“And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.”
Again, after he had been anointed. David consulted his officers, &c., (1 Paralipomenon xiii. 1.) and called a numerous assembly of the priests and people to meet him at Cariathiarim. — Thousand, in arms, to protect the rest, (Calmet) who might probably amount to 300,000. (Haydock) — This number Capel and Grotius would substitute for the one here mentioned. Some copies of the Septuagint read 70,000. In the former assembly, there were 340, or 359, (Calmet) or 60 thousand, chap. v. 1. (Haydock)
“Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.”
Timber. Hebrew and Septuagint, “a beam.” Salien supposes that these prophets resided at Galgal. (Menochius)
“And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.”
Cart, out of respect, as the Philistines had done, 1 Kings vi. 7. But God had ordered the Levites to carry it themselves, and the neglect here proved so dreadful; for which reason, David required the priests to attend when he removed the ark from the house of Obededom, 1 Paralipomenon xv. 12. — Gabaa means “the hill of Cariathiarim,” where the ark had been in the house of Abinadab, from the time of its being restored back by the Philistines. (Challoner) — Hunnius would multiply the places where the ark was fixed, to show, against Catholics, that the Church is not confined to one place; (Amama) as if Catholic did not maintain the universality of the Church! (Haydock)
“But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. axe head: Heb. iron”
Borrowed. He was grieved because he could not repair the loss. (Worthington)
“And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.”
Swam. So; Demersam fluvio relevavit virga securim. (Tertullian, contra Marc.) The Fathers here remark a figure of the cross of Jesus Christ; the virtue of which, in baptism, reclaims the hardened sinner from the ways of vanity. (Tertullian, contra Judæos xiii.) (Calmet) — Those who would explain the reason of every miracle, may here inform the infidel why recourse was had to a supernatural interference, in a matter apparently of such a trifling nature. They ask why God should cause the eyes of various pictures in Italy to move on a late occasion; and because they cannot assign a satisfactory reason, they boldly assert that all was an imposture. But this mode of argumentation is very delusive, if not impious. “Who hath been his (God’s) counsellor?” (Romans xi. 34.) All that we have to do is to believe, when the proofs are of such a nature as to require our rational assent.
“Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.”
Rashness. Hebrew shal, means also “error, ignorance,” &c. Syriac and Arabic better, “because he put forth his hand.” (Kennicott) — Oza had touched the ark uncovered, (Serarius) shewing too little confidence in God, as if he could not have hindered it from falling; (Rabbins) or perhaps he was the advisor of the ark’s being placed upon a cart, instead of the Levites’ shoulders. (Tirinus) — It is not certain that he was a Levite; and the privilege belonged to the sons of Caath, who could claim this honour only after the ark had been folded up with three covers. Moreover, the priests seem to have been always selected to carry the ark, after they came into the promised land, ver. 3., and 1 Kings iv. 4., &c. It is hoped that the fault of Oza would be expiated by his sudden death, (Calmet) as his intention was laudable. (Tirinus) — But God would teach his ministers with what caution they were to treat sacred things, (Calmet) and how exactly all his injunctions were to be observed. (Haydock)
“Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. camp: or, encamping”
And such, which the king would mention. (Menochius) — The causes of this war are not known; but an ambitious prince always finds pretexts to cover his injustice. (Calmet)
“And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.”
Twice, but very frequently: so that the Syrian feared some treachery. (Haydock)
“And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber . None: Heb. No”
Chamber. Is it difficult therefore for the saints in heaven to hear our prayers? though they have not such long ears as Calvin ridicules. (Haydock)
“And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.”
Take him. Foolish attempt! as if the prophet could not foresee his own danger. (Salien) — Dothan or Dothain, (Genesis xxxvii. 17.) twelve miles north of Samaria. (Eusebius; Calmet) Adrichomius says, in the tribe of Zabulon. (Menochius)
“Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. great: Heb. heavy”
Of an, or, “of the army.” To take one man was judged of such consequence; and Benadad feared lest the Israelites should rise up in his defence. (Haydock)
“And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? the servant: or, the minister”
Servant, Giezi; as his leprosy is placed too soon. (Salien) (Menochius)
“And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”
Leaping. Septuagint, “beating” musical instruments….she counted him as nothing, &c. (Haydock) — She rather partook of her father’s disposition and pride. (Menochius)
“And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”
Of fire. The angels assumed such a glorious and terrible appearance. One of them would have sufficed to destroy all the army of Syria; and thus the servant might be convinced how vain were all attempts against God’s servants, Psalm cxliv. 19. (Salien, the year before Christ 907.) Jacob beheld such camps of angels, (Genesis xxxii. 1, 2.) and our Saviour speaks of the legions which he could have brought forward, Matthew xxvi. 53. (Calmet)
“And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.”
Blindness. The blindness here spoken of was of a particular kind, which hindered them from seeing the objects that were really before them; and represented other different objects to their imagination; so that they no longer perceived the city of Dothan, nor were able to know the person of Eliseus; but were easily led by him, whom they took to be another man, to Samaria. So that he truly told them; this is not the way, neither is this the city, &c., because he spoke with relation to the way, and to the city which was represented to them. (Challoner) — Stratagems in war are lawful. (St. Chrysostom, &c.) (Grotius, Jur. iii. 1, 17.) The words of the prophet might be merely ironical. — Blindness, Septuagint aorasia, “not seeing” certain objects, while they could perceive others; as was the case of the men who sought Lot’s door at Sodom; (Genesis xix. 11.; Calmet) and the eyes of the disciples were held, that they might not know our Saviour. Eliseus had left his house, going towards Samaria to meet the soldiers; and when they asked him where the prophet dwelt, he answered truly, This, &c. For he was then near the royal city, and his abode was at Dothan. (Salien) (Haydock) — The reprobate will thus acknowledge their error, when it is too late, at the last day.
