2 Kings 4:23

23 qui ait illi quam ob causam vadis ad eum hodie non sunt kalendae neque sabbatum quae respondit vale

2 Kings 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 Kings 4:23 In-Context

21 ascendit autem et conlocavit eum super lectulum hominis Dei et clusit ostium et egressa
22 vocavit virum suum et ait mitte mecum obsecro unum de pueris et asinam ut excurram usque ad hominem Dei et revertar
23 qui ait illi quam ob causam vadis ad eum hodie non sunt kalendae neque sabbatum quae respondit vale
24 stravitque asinam et praecepit puero mina et propera ne mihi moram facias in eundo et hoc age quod praecipio tibi
25 profecta est igitur et venit ad virum Dei in montem Carmeli cumque vidisset eam vir Dei de contra ait ad Giezi puerum suum ecce Sunamitis illa
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.