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CHAP. I.

Verse 3.-Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, &c.] That is, Is it not because thou thinkest there is not a God in Israel, &c.

8.—an hairy man,] Meaning probably, either that he wore a long beard and hair about his head, or that he was covered with a hairy garment, such as prophets were wont to use.

10.-let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee] This was not done from a revengeful feeling, or of the prophet's own accord, but by a Divine impulse and command, to convince a wicked prince and an idolatrous people, that Jehovah was the true God, and that He alone ought to be applied to in time of trouble.

17.-because he had no son.] He was succeeded by his brother Jehoram, "because he had no son."

CHAP. II.

Verse 3.-the sons of the prophets] By "the sons of the prophets," we are to understand the scholars of the prophets, such as they educated and trained up in religion and virtue.

-the Lord will take away thy master from thy head] This is an allusion to the manner of teaching in the prophetick schools, where the scholars

9.-let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.] Elisha prays that a larger portion of the propheti cal spirit might be communicated to him, than to the other prophets. Elijah answers "Thou has asked a hard thing," such a gift being rarely bestowed by God.

11.-and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.] The taking up of the prophet Elijah into Heaven is a miraculous event, in which we see how God was pleased to reward the extraordinary zeal of this great prophet, and to teach men at the same time that He reserves in heaven a blessed state for those that shall have served Him faithfully. Besides this, we have in the ascension of Elijah a type of that of Jesus Christ, which is yet a stronger proof to us that there is a better life after this prepared for the righteous.

13. He took up also the mantle of Elijah Along with his falling mantle, Elisha received that double portion of the spirit and of the power of Elijah, which God granted to the pious request this His faithful servant.

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17. And he said, Send.] Since your im

portunity will take no denial, please yourselves, and send your messengers.

21.-and cast the salt in there,] The manner in which Elisha sweetened the fountain, and made the soil fruitful, was by casting salt into the water, to make the miracle more conspicuous; for salt naturally makes water less fit to drink, and the ground more barren.

23.-came forth little_children] We should rather understand them to be grown up youths than children; the term "child" being applied in the Hebrew language to grown up persons.

The infliction of immediate punishment on these children or youths, was a proper rebuke to the people of Beth-el for their irreverence and insult upon a prophet of God, and therein upon God Himself. They might derive from it instruction to train up their children in future to good manners, and to the fear of God: and for the present they might see how God detests scoffers and mockers, and what reverence He expects to be paid to His holy prophets.

CHAP. III.

Verse 9.-the king of Edom :] That is, the viceroy appointed by the king of Judah: it appears from 1 Kings xxii. 47. that there was no king of Edom.

11.-which poured water on the hands of Elijah.] "to pour Meaning, his servant. The expression, water on the hands of a person," signifies, in allusion to a Jewish custom, to minister unto," or "to serve."

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13.-Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings &c.] The king of Israel means to say, "However I may have deserved to be disregarded in this suit, yet have pity on these other princes, who are joined with me; let us not, for the mere want of water, be delivered into the hand of Moab."

15.-bring me a minstrel.] He sent for a mins trel to compose his spirits by musick, before he felt himself fit for supplication to God, or for receiving communication from Him.

-the hand of the Lord] The power of the Lord, a Divine inspiration.

22.-as red as blood:] The water looked red, owing to the reflection of the sun upon it. Perhaps too, it might be somewhat discoloured by the soil, as waters are in a flood.

27. Then he took his eldest son-and offered him for a burnt offering] He sacrificed his son as a last desperate act. It was customary among the heathens, on some oecasions, to sacrifice to their gods whatsoever was most dear to them, in hopes of obtaining their help.

there was great indignation against Israel:] These words should be translated "There was great indignation in Israel." The kings of Israel and Judah were shocked at so horrid a sacrifice.

great woman;] One who had a great estate, and probably kept a great house.

she constrained him to eat bread.] Meaning, she prevailed upon him by her importunity to take a repast at her house.

13.-1 dwell among mine own people.] She answers that she lived quietly and contentedly on her own means; and had no favours to beg of any body.

16.-About this season, according to the time of life, &c.] That is, after thou hast gone the usual time of child-bearing, thou shalt have a son.

