Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, by R.A. Torrey, [ca. 1880], at sacred-texts.com
4 Kings (2 Kings) Chapter 6
Overview
Kg2 6:1, Elisha, giving leave to the young prophets to enlarge their dwellings, causes iron to swim; Kg2 6:8, He discloses the king of Syria's counsel; Kg2 6:13, The army which was sent to Dothan to apprehend Elisha, is smitten with blindness; Kg2 6:19, Being brought into Samaria, they are dismissed in peace; Kg2 6:24, The famine in Samaria causes women to eat their own children; Kg2 6:30, The king sends to slay Elisha.
the sons: Kg2 2:3, Kg2 4:1; Kg1 20:35
the place: Kg2 4:38; Sa1 19:20
too strait for us: Jos 17:14, Jos 19:47; Job 36:16; Isa 49:19, Isa 49:20, Isa 54:2, Isa 54:3
and take thence: Joh 21:3; Act 18:3, Act 20:34, Act 20:35; Co1 9:6; Th1 2:9; Th2 3:8; Ti1 6:6
Be content: Kg2 5:23; Jdg 19:6; Job 6:28
go with thy: Jdg 4:8
they cut down wood: Deu 19:5, Deu 29:11
ax head: Heb. iron, Ecc 10:10; Isa 10:34
master: Kg2 6:15, Kg2 3:10; Rev 18:10, Rev 18:16, Rev 18:19
for it was borrowed: Kg2 4:7; Exo 22:14, Exo 22:15; Psa 37:21
he cut down: This could have no natural tendency to raise the iron and cause it to swim. it was only a sign, or ceremony, which the prophet chose to employ on the occasion. Kg2 2:21, Kg2 4:41; Exo 15:25; Mar 7:33, Mar 7:34, Mar 8:23-25; Joh 9:6, Joh 9:7
the iron: This was the real miracle; for the gravity of the metal must otherwise still have kept it at the bottom of the river.
Take it up: Kg2 4:7, Kg2 4:36; Luk 7:15; Act 9:41
put out: Exo 4:4
the king: Kg2 6:24; Kg1 20:1, Kg1 20:34, Kg1 22:31
took: Kg1 20:23; Job 5:12, Job 5:13; Pro 20:18, Pro 21:30; Isa 7:5-7, Isa 8:10
camp: or, encamping
Beware: Kg2 3:17-19; Kg1 20:13, Kg1 20:28
thither the Syrians: Kg2 4:27; Amo 3:7; Rev 1:1
sent to the place: To see if it were so. But the Vulgate renders, misit rex Israel ad locum, et preoccupavit eum; "the king of Israel sent to the place, and pre-occupied it;" which is very likely, though not expressed in the Hebrew Text. Kg2 5:14; Exo 9:20, Exo 9:21; Kg1 20:15; Pro 27:12; Mat 24:15-17
warned him: Eze 3:18-21; Mat 2:12, Mat 3:7; Heb 11:7
saved: Kg2 2:12, Kg2 13:14; Ch2 20:20; Amo 7:1-6; Act 27:24
Therefore: Sa1 28:21; Job 18:7-11; Psa 48:4, Psa 48:5; Isa 57:20, Isa 57:21; Mat 2:3-12
Will ye not: Sa1 22:8
None: Heb. No
Elisha: Kg2 5:3, Kg2 5:8, Kg2 5:13-15; Amo 3:7
telleth: Kg2 6:9, Kg2 6:10; Isa 29:15; Jer 23:23, Jer 23:24; Dan 2:22, Dan 2:23, Dan 2:28-30, Dan 2:47, Dan 4:9-18, thy bed chamber, Psa 139:1-4; Ecc 10:20
spy where: Sa1 23:22, Sa1 23:23; Psa 10:8-10, Psa 37:12-14, Psa 37:32, Psa 37:33; Jer 36:26; Mat 2:4-8; Joh 11:47-53; Acts 23:12-27
Dothan: This is supposed to be the same place where Joseph was sold by his brethren; and it is placed by Eusebius 12 miles north of Samaria. Gen 37:17
sent he thither horses: It is strange the Syrian monarch did not think, that he who could penetrate his secrets with respect to the Israelitish army, could inform himself of all the machinations against his own life. Kg2 1:9-13; Sa1 23:26, Sa1 24:2; Mat 26:47, Mat 26:55; Joh 18:3-6
great: Heb. heavy, Kg2 18:17 *marg.
