And he said, Behold this evil is of the Lord, &c.— He said, that is, according to some, the messenger; though Houbigant rather thinks that it was the king himself; for it appears both from the preceding verse, and from Exodus 6:17 of the next chapter, that the king came to Elisha; and as Elisha had ordered the messenger not to enter, it is the less probable that these were his words. From the expression, what should I wait for the Lord, we may collect that Elisha had said, wait for the Lord, or something to that purpose.
Note; (1.) In the distresses of our souls, if God be not our friend, vain is the help of man. (2.) None know the sufferings which await them before they die; we need pray that God would prepare us for what he has prepared for us.