2 Kings 7:2

2 The servant on whose arm the king was leaning answered the man of God: "Why, this couldn't happen even if ADONAI made windows in heaven!" Elisha answered, "All right, you yourself will see it with your own eyes; but you won't eat any of it!"

2 Kings 7:2 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 7:2

Then a lord, on whose hand the king leaned
Not figuratively, in whom the king confided, but literally, on whose hand he rested, and by whom he was supported, being a form and matter of state, while he and Elisha were talking together, or on whom he leaned as he came to him; this was a principal lord, the third to the king, as his title seems to denote; the word by which the Septuagint renders it is by Suidas ^F21 interpreted of such that held three spears in the hand together; and this was an honourable post, for a king to lean on him; such state was used by the king of Syria, ( 2 Kings 5:18 ) and by the kings and queens of Persia; so Gorionides ^F23 says of Esther, that on the third day; she put on her beautiful garments and glorious ornaments, and took two of her maidens with her, and put her right hand on one of them, and leaned upon her in a royal manner, or as was the manner of kings: the same

answered the man of God;
the prophet of the Lord, as the Targum:

and said, behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this
thing be?
it is impossible it should be, if he was to open the windows of heaven as at the flood, and let down showers of wheat and barley, in like manner as he rained manna in the wilderness:

and he said;
the prophet in reply to him:

behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof;
wheat and barley sold at the above price, but should not taste of it, as a punishment of his unbelief.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 In voce (tristatai) .
F23 Heb. Hist. l. 2. c. 4.

2 Kings 7:2 In-Context

1 Elisha answered, "Listen to the word of ADONAI. Here is what ADONAI says: 'Tomorrow, by this time, six quarts of fine flour will sell for only a shekel, and half a bushel of barley for a shekel [in the market] at the gate to Shomron."

2 The servant on whose arm the king was leaning answered the man of God: "Why, this couldn't happen even if ADONAI made windows in heaven!" Elisha answered, "All right, you yourself will see it with your own eyes; but you won't eat any of it!"

3 Now there were four men with tzara'at at the entrance to the city gate, and they said to each other, "Why should we sit here till we die?

4 If we say, 'We'll enter the city, then the city has been struck by the famine, so we'll die there. And if we sit still here, we'll also die. So let's go and surrender to the army of Aram; if they spare our lives, we will live; and if they kill us, we'll only die."

5 They got up during the twilight to go to the camp of Aram. But when they reached the outskirts of the camp of Aram, they saw no one!