---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  2 Kings 6"
description: "CHAPTER 6   :-. ELISHA CAUSES
IRON TO SWIM. 1. the place where we dwell with
thee—Margin, \"sit before thee.\" The one points
to a common residence—the othe"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/2-kings/6"
---

CHAPTER 6

. ELISHA CAUSES
IRON TO SWIM.

**1. the place where we dwell with
thee**—*Margin*, "sit before thee." The one points
to a common residence—the other to a common place of meeting. The
tenor of the narrative shows the humble condition of Elisha's pupils.
The place was either Beth-el or Jericho, probably the latter. The
ministry and miracles of Elisha brought great accessions to his
schools.

**2. Let us go, we pray thee, unto
Jordan**—whose wooded banks would furnish plenty of timber.

**5. it was borrowed**—literally,
"begged." The scholar's distress arose from the
consideration that it had been presented to him; and that, owing to
his poverty, he could not procure another.

**6. cut down a stick, and cast it in
thither**—Although this means was used, it had no natural
adaptation to make the iron swim. Besides, the Jordan is at Jericho
so deep and rapid that there were one thousand chances to one against
the stick falling into the hole of the axe-head. All attempts to
account for the recovery of the lost implement on such a theory must
be rejected.
**the iron did swim**—only
by the miraculous exertion of Elisha's power.
. DISCLOSES THE
KING OF SYRIA'S
COUNSEL.

**8-12. the king of Syria warred
against Israel**—This seems to have been a sort of guerrilla
warfare, carried on by predatory inroads on different parts of the
country. Elisha apprised King Jehoram of the secret purpose of the
enemy; so, by adopting precautionary measures, he was always enabled
to anticipate and defeat their attacks. The frequency of his
disappointments having led the Syrian king to suspect some of his
servants of carrying on a treacherous correspondence with the enemy,
he was informed about Elisha, whose apprehension he forthwith
determined to effect. This resolution was, of course, grounded on the
belief that however great the knowledge of Elisha might be, if seized
and kept a prisoner, he could no longer give information to the king
of Israel.

**13. Dothan**—or, "Dothaim,"
a little north of Samaria (see on ).

**15. his servant said unto him, Alas,
my master! how shall we do?**—When the Syrian detachment
surrounded the place by night, for the apprehension of the prophet,
his servant was paralyzed with fear. This was a new servant, who had
only been with him since Gehazi's dismissal and consequently had
little or no experience of his master's powers. His faith was easily
shaken by so unexpected an alarm.

**17. Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I
pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see**—The invisible guard
of angels that encompass and defend us (). The opening of the eyes, which Elisha prayed for, were
those of the Spirit, not of the body—the eye of faith sees the
reality of the divine presence and protection where all is vacancy or
darkness to the ordinary eye. The horses and chariots were symbols of
the divine power (see on [2 Kings 2:12](../../../kjv/2-kings/2/12));
and their fiery nature denoted their supernatural origin; for fire,
the most ethereal of earthly elements, is the most appropriate symbol
of the Godhead [KEIL].
[2 Kings 2:12](../../../kjv/2-kings/2/12). HIS ARMY
SMITTEN WITH BLINDNESS.

**18. Smite this people, I pray thee,
with blindness**—not a total and material blindness, for then
they could not have followed him, but a mental hallucination (see ) so that they did not perceive or recognize him to be the
object of their search.

**19-23. This is not the way, neither
is this the city**—This statement is so far true that, as he had
now left the place of his residence, they would not have got him by
that road. But the ambiguity of his language was purposely framed to
deceive them; and yet the deception must be viewed in the light of a
stratagem, which has always been deemed lawful in war.
**he led them to Samaria**—When
they were arrived in the midst of the capital, their eyes, at
Elisha's request, were opened, and they then became aware of their
defenseless condition, for Jehoram had received private premonition
of their arrival. The king, so far from being allowed to slay the
enemies who were thus unconsciously put in his power, was recommended
to entertain them with liberal hospitality and then dismiss them to
their own country. This was humane advice; it was contrary to the
usage of war to put war captives to death in cold blood, even when
taken by the point of the sword, much more those whom the miraculous
power and providence of God had unexpectedly placed at his disposal.
In such circumstances, kind and hospitable treatment was every way
more becoming in itself, and would be productive of the best effects.
It would redound to the credit of the true religion, which inspired
such an excellent spirit into its professors; and it would not only
prevent the future opposition of the Syrians but make them stand in
awe of a people who, they had seen, were so remarkably protected by a
prophet of the Lord. The latter clause of shows that these salutary effects were fully realized. A
moral conquest had been gained over the Syrians.
. BEN-HADAD
BESIEGES SAMARIA.

**24. Ben-hadad . . . besieged
Samaria**—This was the predicted accomplishment of the result of
Ahab's foolish and misplaced kindness ().

**25. an ass's head was sold for
fourscore pieces of silver**—Though the ass was deemed unclean
food, necessity might warrant their violation of a positive law when
mothers, in their extremity, were found violating the law of nature.
The head was the worst part of the animal. Eighty pieces of silver,
equal to £5 5*s.*
**the fourth part of a cab**—A
cab was the smallest dry measure. The proportion here stated was
nearly half a pint for 12*s.* 6*d.*
**dove's dung**—is thought
by BOCHART to be a kind of
pulse or pea, common in Judea, and still kept in the storehouses of
Cairo and Damascus, and other places, for the use of it by
pilgrim-caravans; by LINNÆUS,
and other botanists, it is said to be the root or white bulb of the
plant *Ornithogalum umbellatum,* Star of Beth-lehem. The sacred
historian does not say that the articles here named were regularly
sold at the rates described, but only that instances were known of
such high prices being given.

**26. as the king was passing**—to
look at the defenses, or to give some necessary orders for manning
the walls.

**29. we boiled my son, and did eat
him**—(See on ).

**30. had sackcloth within upon his
flesh**—The horrid recital of this domestic tragedy led the king
soon after to rend his garment, in consequence of which it was
discovered that he wore a penitential shirt of haircloth. It is more
than doubtful, however, if he was truly humbled on account of his own
and the nation's sins; otherwise he would not have vowed vengeance on
the prophet's life. The true explanation seems to be, that Elisha
having counselled him not to surrender, with the promise, on
condition of deep humiliation, of being delivered, and he having
assumed the signs of contrition without receiving the expected
relief, regarded Elisha who had proved false and faithless as the
cause of all the protracted distress.

**32. But Elisha sat in his house, and
the elders sat with him**—The latter clause of , which contains the king's impatient exclamation, enables us
to account for the impetuous order he issued for the beheading of
Elisha. Though Jehoram was a wicked king and most of his courtiers
would resemble their master, many had been won over, through the
prophet's influence, to the true religion. A meeting, probably a
prayer-meeting, of those was held in the house where he lodged, for
he had none of his own ([1 Kings 19:20](../../../kjv/1-kings/19/20);
[1 Kings 19:21](../../../kjv/1-kings/19/21)); and them he not only
apprised of the king's design against himself, but disclosed to them
the proof of a premeditated deliverance.

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