29.-if thou meet any man, salute him not;] The salutations of the East consist of a number of formalities, and often take up a considerable time. Thus Elisha's enjoining Gehazi not to salute any that he met, is strongly expressive of the haste he was in to recover the child.

37. Then she went in,-and took up her son,] God, after He had given a son to the Shunammite, was pleased that this son should die, that He night restore him to her by a miracle. The Almighty often afflicts His children in the most sensible manner, that He may afterwards give them stronger tokens of His love, by delivering them, and giving them a happy issue out of their afflictions, and making those afflictions confirm them in the faith and fear of the Lord.

39.-a wild vine,] That is, a plant resembling a wild vine.

41.-Then bring meal.] The meal which Elisha put in to heal the deadly pottage, could have no virtue in itself to make wholesome what before was hurtful, and therefore shewed that the change was wholly owing to the miraculous power of God.

CHAP. V.

Verse 7.-see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.] Jehoram the king of Israel seems to have feared that the king of Syria by sending to him to cure a man of his leprosy, merely meant to pick a quarrel with him, for not complying with the request, which Johoram had not power to do.

11. But Naaman was wroth,] Probably he was offended that the prophet had not waited on him in person, but had only sent a messenger to him. He also thought the remedy prescribed unlikely to be of service.

It is not always in man to perceive the fitness of those means which God uses to obtain His ends; though they are the fittest that can be imagined.

12. Are not Abana and Pharpar, &c.] Naa man could not apprehend what virtue there was in

the waters of Jordan, more than in other rivers, and therefore was unwilling to be at the trouble of going to wash in them. His mistake lay in this; he thought the cure must be performed by natural means, which was to be effected in a miraculous

manner.

We should apply the example of Naaman to ourselves; we should be cautious how we despise the ordinances enjoined upon us because they are common, easy, and plain; and should rather persuade ourselves, that the plainness and easiness of these ordinances, should be a great inducement to us to join in them, and to try what benefit we can derive from them. How can these waters of Jordan cleanse my leprosy? said Naaman. How can the water of baptism, and the bread and wine in the other sacrament, some people are apt to ask, produce those great effects for which they are instituted? The answer is, by virtue of this very institution; because our Saviour has blessed them, and appointed them to be the means of salvation. If He had commanded us to perform much harder services for the attainment of His promises, common prudence would have told us, that it was our best way to obey Him. But now that he has made these small and easy observances the conditions of our happiness, how much more readily should we hearken to Him, how much more punctually perform what is commanded!

15.-take a blessing] A present in token of my gratitude to thee, and to God.

17.-Shall there not-be given-two mules' bur. den of earth? He intended to use this in erecting an altar, on which he would sacrifice to no other but the God of Israel. He judged it reasonable to have an altar from the land of Israel, because be saw that God particularly dwelt there; and he appears to have desired to have it a gift from the prophet, under the idea that it would derive greater virtue from his blessing.

18. In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant,] Naaman pleads for permission to attend his master only in a civil capacity, to the house or temple of the false god Rimmon, which he thinks might well be allowed, while he publickly professed himself a worshipper of the God of Israel, and offered sacrifices only to Him.

23.-Be content, take two talents.] Be content to do as I desire thee, though it be not strictly according to thy master's orders, but double as to the money.

21.-when he came to the tower,] To the place where Elisha lodged; or, as some understand, to a secret place, where Gehazi laid up what he had thus obtainted by falsehood.

26.—Went not mine heart with thee, &c.] Couldest thou vainly hope to elude a prophet of the Most High? Had I not notice from God of all the way

that thou wentest, and of all thy behaviour towards Naaman?

Is it a time to receive money, &c.] Is this a time to think of getting riches &c. when this nation for its sins is about to be carried away captive? of which, probably, Elisha had often informed Gehazi,

27. The leprosy-shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever.] "Unto many generations," as the expression" for ever" frequently signines in Scripture, He justly deserved the punishment here inflicted, for he was guilty of a complication of crimes; a greedy covetousness, a profanation of God's name, with a contempt of His omniscience and justice, deliberate falsehood and theft, and a reproach wrongfully cast on the prophet and his religion.

CHAP. VI.

Verse 17.-Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes,] Elisha prayed to God to give his servant a sight of the heavenly powers that were placed in his defence; when immediately the man saw his master and himself surrounded with a vast angelick host, like a train of fiery chariots and horses, to destroy his enemies.