“And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. follow: Heb. come ye after me”
Cake, made very thin, with a mixture of oil. — Beef, sufficient for a meal. — Oil. This was much esteemed in those days. Many would translate the Hebrew, “a bottle of wine.”
“And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.”
Fellows. Septuagint, “dancers.” Michol exaggerates, as David had been guilty of no indiscretion, ver. 14. (Calmet) — St. Gregory (Mor. xxvii. 27,) styles her “insane.” Yet Abulensis does not sufficiently approve of David’s conduct. (Menochius)
“And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.”
For thou. Hebrew, “Dost thou kill, &c.?” If those who have surrendered themselves in battle be often spared, though they might be slain by the strict laws of war, how much less ought these men to be treated with such severity? (Calmet) — Sicut bellanti & resistenti violentia redditur: ita victo vel capto misericorida jam debetur. (St. Augustine, ep. 1. ad Bonif.) (Grotius) — And water, all necessary provisions. (Worthington) — These men were suffered to live that they might relate the wonders of God. (Theodoret, q. 20.)
“And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.”
Meats. So the apostle orders us to treat our enemies, Romans xii. 20. — The robbers, these soldiers, who were dismissed. (Haydock) — No more, (ultra) or, “no farther,” (Haydock) during this war, or in small troops; but, a little later, Benadad came with all his forces to besiege Samaria. (Tirinus) — He was enraged at Eliseus and Joram, as if they despised his power. (Salien)
“And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.”
In Samaria. It had raged in all the country above three years, (Salien) and continued other four, chap. viii. 1. The continuance of the siege added fresh horrors. — Pieces is not expressed in Hebrew: a sicle is understood. (Haydock) — Lyranus supposes that the whole ass was sold for about 38 crowns, (Haydock) or 130 livres; as we say commonly, “so much a head.” But interpreters generally assert that the price of the head alone is given; which shews more forcibly the greatness of the famine. On other occasions the animal could not be eaten by the Jews. Artaxerxes was forced to kill his beasts of burden; and an ass’s head was then sold for 60 drachms, or 25 livres. When Hannibal besieged Casilinum, a mouse (or rat) was sold for above 70, or for 200 denarii. (Pliny, [Natural History?] viii. 57.) (V. Max. vii. 6, 3.) — Cabe. Sufficient measure of corn for a man’s daily sustenance. (Menochius) — The fourth part would be about a gill. (Haydock) — Dung. Bochart maintains that “chick-peas” are designated. The Arabic usnen and kali, “pigeon or sparrows’ dung,” are real eatables. Those who suppose that the Samaritans bought the dung of pigeons to use as salt or for food, or to burn, or to manure the earth, &c., produce not satisfactory reasons; no more than the Rabbins, who pretend that the corn which they had picked up was taken from their crop. (Tr. Megil. 3., and the Scholastic History.) Junius and Fuller would translate “belly,” which is refuted by Bochart. (Anim. T. ii. B. i. 7.) Very disgusting things have often been used through extreme hunger, (Grotius) and some sort of birds’ dung is said to fatten oxen and swine. (Varro 38.; Pliny xvii. 9.) — But what nutriment can there be in that of pigeons, that people should go to buy it? (Calmet) — Houbigant understands a sort of peas to be meant. (Haydock) — The Hebrews called them kali when they were parched; and such food was very common, 2 Kings xvii. 28. (Bellon. ii. 53, and 99.) (Calmet)
“And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? If: or, Let not the LORD save thee”
Save (salvat.) Many ancient manuscripts read salvet, conformably to the Hebrew and Septuagint, as if the king cursed the woman: “Let not the Lord save thee,” Josephus [Antiquities?] ix. 4. Others place the stops differently: “He said, no: the Lord save thee.” (Calmet) — He is the author of life. (Menochius)
“So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. next: Heb. other”
Eat him. Strange cruelty! foretold [in] Deuteronomy xxviii. 53, and again verified at Jerusalem, Ezechiel v. 10.
“And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.”
Passed by, without punishing such a horrid crime, as he esteemed his own sins the occasion of it. (Menochius) — Flesh. Behold the advantage to be derived from afflictions! They make the most hardened enter into sentiments of humility and penance. (Calmet) — Abulensis thinks that God was pleased to cause the siege to be raised, to reward this act; as a similar one of Joram’s father had merited a delay and mitigation of punishment, (Haydock) 3 Kings xxi. 27. (Salien)
“Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.”
Day. This was said in a fit of sudden passion, which may give us reason to conclude that the repentance was insincere, or of short duration. (Haydock) — The king supposed that Eliseus could remedy the evil: but God was not moved by his prayers to grant such a favour, till all were convinced that human aid was fruitless. (Calmet) — The prophet might have answered Joram in the words of Elias, 3 Kings xviii. 18. (Menochius) — Probably he had dissuaded the king from making peace. (Tirinus)
“But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?”
Murderer. Achab had slain Naboth, and Jezabel had destroyed the prophets. (Calmet)
“And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?”
And he, Joram, (Menochius, &c.) after (Haydock) his messenger. (Estius) (Piscator) — What, &c. All is desperate; (Calmet) our miseries cannot increase. (Menochius) — I have nothing now to fear or to hope for. (Salien)