2 Kings Chapter 1
1:2 Ahaziah fell down through a lattice that enclosed the upper balcony. The name Baalzebub may conceal a more
original Baal-zebul, meaning “Baal Is Prince.” The Canaanite deity’s name was also corrupted by Hebrew writers to
Baal-zebel, “Lord of Dung.” The word inquire is usually reserved for the consulting of an oracle. Philistine
soothsayers enjoyed a wide reputation in those times (cf. 1 Sam 6:2; Is 2:6). Apparently Baal was uniquely the cult
god of Ekron.
1:3 A king was often designated by his capital city (1 Kin. 21:1; Jon 3:6).
1:8 Elijah probably wore a hairy garment with a leather belt at the waist (cf. Zech. 13:4; Matt 3:4).
1:10 Fire from heaven was often a sign of divine judgment (cf 1 Kin. 18:36-38; Luke 9:54).
1:17 Two kings named Jehoram are in view here. Jehoram the son of Ahab and brother of Ahaziah reigned over the
northern kingdom from 852 to 841 B.C. Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah reigned as co-regent with
his father from 852 to 848 B.C. and in his own right from 848 to 841 B.C.
2 Kings Chapter 2
2:2, 3. For the sons of the prophets, see the note on 1 Kings 18:4. Apparently the prophetic schools at Beth-el and
Jericho (vv. 4, 5) recognized the leadership of Elijah.
2:9, 10. As Elijah's spiritual heir, Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah's spirit (cf. Deut. 21:17 with 1 Kin. 19:16-
21) so that Elijah's God-empowered spiritual activity might continue after his departure, through his successor.
Obviously only God could grant such a request.
2:11. Elijah followed Enoch in being taken into heaven without dying (cf. Gen. 5:24).
2:12. Elisha' s tribute to his spiritual father as the foremost prophet of all would be echoed at his own death (cf. 13:
14). Elisha' s tearing of his clothes was a sign of mourning at his personal loss.
2:19-24. These two public miracles clearly established that Elisha had succeeded Elijah. They also set the tone for
the spiritual power of his ministry.
2:21. The waters of Jericho may still have felt the effect of Joshua's curse (cf. Josh. 6:26). For purification by salt,
see Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; Ezekiel 43:24.
2:23. Bald head was taunt of scorn (cf. Is. 3:17, 24). These children were older youths of responsible age who where
actually blaspheming God by casting doubt upon Elisha' s report of the responsible age who were actually
blaspheming God by casting doubt upon Elisha' s report of the "going up" of Elijah. Therefore, both God and His
newly designated prophet were to be vindicated so proper respect might be shown.
2 Kings Chapter 3
3:3. The sins of Jeroboam involved the state religion that Jeroboam I had established as a rival to the true faith in
Jerusalem (cf. 1 Kin. 12:26-33).
3:5. Confirmation of this event comes from the Moabite Stone set up by Mesha, the king of Moab. See the note on 1
Kings 16:27.
3:7. Family ties again brought Jehoshaphat into a military expedition. See the note on 1 Kings 22:4.
3:9. Apparently Jehoshaphat had gained the allegiance of the Edomites in the previous Trans Jordanian war. (cf. 2
Chr. 20).
3:11. Whatever Jehoshaphat 's faults might have been in allowing himself to be drawn into dangerous
circumstances, he was consistently concerned with spiritual things. As on the previous occasion (cf. 1 Kin. 22:7-28),
so here he asks for a true prophet in order that the Lord's will may be known in the entire enterprise. Whether Elisha
was ministering in the area or had accompanied the military forces, as was often done in the ancient Near East, is
uncertain.
3:15. Elisha' s call for a minstrel is not evidence that he was an ecstatic, as sometimes suggested. Elisha was simply
setting a proper atmosphere for spiritual things in the midst of dire conditions. Music was an important part of Israel's
spiritual experience, whether individually or in situations of formal religious worship.
3:19. These wartime directions go beyond the normal limits allowable in battle situations (cf. Deut. 20:19, 20).
3:26. The king of Moab probably decided to fight the Edomite forces because of Edom's lesser forces and to punish
Edom for siding with the allied Israelite armies.
3:27. The Moabite king's desperate sacrifice of his son is often paralleled in the literature of the ancient Near East.
This verse provides an instance where the Bible supplements the information from secular history (i.e., the Moabite
Stone). The Israelite left the scene with disgust at what they saw.
2 Kings Chapter 4
4:1. The sons of the prophets did marry at times. Levitical legislation allowed for debtors to work off their debts (cf.
