The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 86

letter merely, but In the epirit. He enter- literally. Both o.nima.l a.nd hnmo.n excre- tained the coptivee at a grand banquet ment have been eaten in sieges (Josephus, (Joeephue, 'Ant. Jud.,' ix. 4. § 3), o.nd then 'Bell. Ju,!,,' .v. 13. § 7; Cels., 'Hierobot.,' gave them leave to depart. And when they ii. p. 233), when e. oity wa.s in the lo.et had eaten a.nd drunk, he sent them awa.y, extremity. and they went to their master. So the ba.nde Ver. 26.-And ae the King of Israel wa■ of Syria oame no more into the land of passing by upon the wall. The wall of Israel. The Syrio.n ro.ids, whioh ha.d hither- B"bylon is ea.id to have been so broad at to been frequent, perhaps <Llmost continuous the top that e. four-horse cha.riot could turn (oh. v. 2), now ceo.sed for a time, and the round on it (Herod., i. 179). All ancient kingdom of Israel had a respito. Ilii.hr ciLies had walls upon whkh a great part of supposee that the raids were discontinued the garrison stood, o.ud from which they simply "because the Syrians had found out shot their arrows and worked their engines that they could not 11.CComplish anything by against the aeso.ilanta. }'rom time to time these expeditions, but rather brought them- the commandant of the place-the king selves into circumstances of great peril" himself, in this instance-would monnt (' Commentary on Kings,' vol. ii. p. 69). upon the wall to visit the poets, o.nd inspect But the nezus of tbe clause, "So the bands," the state of the garrison, or observe the etc., rather impliee that the cessation wae movements of the enemy. There cried a the coneequence of Jehomm's sparing and woman unto him. Houses sometimes abutted entertaining the captives. on the wall of e. town (see Josh. ii. 15; Ver. 24----<Jh. vii. 20.-The siege of Samaria 1 Sam. xix. 12, etc.), o.nd women sometimes took part in their defence (Judg. ix. 53), by Benhadad. so that in visiting the posts a. commandant Ver. 24;-And it oame to pass after this- might be brought into contact with women. proba.bly some considerable time after, when Saying, Kelp, my lord, 0 king; rather, save, the wemory of Jehora.m's kind a.et ha.d i.e. " preserve me from perishing of hunger." passed o.wo.y-tho.t Benho.da.d king of Syria Ver. 27.-And he said, If the Lord do not gathered all his host. A contrast is in- help thee. This is probably the true mean- tended between the inroads of smo.11 bodies ing. The king is not so bruta.la.s to "curse" of plunderers o.nd the invasion of the terri- the woman ( •'"lpd.<TaTo aun\ Tov e,&v, Jose- to1·y by the monarch himself at the head of phus, 'Ant. Jad.,' ix. 4. § 4); neither does his entire force. And went up. However he take upon himself to tell her tlia.t God Samaria. wo.s approached from Syria, there will not eave her (Maurer). He merely must o.lwo.ys have been e. final ascent, either refers her to God, a.s alone competent to da from tile Jordan valley or from the Pio.in of what she asks. Whence shall I halp thee 1 Eedmelon. And besieged Samo.ria. Jose- Wllence, i.e., dost thou ,uppoee that I can phus so.ye that Jehoram wna afmid to meet save thee? Ont of the bo.mftoor, or out of Benho.dad in the open field, since his forces the winepreee 1 D0st thou suppose that I wore no match for those of the Syrian king, have stores of food at my_ disposal? Au and therefore at once shut himself up within overflowing barn.floor, where abundant coru his capital, without risking a battle. The is garnered, or a winepress full of the j uiee walls of Samaria were very strong. of the gmpe? I have nothing of the kind; Ver. 25.-A.nd there was a great famine my stores a.re a.s much exhausted a.s those of in Samaria, It we.a Benha.do.d's design to the meanest of wy subjects. I cannot save capture the pla.ce, not by battering down its thee. walls with military engines, but by blook- Ver. 28.-And the king so.id unto her, nding it, a.nd cutting off a.II its supplies, a.a Whs.t e.ileth theel Probably, as Bahr sug- Josephus tells us(!. s. c.). And, behold, they gests, the woman explained to the king besieged it, until e.n ass's head was sold for that she did not o.ppea.r before him to bsg fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth food, but to claim his interposition as judge, po.rt of a co.b of dove's dung for five pieces in a case in which she considered herself to of silver. The o.ss, being o.n unclean o.uimo.l be wronged. Such o.n appeal tile king was (Lev. xi. 4), would not be eaten o.t o.ll ex- bound to hear; e.nd he therefore o.sks," What cept in the lo.et extremity, o.nd the head o.ileth thee?" i.e. " What is thy ground of was the worst o.nd so the oheo.peet pa.it; yet complaint?" Then she tells her story. And it sold for "eighty pieces" (ra.ther, shekels) she answered, This woms.n so.id unto me, of silver, or a.bout £5 of our money; Give thy son, that we may es.t him to-day, o.s in the Co.dueio.n famine mentioned by e.nd we will eo.t my son to-morrow. Com- Pluto.rch (' Vit. Arto.xerx.,' § 24), where o.n pare the prophecy in Deuteronomy, "The o.es's head was sold for sixty draohmas tender and delicate woman among you, (about forty shillings). "Dove's dung" is wllich would not adventuro to set the sole thought by some to be the nawo of a plant; of her foot upon the ground for delicateness but it is better to undcrstancl lho term a.nu teucle;ul'ss, her eyu sho.11 be evil towards 124' THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. [oll, VI, 1-33.