19 And that lord an{wered the man of Gud, and ſaid, Now behold, ifthe LORD ſhould make windows in hea- ven, might ſuc"na thing be? And hefſiid, Behold, thou (balt ſee ic with thine eyes, but ſhalt nor eat thereof.
20 And oit fell our unto him : for the people trod upon himinthe gate, and he died,
CAP. VII.
The Shunamite having, by Eliſha's 4dvuice, left the Land becauſe of the Famine, returneth home : And hath her whole Eſtate reſt»red to her for Elifha's ſake, i=«..6. He cometh to Damaſc.1s Benhaaad is ſick And ſend. th Hazael ro him with Preſents ; Eliſha foretelleth Benhadadswiolent death ; and Hazatl's cruel Reign, with Tears, Haxael's Auſwer ; He killerh bus Maſter, and ſucceedeth hm, 7 -—— 15. FJehiram's wicked Reign in Judah . Edom and Libna revolt, 16 23. He dieth, and Ahaz1ah his $.n ſucceedeth him; tius wicked Reign; He entertaineth Friendſhip with Joram King of Iſrael, 24 29.
Chip. vill
es
IO. 29.
+ Gr.
Hen 2 ſpake Eliſha unto the woman b ( * whoſe ſon « ;1 - ..
he had reſtored to life ) ſaying, Ariſe, and go thou and thine houſhold, and ſojourn whereſoever thou canſt
Chap:
4. 35+
ſojourn c : for the LORD * tath called fora famine 4, * pai.
aud it ſhall alſo come upon the land ſeven years e.
a This particle of time may be underſtood, either, particularly Hag.1.11:;
and definitely of the time next following the former Hiſtory . or, more generally and indefinitely ( as it is frequent!y uſed ) of che time in which Elba and this Shwamitiſh Woman lived. Poflibly this mighr happen before the Hiſtory of Naawan, chap 5. or at leaſt, before the Siege of Samaria, chap. 6. Butthis is not certain. 6 Exprefling his gratitude for her former Kindnefſes, by taking ſpecial care for her preſervation. c In any convenient place out of the Land of Iſrael. 4 i.e. Hath app«inted to bring a Famine or a great ſcarcity of Proviſions. This Expreſſion intimates, that all afli&tions are ſent by Gud, and come at his Call or Command. e A double r:me to the former Famine under El:jah, Fames 5. 17. which is but juſt and reaſonable, becauſe they were {till obſtinate and incorrigible under all the ſevere and ſucceeding Judgments of God, and under the powerful miniſtry of Elſba, who confirmed his DoQrine by glorious Miracles. See Lev. 26. 21, 24, 28. RE
2 And the, woman aroſe, and didafter the ſaying. of the man of God : and ſhe went with her houſhold, and ſojourned in the land of the Philiſtines f ſeven years.
f Either, becauſe that was near her Lands and dwelling, which
13 And one of his ſervants anſwered and ſaid, Let fome take, | pray thee, five of the horſes that remain, ! which are lefc Fin the City : ( behold, they are as the | multitude of Iſrael that are let in it : behold, I ſay, | they are even as all che mu:tirude of the 1traclites that | are conſumed q ) and let us {cad and fce; |
ſhe thought the might have an eye to, when occalioa required. : or, becaule there was more plenty than in Judah : or, becaute ſhe kaew that her going to dwell in Judabþ would be very diſpleaſing to the” King of 1ſrae!, whole favour the was like to need hereafter. Nor was there now that danger of Idolatry from the Philifines, as there had beed formerly, becauic their Power and influence was now growts inconſiderable, and probably many of the jcw; and Trad;tes lived
2 M3 anon $
Tor. 16:
in || their aft n:ſhment,
o- \if It
|
Or,
eunnuch.
bis hand,
} Heb.
tive.
+ Heb.
* Chaps
T3: 3. Amos "9, * Chap. T5- 16. Hoſ13.16 Amos 1. 13%
zap. VIII.
{ +} Heb: in
Chap.1.2,
and ſet it.
IT.
among them. And this Land, though bordering upon 7rael, was free from this Famine, that it might appear that this was a ſpecia Hand and Judgment of God upon the 772elites for their Idolatry, and for their unprofitableneſs under all the means of Grace which .now they plentifully enjoyed by Eliſha and many other Prophets ; which the Philiffines not enjoying, their ſin was much lefs, and therefore their preſent condition was better.
2 Andit came to paſs at the ſeven years end, thatthe woman returned out of the land of the Philiſtines : and ſhe went forth to cry unto the king for her houſe, and
for her land g.
g Which having been forſaken by her, were poſſeſſed by her Kindred,or others,who had obtained them from the King,and now intended to keep the poſſeſſion of them- _
4 And the king talked with Gehazi the ſervant of the
man of God b, ſaying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the
great things that Eliſha hath done. ; h Queft, How could the King ſpeak with Gehazz who was a Leper - 'Anſw. Either, the King might ſpeak with him at a convenient diſtance, it being uſual for others to diſcourſe with Lepers, as '2 Kings 7,8. Matth. 8. 2. Luke17. 12. or, his Leproſy might be of that ſort which was not infeQious 2 or, if his Leproſy was ſuch as made him yet to be unclean. the Kings great Curioſity might ealily prevail with him to breaka Ceremonial Law, who made no ſcruple of violating Gods Moral Law. :
5 And it came to pals, as he was telling the king how
he had reſtored a dead body to life, that behold, the woeman# whoſe ſon he had reſtored to life, cried to the king, for herhouſe, and for her land. And Gehazi ſaid, My lord, O king, this # the Woman, and this 5s her
ſon, whom Eliſha reſtored to life.
; By Gods wonderful and Gracious Providence brought thither in the moſt advantagious ſeaſon.
6 And when the king asked the woman &, ſhe told him.
So the king appointed untoher a certain || officer, ſaying, Reſtore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field, ſince the day that ſhe lefc the land, even till now.
» & Concerning the truth of Gehaz:'s relation:
7 © And Eliſhacame to Damaſcus / ; and Ben-hadad the king of Syria was ſick, and it was told him, ſaying,
The man of God is come hither. _ T Either to theCiry : or rather. to the Kingdom of Damaſers ; by comparing v- 9. as Samaria, which properly was the name of the City. is 1ometimes the name of the Kingdom ; of which fee on 1 Kings 13: 32+ Hither he came by the ſpecial direQion of the ſpirit, and under Gods prote&tion, upon the Errand here following. 8 And the king ſaid unto Hazael, Take a preſent in thine hand », and go meetthe man of God, andenquire of the LORD by him, ſaying, Shall T recover of chis
diſeaſe ?
-m By which he thought to purchaſe his Favour, and the healing of his Diſcaſe. ;
9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a preſent