Ex. 21:2-4; Lev. 25:39, 40; Deut. 12:12). The enslaving of family members in lieu of a debt was a common practice in
the ancient Near East.
4:4. The miraculous provision was a spiritual experience and not designed for public show (cf. Matt. 6:6).
4:8. The woman was a great woman, a lady who was financially well-off and of significant 1 Kings 17:19.
4:9, 10. For the upper room where the prophet's chamber was located, see the note on 1 Kings 17:19.
4:12. The word for servant here designates one who is a professional trainee. It is used of young soldiers in 1 Kings
20:14, 15, and of Elisha' s own relation to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:21. Gehazi.
4:19. The lad may have suffered a fatal sunstroke.
4:25. Mount Carmel had become a familiar retreat for Elisha (cf. 2:25), Perhaps a prophetic school had grown up at
the scene of Elijah's great triumph (cf. 1 Kin. 18:16-45).
4:29. The laying of Elisha' s staff on the dead child's face would symbolize the prophet's claim upon the child until he
could come. The prophet's staff was the symbol of his God-given power (cf. Ex. 4:1-4; 17:8-13).
4:32-35. Elisha' s faith and practice are evident. Not only did he believe God but he acted in accordance with known
prophetic procedures in such cases (cf. 1 Kin. 17:21; Acts 20:9, 10).
4:42. Normally such a first fruits were reserved for God (Lev. 23:20) and the priests (Num. 18:13; Deut. 18:4-6).
However, the priests of the northern kingdom were apostates; only the true prophets properly represented God in
the land.
4:43, 44. This scene anticipates the ministry of the great Bread of Life (John 6:35), who multiplied the loaves (Matt.
14:16-20; 15:36, 37; John 6:11-14).
2 Kings chapter 5
5:1 Naaman was a high-ranking military official and a man of high social and economic standing.
5:3 The word for leprosy designates not only Hansen's disease (15:5), but also serious skin conditions (Leviticus 13:
1-46) and various types of fungi (Leviticus 13:47-56; 14:33-57).
5:5-7 Jehoram feared that the letter of the king of Syria might have been a pretext for war. Letter of provocation were
common enough in the ancient Near East (1 Kings 20:1-11; 2 Kings 14:8-10).
5:11 Because of his prominence Naaman expected a greater reception from Elisha.
5:13 My father was a common term of servitude, humility, or respect.
5:14 For the term man of God, see the note on 1 Samuel 9:6-11.
5:15-18 More than Naaman's physical condition had changed. He displayed new attitudes as well: thanksgiving
(verse 15), reverence (verse 17), and humility (verse 18).
5:16 Elisha demonstrated well the spiritual principle that God ministers ought not to make merchandise of the
ministry.
5:18 The name Rimmon is probably a parody on the epithet ramanu, "thunder," a little used of the Aramean storm
god Hadad.
5:20 Gehazi's basic selfishness and shallow spiritual condition come to the surface in the following account. By
contrast, Naaman, who had resented being received by Elisha's messenger previously (verses 10,11), now comes
down to meet the prophet's servant.
5:26 All of man's ways (Job 11:11; Psalms 139:1-4) are ever open to the omniscient and omnipresent God!
2 Kings chapter 6
6:8. Hostilities between the Syrians (Arameans) and Israelites continued after the death of Ahab.
6:17. For the existence and availability of heavenly armies, see Genesis 32:1, 2 Deuteronomy 33:2, 3; Psalms 68:17;
103:19, 20; Zechariah 14:5; Matthew 26:53.
6:23. Elisha' s kindness to his enemies like Jesus' own injunctions (Matt. 5:43-47).
6:24. The Aramean king was Ben-hadad II. See the note on 1 Kings 20:1.
6:25. The situation was so severe that even forbidden food was sought at exorbitant prices.
6:27-29. The extreme conditions had brought on cannibalism. This was the prophesied result of Israel's
disobedience (Lev. 26:29; Deut. 28:53, 57). It would be repeated again at the fall of Jerusalem (Jer. 19:9; Lam. 2:20;
4:10). Josephus reports similar conditions during the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman legions in New Testament
times.
6:31-33. The Aramean king had recognized that his most dangerous foe was God's prophet Elisha (cf. vv. 12-15).
Now the godless Jehoram likewise blames all his troubles on him. Subsequently, Jehoram comes to himself, and the
repentant king runs after his messenger to avert the slaying of the prophet.