The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 57

Isr&el in his eaving might throngh his Siloe.1'11," and, in another point of view, with l!Grvants the prophets" (Bii.hr), of whom I the.t given to Joshua (Josh. vi. 8-5), e.ml nm one. that of Elijah to his servant (1 Kings xviii. Ver. 9.-80 Naaman oa.me with hi■ horses 43). To repe11,t a formal act six times with- 11.Jld with hiB chariot. The Syrians had out perceiving any result, and yet to per- had ohe.riotB, e.nd used horses to dr&w them, severe e.ud repeat it a seventh time, requires from e. remote de.te. The Hyksos, who in- a degree of faith and trust that men <lo not troduced horses e.nd cha.riots into Egypt, often possess. And thy 11.esh shall oome thongh not exactly e. Syrian people, entered again to thee, and thou shalt be olee.n. The Egypt from Syria; and in a.II the Syrian ' soaly leprous scurf shnll fall off nnd revee.l we.rs of the Egyptians, which began a.bout clean 11.esh underneath. Thy body shall be 11.0. 1600, we find their e.dverse.ries employ- me.nifestly freed from all defilement. ing a ohariot force. In one representation of ' Ver. 11.-Bnt Naaman was wroth, .•. a fight between the Egyptians e.nd e. people and said. Not unnaturally. As a" great innding Egypt from Syria., the war-cha.riots man," the lord on whose arm the king leant, of the latter a.re drawn by four oxen; but and the captain of the host of Syria, Na.a.- generally the horse we.s used on bnth sides. man WBS accustomed to extreme deference, Syria imported her horses and cha.riots from and all the outward tokens of respeot nnd Egypt (1 Kings x. 29), and, as appears from reverence. He had, moreover, come with a this passage, employed them for peacefnl as goodly tmin, carrying gold and silver and well as for warlike purposes. There was a rich stuffs, manifestly prepared to pay similar employment of them from a very largely for whatever benefit he might ea.rly time in Egypt (see Gen. :di. 43; 1. 9). receive. To be curtly told, " Go, wash in And stood at the doo:r of the house of Elisha Jordan," by the prophet's servant, wHhout Elisha was e.t this time residing in Se.maria, t.he prophet himself condescending to me.ke whetlier in his own honse or not we cannot himself visible, would have been trying to say. His e.Liode was probably e. hnmble any Oriental's temper, and to one of Nao.- one; and when the great genera.I. accom- man's mnk and position might well seem an panied by his cave.lee.de of followers, drew insult. The Syrian general had pictured up before it, he had, we may be sure, no in- to himself a very different scene. Behold, tention of dismounting and entering. What I thought, He will surely come out to me, be expected he tells us himself in ver. 11. and stand, 11.Jld call on the Name of the Lord The prophet regarded his pride and selt~ his God, and strike his hand over the place, conceit as deserving of e. rebuke. and recover the leper ; rather, take away Ver. 10.-A.nd Elisha sent a messenger the l.eprosy (d1roo-uv1t!« .,.1, J\.e1rpov, LX.X.). unto him. Elisha asserted the dignity of Naaman had imagined a striking scene, his office. N aame.n we.s "e. great man" whereof he we.s to be the central figure, (ver. 1), with e. high sense of his own im- the prophet descending, with perhaps a portance, nnd regurded the prophet e.s very wand of office, the attendanta drawn up on much inferior to himself. He expected to either side, the passers-by et.anding to gaze be waited on, courted, to receive every -a solemn invocation of the Deity, a possible attention. Elisha no doubt in- waving to and fro of the wand in the pro- teuded very pointedly to rebuke him by phet's hand, and a sudden mo.nifest cure, remaining in his house, and commu.uice.ting wrought in the open street of the city, with the great man by e. messenger. But before the eyes of men, and at once noised there is no ground for taxing him with abroad through the capita.I, so as to make "priestly pride," or even with "impolite- him " the observed of all observers," "the ness" on this account. He ha.d to impress cynosure of all neighbouring eyes." Instead npon the Syrian noble the nothingness of of this, he is bidden to go as he co.me, to wealth nnd earthly grandeur, and the ride twenty miles to the stream oftheJ ortlan, dignity of the prophetic office. He did not generally muddy, or 11t lee.et discoloured, do more than was requisite for tliese pur- and there to wash himself, with none to poses. Saying, Go and wash in Jordan look on but his own attendnnts, with no seven times. Elisha sf.ea.ks, no doubt, " by t!clat, no pomp or circumstance, no glory of the word of the Lord. ' He is directed to surroundings. It is not surprising thnt he require of Naaman a compliance with a was disappointed and vexed. somewhat burdensome order. The nearest Ver. 12.-Are not Abana and Pharpar, point on the course of Jordan was above rivers of De.m11sous, better than e.11 tho twenty miles distant from Sam.aria. Ne.a.- waters of Israel 1 may I not wash in them, man is to go thither, to strip himself, and and be clean l The "1·ivers of Damas- to plunge into the stream seven times. The cus" arc streams of great freshness e.nd dirootious seem given to test his faith. They beauty. The princip11l one is the Barada, may be compared with that of our Lord to probably the Abana. of the present passage, tw, blind man, " Go, wash in the pool of which, rising iu the Antiliba.DWI l'&Dge, and Oil, V, 1--27.] 'l'HE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 96