Kings II 7:2

2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, Behold now, I live in a house of cedar, and the ark of the Lord dwells in the midst of a tent.

Kings II 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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

Kings II 7:2 In-Context

1 And it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him an inheritance on every side from all his enemies round about him;

2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, Behold now, I live in a house of cedar, and the ark of the Lord dwells in the midst of a tent.

3 And Nathan said to the king, Go and do all that in thine heart, for the Lord with thee.

4 And it came to pass in that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

5 Go, and say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord, Thou shalt not build me a house for me to dwell in.