ; yet there were ſome of them, whom
El jha's itoly Life and Powerful M:niſtry, and Glorious Miracles, aiid he great and publick benetits procured by him, had won to God, and ro the True Religion, at leaſt ro the profelſion of it