The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 84

the King of Iare.el the words that thou oho.riots; rather, an host oompasaed the city, 1pee.keat in thy bedohamber; litere.lly, '11 and horses, and chariots. A force of foot- the secret place of thy bedchC1mber. How the men, e. force of horsemen, and e. chariot Byrio.n lord knew this, or whether he merely force, are intended (comp. ver. 14). And hi■ made a shrewd guess, we cannot say. Eli- servant ea.id unto him, Alas, my master ! sha's miraculous gifts had, no doubt, be- how shall we do l Though the servant come widely known to the Syrians through could not know that it was Elisha's person the cure of Ne.ame.n'e leprosy; ancl the lorcl, which waa especially sought, yet Lo was who may possibly have been Nao.man him- naturally alarmed at seeing the city in- self, concluded that e. me.n who could cure vested by e. hostile force, and anticipated a leper could e.leo ree.cl a king's secret either death or capture, wliich last would thonghts without difficulty. involve the being B()U as a slave. Hence Ver. 13.-And he-i.e. Benhe.de.d-said, his "Alas I" and his piteous cry, "How Go e.nd spy where he ie, that I me.y send shall we do?" Can we, i.e. in any way, and fetch him; i.e. "Send out spies to learn save ourselves? where Elisha. is e.t present residing, that I Ver. 16.-And he-i.e. Elisha-e.nawered, may despatch e. force to the place, e.nd get l!'ee.r not : for they that be with ne are more him into my power." The object wns than they that be with them. Elisha did scarcely "to find out, through Elisha, what not need to see the forces arrayed on his the King of Israel e.nd other princes were side. He knew that Go,! an,l God's strength plotting age.inst him in their secret coun- was "with him," and cared not who, or how sels" (Cassel), but simply to put e. stop to many, might be against him (comp. Ps. iii. Elisha's betrayal of his own plane to Jeho- 6," I will not be afraid for ten thousands of mm. And it we.a told him, saying, :Behold, people, that have set themselves against mo he is in Dothan. The spies were sent, and round a.bout;" e.nd Ps. xxvii. 3, "Though brought back word that, nt the time, Elisha. e.n host should encamp against me, my heart wns residing in Dothan. Dothan, the place shall not fear: though war shou!J rise where Joseph wns sold by his brethren to against me, in this will I be con llclcn t "). the Ishmaelites (Gen. x.xxvii. 17), lay evi- His confidence reminds us of that shown by dently not very fe.r from 1:,hechem (Gen. Hezekiah (2 Cl.iron. nxii. 7) on the in vuaion xxxvii. 14), e.nd is placed by Eusebius of Sennacherib. about twelve miles north of Se.maria.. In Ver. 17.-And Elisha. prayed, e.nd ea.id, the Book of Judith (iv. 6; vii. 3) it is Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he mentioned among the cities bordering the me.y see. If the prophet's serrnnt was to 11outhern edge of the Pie.in of Esdmelon. be reassured, he mnst be made to see that Modern travellers (Ve.n de Velde, Robin- help we.sat hand; he would not have found flDn) have reasonably identified it with the rest or peace in the mere assuronco that present Dothan, a tel, or hill, of e. marked God we.s nigh, e.nd would keep his prophet chare.oter, covered with ruins, and from the from harm. His menial state required some- foot of which arises e. copious spring, to the thing like e. me.terinl manifestation ; and 11outh-west of Jenin, between tho.t pince hence Elisha prays that he may be per- and J ebe., a little to the left of the great mitted to behold the angelic host, which l'Oe.d leading from Beise.n (Scythopolis) to everywhere throughout creation is employed Egypt. at all times in doing the will of Goel, e.nd Ver. 14.-Therefore sent he thither horses, accomplishing his ends (comp. Gen. :uviii. and chariots, e.nd a great host ; rather, and 12 ; xxxii. 2; Ps. xx.xiv. 7; lxviii. 17 ; Dan. a strong force. The expression, 1?.~ ~:i:i, is vii. JO, etc.). The prayer is grunted. And used by the historical writers with a good the Lord opened the eyes of the young me.n; deal of vagueness-sometimes of a roe.Uy e.nd he se.w : e.nd, behold, the mountain wus great army, sometimes merely of a large fnll of horses e.nd cha.riots of fi.re round a.bout 1·etinue (l Kings x. 2) or of a moderate Elisha.. As the earthly force, which ban force ( eh. xviii. 17). We must assign it its alarmed Elisha's servnnt, wt1.s a force mainly meaning according to the context. And of horses and chariots, so the heavenly forcu they came by night, and compassed the city revealed to his eyes was made to bear tho a.bout. A night march we.s me.de, to take same appearance. But the hc,wcnly chnriots the prophet by surp1·ise, and the city was e.nd horses were" of fire "-glowed, i.e. with encompassed, that it might be impossible 11 strange unearthly brightness (see tllo com- for him to escape. ment on eh, ii. ll ). Vor. 15.-And when the servant of the Ver. 18.-And when they came down to me.n of God we.a ril!en early-he had, per- him, Keil and others suppose this to mee.u 1,e.ps, heard the arrival of the Syrian forces that the Syrians "co.me clown" to Elisha.; during the night, o.nd "ro6e early" to re- but, if they were iu the pfain that surrounds connoitre-and gone forth, behold, e.n host the hill whereon Dotlmu wns built, o.s o.p- compuaed the oity both with horses e.nd pcnrs rrow ver. 15, they would ht1.ve ht\cl to  122 Tl!E SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS, (cH, Vl, 1-38.