22.-Thou shalt not smite them:] Besides the humanity and charity of the advice here given by Elisha, there was this prudence and policy in the kind treatment of the Syrians, that, by this means their hearts might be softened towards the Israelites, so that upon their return they might proclaim the power and goodness of the God of Israel; and not only be afraid themselves, but dissuade others from opposing a people who had so invincible a Protector.

23.-the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.] The Syrians came no more to seize Elisha; or they came no more in small companies into the land, though, as we read in the following verse, Ben-hadad afterwards came and besieged Samaria with his whole army.

25.-for fourscore pieces of silver,] About five pounds of our money.

-the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung] The "cab" is one of the smallest Hebrew measures. The word here translated "dove's dung" is supposed more probably to mean a kind of fitches or lentiles, which, although a very common food, were yet sold at this dear price.

29. So we boiled my son and did eat him:] The circumstances here related were a terrible effect of the Divine vengeance, which Moses had long before told the Israelites was to fall upon them, Deut. xxviii. 53. &c. if they rebelled against God.

33.-and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord;] Either the messenger spake in the name of the king, or the king himself may have come

Verse 1.-Tomorrow about this time shall:a measure of fine flour be said for a shekel,] The prophet foretels the deliverance of the Israelites, and that the present famine should, by the next day, be exchanged for great abundance.

2.if the Lord would make windows in heaven) might this thing be?] He answers with a sneer of derision, doubting what the prophet said, and thinking it as unlikely as that God would rain corn from heaven.

13.-behold, they are as all the multitude &c.] He means to say, that the remaining horses were almost consumed with hunger, and must shortly die; 'as had already happened to the greater part of them; therefore if these horses (and men) were taken by the Syrians, there would be no great loss of them, for they would soon be lost if they remained in Samaria.

CHAP. VIII.

Verse 10.-Thou mayest certainly recover; &c.] The prophet says that as to the king's disease it was not mortal: and that he might recover from it; But yet God hath made known to him that he should certainly die by other means.

11.-he settled his countenance-until he was ashamed:] Elisha looked earnestly on Hazael, till he (Hazael) was ashamed, or put out of countenance.

13.-But what, is thy servant a dog,] Hazael strongly disclaims such barbarity, and thinks himself incapable of ever committing what the prophet predicts of him.

Wicked men are often carried into those heights of impiety which they could not, in their better mood, have possibly believed.

15. he took a thick cloth,—and spread it on his face,] So as to stifle his breath. He adopted this method of putting him to death, to prevent all appearance of marks of violence.

CHAP. IX.

Verse 7.-thou shalt smite the house of Ahab] Joram, Ahab's son was then on the throne.

It should be well observed, that Jehu, in all that follows, acted under an express commission from God. Without this all his acts against the house of Ahab would have incurred the guilt of treason and murder.

8.-him that is shut up and left] See note at 1' Kings xiv. 10.

13.-took every man his garment, &c.] They spread their garments under Jehu's feet.

22.-What peace, so long as the whoredoms &c.] He upbraids Joram with his mother's sins, not with his own, because her's were the most notorious and infamous, and which, by his connivance, he had made his own; and because they were the principal reason of God's inflicting, and Jehu's being commissioned to execute, these judgments.

25.-when I and thou rode together &c.] When we rode with the rest of Ahab's guard, when he went to take possession of Naboth's vineyard. Jehu and Bidkar at that time heard Elijah's words, in which "the Lord had laid this burden upon him." By "burden" is here meant the punishment denounced against Ahab and his posterity.

30. she painted her face, and tired her head,] Meaning, that she adorned her person; which she did out of pride to keep up her dignity and state to the last.

31.-Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?] Zimri slew his master Elah, and, after he had reigned a few days, was himself destroyed by Omri. 1 Kings xvi. These words therefore of Jezebel were meant as a most taunting rebuke to Jehu.

36.-This is the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah] See 1 Kings xxi. 23. Thus Jezebel is become food for dogs; Elijah is verified; Naboth is revenged; Jezreel is purged; Jehu is zealous; and, in all, God is just.

CHAP. X.

Verse 1.-Ahab had seventy sons] It is probable that grandsons are here comprehended under the name of sons, as is usual in Scripture.

