29 Then he said H559 to Gehazi, H1522 Gird up H2296 thy loins, H4975 and take H3947 my staff H4938 in thine hand, H3027 and go thy way: H3212 if thou meet H4672 any man, H376 salute H1288 him not; and if any H376 salute H1288 thee, answer him not again: H6030 and lay H7760 my staff H4938 upon the face H6440 of the child. H5288
And the LORD H3068 spake H559 unto Moses, H4872 Say H559 unto Aaron, H175 Take H3947 thy rod, H4294 and stretch out H5186 thine hand H3027 upon the waters H4325 of Egypt, H4714 upon their streams, H5104 upon their rivers, H2975 and upon their ponds, H98 and upon all their pools H4723 of water, H4325 that they may become blood; H1818 and that there may be blood H1818 throughout all the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 both in vessels of wood, H6086 and in vessels of stone. H68 And Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 did H6213 so, as the LORD H3068 commanded; H6680 and he lifted up H7311 the rod, H4294 and smote H5221 the waters H4325 that were in the river, H2975 in the sight H5869 of Pharaoh, H6547 and in the sight H5869 of his servants; H5650 and all the waters H4325 that were in the river H2975 were turned H2015 to blood. H1818
And seven H7651 priests H3548 shall bear H5375 before H6440 the ark H727 seven H7651 trumpets H7782 of rams' horns: H3104 and the seventh H7637 day H3117 ye shall compass H5437 the city H5892 seven H7651 times, H6471 and the priests H3548 shall blow H8628 with the trumpets. H7782 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long H4900 blast with the ram's H3104 horn, H7161 and when ye hear H8085 the sound H6963 of the trumpet, H7782 all the people H5971 shall shout H7321 with a great H1419 shout; H8643 and the wall H2346 of the city H5892 shall fall down H5307 flat, H8478 and the people H5971 shall ascend up H5927 every man H376 straight before him.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Kings 4
Commentary on 2 Kings 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
Great service Elisha had done, in the foregoing chapter, for the three kings: to his prayers and prophecies they owed their lives and triumphs. One would have expected that the next chapter would tell us what honours and what dignities were conferred on Elisha for this, that he should immediately be preferred at court, and made prime-minister of state, that Jehoshaphat should take him home with him, and advance him in his kingdom. No, the wise man delivered the army, but no man remembered the wise man, Eccl. 9:15. Or, if he had preferment offered him, he declined it: he preferred the honour of doing good in the schools of the prophets before that of being great in the courts of princes. God magnified him, and that sufficed him-magnified him indeed, for we have him here employed in working no fewer than five miracles.
2Ki 4:1-7
Elisha's miracles were for use, not for show; this recorded here was an act of real charity. Such also were the miracles of Christ, not only great wonders, but great favours to those for whom they were wrought. God magnifies his goodness with his power.
2Ki 4:8-17
The giving of a son to such as were old, and had been long childless, was an ancient instance of the divine power and favour, in the case of Abraham, and Isaac, and Manoah, and Elkanah; we find it here among the wonders wrought by Elisha. This was wrought in recompence for the kind entertainment which a good woman gave him, as the promise of a son was given to Abraham when he entertained angels. Observe here,
2Ki 4:18-37
We may well suppose that, after the birth of this son, the prophet was doubly welcome to the good Shunammite. He had thought himself indebted to her, but henceforth, as long as she lives, she will think herself in his debt, and that she can never do too much for him. We may also suppose that the child was very dear to the prophet, as the son of his prayers, and very dear to the parents, as the son of their old age. But here is,
2Ki 4:38-44
We have here Elisha in his place, in his element, among the sons of the prophets, teaching them, and, as a father, providing for them; and happy it was for them that they had one over them who naturally cared for their state, under whom they were well fed and well taught. There was a dearth in the land, for the wickedness of those that dwelt therein, the same that we read of, ch. 8:1. It continued seven years, just as long again as that in Elijah's time. A famine of bread there was, but not of hearing the word of God, for Elisha had the sons of the prophets sitting before him, to hear his wisdom, who were taught, that they might teach others. Two instances we have here of the care he took about their meat. Christ twice fed those to whom he preached. Elisha was in the more care about it now because of the dearth, that the sons of the prophets might not be ashamed in this evil time, but, even in the days of famine, might be satisfied, Ps. 37:19.