--oon~ent t.n reecivP- double what thou ha~ hnvo been te.ken in qnite a dift'erent sense, BBked. Nna,nmn is Rnxions to show his gmtitude by giving ns much e.s he can Ew~ld regards ':l!~, " my heart," e.e desig- indnce the other eide to a,cccpt. Ho sug- nating Gehazi, and meaning "my lovod one gests two talents, probably booause the my favourite disciple." "Thou hast denied strangers who are said to have arrived are that thou :"l'ent~s~ nny whither; but did not two. And he urged him. Goha,zi must have my favourite d1smple in truth go forth when made some show of declining the offer. And the man turned age.in from his cho.;iot aa ~ound two ta.lent■ of ailver in two baga- ~aaman did?" (ver. 21). But no parniiel 1.e. put up two talents separately in two mstance ce.n be adduced of o.ny such use of bags, closmg the mouth of the bag in each •~~• which . ia altogether too strong 11, term case by "binding" it roun<l with a string- to b~ e.pphed to e. mere favourite servant. with two cha.nges of garments-as asked ~he irony, moreover, of the term under the for (ver. 22)-a.nd llud thorn upon two of his circumstances would be too greo.t. Maurer'a servants. If the Hebrew silver talent was interp~?tation of •~~ by "my prophetic worth £375 as Keil supposes, or even £300 power (my prophetic power he.d not de- RB Theniue reckons, it would be pretty well parted from me) is no better, since it re- BB_ much ae an or<linary slave could Cl\rry, bemg somewhat over a hundredweight. And quires l~CT to be taken in two different they bare them before him; i.e. they-the senses in the two most closely ooonected sel'V1!.nts-hare the two sacks of money olau~es of vers. 25 e.nd 26. Altogether, our before him-Gehe.zi. version would seem to be the best rendering Ver. 24.-And whenheca.me to the tower; the.t he.s been suggested. It accords with re.ther, f,o the hill (Revised Version). Some the Septuagint, with Theodoret, and with well-known eminence e.t a little distance the Vulga~e; and it g\v~s a. satisfactory from the Damascus gate of Se.maria must sense: "Did not my spmt go forth with be intended. Here Gehazi trt.opped the thee when thou wentest forth, etc.? Was I slaves, and took the money from them. It not present in spirit during the whole tra.ns- was important for his purpose that they e.ction?" When the man turned a.gain from should not be seen re-e~tering the city, as his _chariot to m~et thee 1 (see ver. 21). Is it that would have OCC&Sloned remark, and a. time to receive money, e.nd to receive might naturally have led to inquiry. He garments, a.nd oliveye.rds, e.Dd vineyards, took tliem----i.e. the bags-from their hand e.nd sheep, e.nd OJ:en, and menservants, and --i.e. from the he.nds of Naaman's servants maidservants 1 The prophet follows Ge- -and bestowed them in the house ; i.e. by hazi's thoughts, which had been to purchase himself or deputy brought them to Elisha's with the money obtained from Naame.n' house, and there hid them a.way. And he olive y~rds, and vineyards, and sheep, and let the men-Nnama.n's serva.nts--go, a.n.d. oxen• etc.; and asks--Was this a. time for they departed. They hastened, no doubt, such proceedings ? Keil well •explains to rejoin tbeir master. "Was this the time, when so many hypo: Ver. 25.-Bnt he went in, and stood before crites pretend to be prophets from selfish- his master. Gchazi, lest his absence should ness e.nd ave.rice, and bring the prophetio be noticed, as soon as he hnd put a.way the office into contempt with unbelievers, for m,mcy, sought his master's presence, enter- e. servant of the true God to to.ke money ing the room casually, 118 if he had been and goods from e. non-Isre.elite . . . the.t be busied about the house. He was met e.t might acquire property e.nd luxury for him- once, however, by the pie.in and stem ques- self?" It we.s evidently e. most unfit time. tion which follows. And Elisha said unto As Thenius says, "In e.ny other case better him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi 1 literaUy, than in this mightest thou have yielded to Wheflee, Gehazi f A short, stern, abrupt thy desire for gold and goods." question. And he so.id, Thy servant went Ver. 27.-The leprosy therefore of Nae.man no whither. There was no help for it. One shall cleave unto thee ; i.e. '' As thou hast lie necessitates another. Once enter on the taken his goods, thou she.It also take his devious pe.th, e.nd you cannot say whither leprosy, whioh goes with them," A just it will conduct yon. To deceive e.nd plunder Nemesis. And unto thy seed for ever. The e. foreigner of a hostile nation probably iniquity of the fathers is visited upon the seemed to Gehazi e. tri11.e, either no sin at children. Gehazi, however,could a.void this e.11, or e. very venial sin. But now he finds po.rt of the curse by not marrying. And be hiuwelf Jed on to telling e. direct lie to his went out from his presence e. leper as white master, which eveu he could not he.ve justi- u snow. There were mo.ny forms e.nd fied to himself. degrees of leprosy (Lev. xiii. 2-46). Ge- Ver. 26.-And he aid unto him, Went be.zi's we.s of the most pronounced kind, not mine heart with thee? There is no And it fell on him suddenly, ns her leprosy " with thee " in the original ; e.nd the worda fell upon Mirie.DI (Numb. xii. 10), oomplete Oil. V. 1-27.] THE SE(;QND DOOK OF THE KINGS. 99
Bt onoo, eo that there could bo no further \ to ne, both a.ga.inst lying a.nd a.ga.inst ngg1nv1Ltion of it. The lesson should be oovetollBness. tBk~:. to heart, and should be & w&rning