3.-and set him on his father's throne, and fight &c.] That is, do this, if you think fit, and will not rather submit to me. Jehu seems to insult over the sons of Ahab, knowing that they were not able to oppose him.

4.-two kings stood not before him:] Namely Joram king of Israel, and Ahaziah king of Judah. See Chap. ix. 23, 27.

9.-Ye be righteous: &c.] Be not troubled; for none of you are to blame in all this. If any were guilty, he acknowledges it was himself. But since the chief men of the nation had slain şu many, why should he be to blame for slaying one, since he had authority from God for what he did? 10.-there shall fall unto the earth &c.] That is, there shall remain unfulfilled, &c.

12.-the shearing house] The place where the shepherds of Samaria were wont to bind their sheep when they sheared them.

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14.-neither left he any of them.] These men were not strictly brethren, but rather kinsmen of Ahaziah, and were cut off by Jehu because they were related to the house of Ahab. The Providence of God so ordered things, that all who bore any relation to Ahab might meet the doom pronounced against that whole family.

19. But Jehu did it in subtilty,] Jehu was right in destroying the worshippers of Baal, for that was to fulfil the will of God; but he was much to blame for adopting so subtile and deceit ful a method of accomplishing this end.

29. Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam-Jehu departed not] Jehu had been zealous in cutting off the house and posterity of Ahab, and destroying the worship of Baal; nevertheless, that part of idolatry which consisted in the false worship of the true God (brought in by Jeroboam in those golden calves of Dan and Beth-el), he did not at all oppose, but countenanced and practised it. Jehu's zeal for the Lord seems to have led him to do those things only, which might forward his own worldly interests..

32.-to cut Israel short: That is, to lessen the extent of the kingdom, as appears by the following verse.

CHAP. XI.

This chapter is to be compared with 2 Chron. xxiii.

Verse 6 that it be not broken down. That none may enter by force, or for purposes of mischief. 9.-that were to come in on the subbath, with them that should go out &c.] The priests and Levites took their turns in their attendance at the temple, and their course was finished in the space of a week. In every week, one course went out and another came in.

12.-and gave him the testimony;] Having put the crown on the head of Jehoash, "He gave him the testimony," or put the book of the law into his hand, according to Deut. xvii. 18, 19. which is called the testimony, because God therein testified what was His will: and what the duties of men.

15.-him that followeth her] For the purpose of assisting or saving her.

all the treasures dedicated to the temple by his forefathers and himself, and stript even the royal palace to make up the sum demanded by the

enemy.

20. And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, &c.] See 2. Chron. xxiv. where further particulars are given, of his having been struck with a lingering disease, and after some time murdered by his own subjects, in revenge for his barbarous treatment of the son of that very High Priest, who had been his best friend and preserver. Jeboash, in the conclusion of his life, affords a sad example of the effects of wilful impiety, followed in spite of the advantages of good counsel and a pious education.

CHAP. XIII..

Verse 4. Jekoahaz besought the Lord,] Wicked men have recourse to God in their afflictions; but as soon as they are over, they forget Him, and return to their sins, as this prince did.

7had made them like the dust by threshing.] Had, as it were, beaten the nation to dust, killing many, carrying away many captive, and thus greatly dispeopling the kingdom.

14.-the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.] These are the same words which Elisha uttered concerning Elijah (2 Kings ii. 12.) alluding probably to the many glorious victories he had obtained for them by the efficacy of his counsels and prayers.

15.-Take bow and arrows.] This was a symbolical action, by which the prophet intended to represent the victory which he had promised the king of Israel against the Syrians, more fully and plainly to him.

21.-he revived, and stood up on his feet.] This miracle was the immediate work of God, and was designed, like the translation of Elijah, to keep alive and confirm, in a degenerate and infidel age, the grand truth of a bodily resurrection, which the translation of Enoch was calculated to establish in the world before the flood, and which the resur rection of Christ, in a glorified body, fully il

lustrated.

CHAP. XIV.

This chapter is to be compared with 2 Chron. XXV. Verse 8. let us look one another in the face.] Meaning, let us set our armies in array against each other, and try our strength.

9.-The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar] Fables or parables of this description were suited to the taste of Eastern people. Joash king of Israel could not have availed himself of a more ingenious device, or one more proper for bumbling Amaziah, than comparing him to a