2 Kings 6:1

The Floating Ax Head

1 The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision^[a] is too small for us.

2 Kings 6:1 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 6:1

And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha
Or the disciples of the prophets, as the Targum:

behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us:
their numbers were so increased, that there was not room enough for them in the house they dwelt in with the prophet; which increase was owing, the Jews ^F26 say, to the departure of Gehazi last mentioned, who was a bad man, and used the disciples so ill, that they could not stay in the college; but, when he was gone, they flocked in great numbers; but rather it was owing to the very instructive ministry and wonderful miracles of Elisha: the place where the prophet and his disciples now dwelt seems to be Gilgal, ( 2 Kings 4:38 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 107. 2.

2 Kings 6:1 In-Context

1 The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision is too small for us.

2 Please let us go to the Jordan where we can each get a log and can build ourselves a place to live there." "Go," he said.

3 Then one said, "Please come with your servants." "I'll come," he answered.

4 So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.

5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron [ax head] fell into the water, and he cried out: "Oh, my master, it was borrowed!"

Footnotes

• [a] Lit we are living before you