The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 454

when thou comeat, anoint [Heb. and thou ing fire, each was 11n engine of destruction • shait come and anoint. LXX. 11:ai ij(HC 11:ai but by neither of thellC were the hearts of xpfrmi;. The A. V. increo.sea the d~~ult:r, men turned to the Lord. It was the sword In the Hebrew the time of the o.nomtmg 1s o! Elisha! the sword ~f his ~.outh (cf. Isa. indefinite. This co=ission has long been u. 4; xlix. 2; Rev. 1. 16; 11. 16), should o. crux interpretum. For neither Ho.zael, constrain men to hicle their faces and nor Jehu, nor Elisha, so fo.r as we have humble themselves before God] Bazael [the e.ny record, was ever anointed by Elijah. seer of God. This name, viewed in con- Elisha was called by him to the prophetic nection with Elijah's vision of God, is office. Ho.zael, it is barely possible, may noticeo.bleJ to be king over Syria. : have been anointed secretly, like David .Ver. 16.-And Jehu [Jehovah i-~ he. The (1 Sa.m. xvi. 2, 13), but all that we gather name was as appropriate as Elijah's] the from Scripture is, that he was called in an son [i.e., descendant, probably grandson indirect way, nnd certainly not anointed, by (2 Kings ix. 2, 14). Nirnshi may have been Elisha (2 Kings viii. 12-15). Jehu was o. person of more im{lortance than J chosha- certainly anointed, but it was neither by pho.t J of Nimshi ehalt thou anoint to be Elisha. nor Elijah (2 Kings ix. 1, 6), but by king over Israel [The prophet thus learns one of the sons of the prophets. All we that the house of Omri is to share the fe.te ca.n say, consequently, is that the co=n~d of the dynasties which had preceded it. was obeyed in tM spirit, and no doubt m Jezebel's triumph is not to endure] : and the best possible time and way. There may Elisha. [My God is salvation. This name, have been good reasons, of which we know borne by the successor of Elijah, "My God nothing, why Elijah should devolve the is the Lord," looks like a fresh revelation appointment of the two kings upon his of God's no.ture and purpose of grace] the auccessor, and we can readily understand eon of Shaphat [Judge] of Abel-meholah that the word "anoint'' was, as in J udg. ix. [The mention of his abode, Abel-meholo.h, 8, Isa. lxi. 1, never meant to be construed "the meadow of the dance" (cf. eh. iv. 12; literally. For in the first place, we have Judg. vii. 22), o. town in the Jordan valley, no record elsewhere of the anointing of any e.t no great distance from Beth-sheo.n, propMt; and secondly, it is remarkable_ that e.Imost implies that he was hitherto un- when Elijah might so easily have o.nomtod known to Elijah. It is to be observed Elisha., he did nothing of the kind. It is that no such addition follows the mention clear, therefore, that he understood the word of Haznel or Jehu] eho.lt thou anoint to io mean "appoint." And the root idea of be prophet In thy room. [So far from anointing, it must be remembered, was the Elijo.h's work being fruitless, or from the setting apart for the service of God (Exod. prophetio order being extinguished, provi- xxix. 6). Hence it was (Bii.hr) that vessels sion is now mu.de for his successor.] (Exod. xxx. 26 sqq.), and. even stones (Gen. Ver. 17.-And tt shall come to pass, that x.xviii. 18), were o.nointed. And when we him that escapeth the sword of Ba.zael find that these three persons were set o.po.rt [See 2 Kings viii. 12, 28; L 32; xiii. 3, 22] sooner or later, and in different ways, to aho.11 Jehu slay [2 Kings ix. 24-33 ; x. fulfil the high purposes of God, that ought passim. Cf. Iso.. !xvi. 16] : and him that to suffice us. The author of this history eacapeth from the sword of Jehu shall clearly found no difficulty in reconciling Elisha slay. [Elijah might reasonably in- thia account and that of 2 Kings viii., ix. It terpret the commission to "anoint" Hazo.el, ho.s also been objected to this charge (Raw- &c., as a figure, seeing there is an undoubted linson) that it is no "explanation or appli- figure of speech here. Elisha was o. man cation of the preceding pare.ble." But this of peace. His sword was the " sword of is precisely what it appears to have been the Spirit, the word of God." It was by intended to be. The prophet is here taught 11 the breath of his lips he slew the wicked " by word much the same lesson that had (Isa. ii. 4; 2 Thess. ii. 8; Hosea vi. 5). been conveyed by signs, in the preceding Not only are vers. 16, 17 an interpretation, vision. No doubt there are additional par- in some sort, of the vision, but they are o.n ticulars-the vision dealt only with prin- answer to Elijo.h's oomplaint (vers. 10, 14). ciples, the charge descends to details and The II children of Israel" who had fors3kcn prescribes duties-but still the great lesson the covenant should be punished by Hazacl that souls are to be won, that God's kingdom (cf. 2 Kings viii. 12, "I know what thou is to be advanced, not by wrath and ven- wilt do unto the children of Israel," allll geance, by fire o.nd sword, but by meekness cf eh. x. 32); tha king and queen who lmd o.nd gentleness, through the reason o.nd the thrown down the altars o.nd slo.in the concienco, is proclaimed. He.zo.el and Jehu, prophets should be slain, one by the sword cech wo.c God's instrument to punish ; eo.oh of Syria, the other e.t thti commo.nd of Jchu; was like the sweeping storm or tho devour- -while to his allegation that the prophets  464 THE FIRST BOOR OF RINGH. [cH. xrx. 1-21.