2 Kings 6:27 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

If the Lord do not help thee, or, let not God help thee, as some both ancient and late interpreters render the words. So they are words of impatience, and rage, and a formal curse, wishing that God would not help her, as he could not, as Josephus, amongst others, understand it; which agrees too well with the character of the man, an infidel, and an idolater, and a wicked man, and at this time in a great rage, as appears from 2 Kings 6:31. Or they may be rendered thus, No; (as this Hebrew particle is sometimes used, as Job 20:17 Psalms 24:5 Psalms 41:2, Psalms 50:3 Proverbs 3:3,5 Proverbs 31:4) let the Lord help thee. So it may be taken, either, first, As a direction: No; do not cry to me, but to God, for help: God help thee, for I cannot. Or rather, secondly, As a profane scoff: No; come not to me, but go to him to whom Elisha directs you; pray to the Lord: you see how ready he is to help you, by his suffering you to come to this extremity; wait upon God for relief, as Elisha adviseth me; but I will wait no longer for him, 2 Kings 6:33, and I will take a course with Elisha for thus abusing both me and my people with vain hopes. Or thus, The Lord (on whom forsooth thou and I are commanded to wait for help) will not help thee, as he could easily do, and would do, if he were so good as Elisha pretends; whence then shall I help thee ? Out of the barn-floor, or out of the winepress? Dost thou ask of me corn or wine, which I want for myself?

2 Kings 6:27

27 And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?