servant: or, minister, Kg2 3:11, Kg2 5:20, Kg2 5:27; Exo 24:13; Kg1 19:21; Mat 20:26-28; Act 13:5
Alas: Kg2 6:5; Ch2 20:12; Psa 53:5; Mat 8:26
Fear not: Exo 14:13; Psa 3:6, Psa 11:1, Psa 27:3, Psa 118:11, Psa 118:12; Isa 8:12, Isa 8:13, Isa 41:10-14; Mar 16:6; Act 18:9, Act 18:10; Phi 1:28
they that be: Ch2 16:9, Ch2 32:7, Ch2 32:8; Psa 46:7, Psa 46:11, Psa 55:18; Isa 8:10; Mat 26:53; Rom 8:31; Jo1 4:4
prayed: Psa 91:15; Jam 5:16-18
open his eyes: Kg2 6:18-20; Psa 119:18; Isa 42:7; Act 26:18; Eph 1:18; Rev 3:7
full of horses: Kg2 2:11; Psa 34:7, Psa 68:17, Psa 91:11, Psa 104:3; Eze 1:13-16; Zac 1:8, Zac 6:1-7; Mat 26:53; Heb 1:14; Rev 19:11, Rev 19:14
Smite this people: Confound their sight, so that they may not know what they see; and so mistake one place for another. The word sanverim, rendered blindness, occurs only here and in Gen 19:11 (see note). Deu 28:28; Job 5:14; Zac 12:4; Joh 9:39, Joh 12:40; Act 13:11; Rom 11:7
follow me: Heb. come ye after me, Mat 16:24; Mar 8:34; Luk 9:23
I will bring: Sa2 16:18, Sa2 16:19; Luk 24:16
open the eyes: Kg2 6:17; Luk 24:31
opened: Jdg 20:40-42; Luk 16:23
My father: This was dastardly. the utmost he ought to have done with these men, when thus brought into his hand, was to make them prisoners of war. Kg2 2:12, Kg2 5:13, Kg2 8:9, Kg2 13:14
shall: Sa1 24:4, Sa1 24:19, Sa1 26:8; Luk 9:54-56, Luk 22:49
wouldest: Deu 20:11-16; Ch2 28:8-13
thy sword: Gen 48:22; Jos 24:12; Psa 44:6; Hos 1:7, Hos 2:18
set bread: Pro 25:21, Pro 25:22; Mat 5:44; Rom 12:20, Rom 12:21
he prepared: Sa1 24:17, Sa1 24:18; Ch2 28:15; Pro 25:21, Pro 25:22; Mat 5:47; Luk 6:35, Luk 10:29-37
So the bands: That is, for a considerable time. What is mentioned in the next verse was more than a year afterwards. See note on Kg2 6:8, Kg2 6:9, Kg2 5:2, Kg2 24:2
gathered: Kg2 17:5, Kg2 18:9, Kg2 25:1; Deu 28:52; Kg1 20:1, Kg1 22:31; Ecc 9:14
a great famine: Kg2 6:28, Kg2 6:29, Kg2 7:4, Kg2 25:3; Kg1 18:2; Jer 14:13-15, Jer 14:18, Jer 32:24, Jer 52:6
an ass's head: If the pieces of silver were drachms, the whole would amount to about 2 9s; which was a great price for so mean a part of this unclean animal. Eze 4:13-16
dove's dung: This probably denotes, as Bochart, Scheuchzer, and others suppose, a kind of pulse, or vetches, which the Arabs still call pigeon's dung. "They never," says Dr. Shaw (Travels, p. 140), "constitute a dish by themselves, but are strewed singly as a garnish over cuscasowe, pillowe, and other dishes. They are besides in the greatest repute after they are parched in pans and ovens; then assuming the name leblebby;" and he thinks they were so called from being pointed at one end, and acquiring an ash colour in parching.
my lord: Sa2 14:4; Isa 10:3; Luk 18:3; Act 21:28
If the Lord: etc. or, Let not the Lord save thee
whence: Psa 60:11, Psa 62:8, Psa 118:8, Psa 118:9, Psa 124:1-3, Psa 127:1, Psa 146:3; Isa 2:2; Jer 17:5
What aileth thee: Gen 21:17; Jdg 18:23; Sa1 1:8; Sa2 14:5; Psa 114:5; Isa 22:1
Give thy son: Lev 26:29; Deu 28:53-57; Isa 9:20, Isa 9:21, Isa 49:15; Lam 4:10; Eze 5:10; Mat 24:18-21; Luk 23:29
next: Heb. other
she hath hid: Kg1 3:26; Isa 49:15, Isa 66:13
he rent his clothes: Kg2 5:7, Kg2 19:1; Kg1 21:27; Isa 58:5-7
God do so: Rut 1:17; Sa1 3:17, Sa1 14:44, Sa1 25:22; Sa2 3:9, Sa2 3:35, Sa2 19:13; Kg1 2:23
if the head: Kg1 18:17, Kg1 19:2, Kg1 22:8; Jer 37:15, Jer 37:16, Jer 38:4; Joh 11:50; Act 23:12, Act 23:13
the elders: Eze 8:1, Eze 14:1, Eze 20:1, Eze 33:31
ere the messenger: Kg2 6:12, Kg2 5:26
See ye how: Luk 13:32
son of a murderer: Kg1 18:4, Kg1 18:13, Kg1 18:14, Kg1 21:10
the sound: Kg1 14:6
this evil is of the Lord: Gen 4:13; Exo 16:6-8; Sa1 28:6-8, Sa1 31:4; Job 1:11, Job 1:21, Job 2:5, Job 2:9; Pro 19:3; Isa 8:21; Jer 2:25; Eze 33:10; Mat 27:4, Mat 27:5; Co2 2:7, Co2 2:11; Rev 16:9-11
wait for the: Psa 27:14, Psa 37:7, Psa 37:9, Psa 62:5; Isa 8:17, Isa 26:3, Isa 50:10; Lam 3:25, Lam 3:26; Hab 2:3; Luk 18:1