2 Re 4:23

23 Il marito le chiese: "Perché vuoi andar da lui quest’oggi? Non è il novilunio, e non è sabato". Ella rispose: "Lascia fare!"

2 Re 4:23 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 4:23

And he said, wherefore wilt thou go to him today?
&c.] What reason is there for it? what is the meaning of it?

it is neither new moon nor sabbath;
neither the first day of the month, nor the seventh day of the week, times which were religiously observed; so with the Heathens the new moon and the seventh of the week, and so the fourth, were sacred F21; which notions they borrowed from the Jews, (See Gill on 1 Samuel 20:5) and when, it seems, it was usual to frequent the house of the prophet, to hear the word of God read and explained, and other religious exercises performed, as praying and singing praise, and receiving some good instructions and advice. Joseph Kimchi gives a different sense of these words:

``there is not a month past, no, not a week, since thou sawest him;''

why therefore shouldest thou be in such haste to go to him? so the words for new moon and sabbath may signify:

and she said, it shall be well;
it was right for her to go, and it would be well for him and her, and the family; or, "peace" F23, be easy and quiet, farewell: it is much he had no mistrust of the death of the child, or that it was worse, since it went from him ill.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 Hesiod. Opera & Dies, l. 2.
F23 (Mwlv) "pax", Pagninus, Montanus

2 Re 4:23 In-Context

21 Allora ella salì, lo adagiò sul letto dell’uomo di Dio, chiuse la porta, ed uscì.
22 E, chiamato il suo marito, disse: "Ti prego, mandami uno de’ servi e un’asina, perché voglio correre dall’uomo di Dio, e tornare".
23 Il marito le chiese: "Perché vuoi andar da lui quest’oggi? Non è il novilunio, e non è sabato". Ella rispose: "Lascia fare!"
24 Poi fece sellar l’asina, e disse al suo servo: "Guidala, e tira via; non mi fermare per istrada, a meno ch’io tel dica".
25 Ella dunque partì, e giunse dall’uomo di Dio, sul monte Carmel. E come l’uomo di Dio l’ebbe scorta di lontano, disse a Ghehazi, suo servo: "Ecco la Shunamita che viene!
The Riveduta Bible is in the public domain.