2 Kings 7:1-20 - L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

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GOD INTERVENES

(vv.1-20).

The prophet whom Jehoram wanted to kill then gave a wonderful message of grace from God. What a response to the callous folly of the king of Israel! Elisha tells them, "Hear the word of the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria" (v.1). This was the word of the Lord, yet an officer of the king answered derisively, "If the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" (v.2). He was like many today who mock at the message of God's grace. But Elisha told him solemnly that he would see with his eyes the food being sold so cheaply, but he would not eat of it. How sad for one to see others greatly blessed by the grace of God, and he himself having no share in it!

Now we are told of four lepers at the gate of Samaria. They were outside the city, where lepers were always put to isolate them from others. Being also without food, they reasoned that they might as well surrender to the Syrians, who might give them food. If not, the worst they could do was kill them, which was preferable to dying by starvation (vv.3-4).

They went to the camp of the Syrians and were astonished to find no one there (v.5). The Lord had intervened, to cause the Syrians to hear a great noise as of a huge army, so that they thought Israel must have hired the Hittites and the Egyptians to fight against Syria. As well as the great noise, no doubt it was God's work to put such fear in the minds of the Syrians that they decided to flee, leaving all their equipment and provisions behind (vv.6-7).

The lepers immediately found food and drink to satisfy their hunger and thirst, and also carried from the tents silver and gold and clothing, taking this away to hide it (v.8).

However, they were soon awakened in heart to realise they were not right in concealing from Samaria the fact chat food was available for them right now. If they waited even till morning, they feared the Lord might punish them (v.9). So they called the gatekeepers of the city to tell them of the surprising flight of the Syrians, leaving such great provisions behind them (v.10). We who are believers in the Lord Jesus might well take a serious lesson from this. We have been infinitely blessed by the gospel of God's salvation. Are we doing right if we conceal it from others?

When the King of Israel heard this he was suspicious that the Syrians had gone only a short distance away to trick Israel into coming out of the city so as to catch them with the gate open (v.12). But one of his servants made a sensible suggestion that several men go with horses to find out what the situation really was (v.13).

Taking two chariots with horses, the messengers found the evidence that the Syrian army had indeed fled, for the road was full of garments and weapons that the Syrians had thrown away in their haste to escape. The messengers then returned with this surprising yet welcome news (vv.14-15). The people then went gladly out to plunder the tents of the Syrians. The amount of plunder they took was so great that Samaria was well supplied with food. As Elisha had foretold, a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel (v.6).

The officer who had mocked Elisha saw this, for he was appointed by the king to take charge of the gate. But the excited people trampled him in the gate so that he died (v.17). Probably he was trying to restrain the crush of the people and they swarmed over him. The words of Elisha and of the officer are recalled in verses 18 and 19, to impress on us the truth of the prophecy of God and the sad defeat of the unbeliever, for his words against the Lord were proven vain.

This history has shown the folly and pride of King Jehoram, but the contrasting grace of God in relieving the condition of the people in spite of Jehoram's opposition to God and to Elisha. God did not at this time repay Jehoram for his evil in attempting to murder Elisha, though He did quickly recompense the officer just for his haughty words in reply to Elisha. We do not hear at all of how King Jehoram responded to the way in which Elisha's prophecy was fulfilled, though he partook of the blessing that resulted. But such men are not changed by the great goodness of the Lord.

Related Commentaries of 2 Kings 7:1

2 Kings 7:1-20

1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

2 Then a lorda on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.

12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are leftb in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

14 They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

18 And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:

19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

20 And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.