2 Kings 3:15
in 2 Kings 3But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of Jehovah came upon him.
KJV
But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
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This verse in 2 Kings 3
Commentary
9 notes on this verseBut now bring me a minstrel,.... A piper, a man that knows how to play upon the harp, as the Targum; according to Procopius Gazaeus, this was one of the Levites he ordered to be fetched, who was used to the spiritual melody of David, and could play on musical instruments as he directed. This he did to allay his passion, and compose his spirits, ruffled at the sight of Jehoram, and to fit him to receive prophetic inspiration, which sometimes came upon the Lord's prophets when thus employed, see 1Sa 10:
This site's exposition
bring me a harpist
Music settles Elisha's spirit, ruffled by Jehoram's presence, before the hand of the LORD comes upon him. The prophetic schools evidently kept this as a regular practice rather than an isolated event. The word requires quiet first and utterance after, not the other way round.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The Scripture mentions a musical instrument that produces sounds, or a harp, as the Hebrew says, so that, thanks to the sound of its music, all the soldiers might be assembled around it and might understand when they were summoned to destroy their enemies, and …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Minstrel - One that can sing and play upon a musical instrument. This he requires, that his mind which had been disturbed at the sight of wicked Jehoram, might be composed, and that he might be excited to more fervent prayer whereby he was prepared to receive the prophetic inspiration.
Those that desire communion with God must keep their spirits quiet and serene. Elisha being refreshed, and having the tumult of his spirits laid by this divine music, the hand of the Lord came upon him, and his visit did him more honour than that of three kings. God, by him, gave them assurance that the issue of the present distress would be comfortable and glorious.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Music seems to have been a regular accompaniment of prophecy in the “schools of the prophets” (marginal reference), and an occasional accompaniment of it elsewhere Exo 15:20.
The text is a somewhat singular one, but I hope it will suggest a profitable idea. ‘But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.’’2 Kings 3:15. ELISHA needed that the Holy Spirit should come upon him to inspire him with prophetic utterances. ‘Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ We need that the hand of the Lord should be laid upon us, for we can never open our mouths in wisdom except we are under the divine touch.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The text is a somewhat singular one, but I hope it will suggest a profitable idea. ‘But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.’’2 Kings 3:15. ELISHA needed that the Holy Spirit should come upon him to inspire him with prophetic utterances. ‘Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ We need that the hand of the Lord should be laid upon us, for we can never open our mouths in wisdom except we are under the divine touch. Now, the Spirit of God works according to his own will. ‘The wind bloweth where it listeth,’ and the Spirit of God operates as he chooseth. Elisha could not prophesy just when he liked; he must wait until the Spirit of God came upon him, and the Spirit of God could come or not even as he pleased. Elisha had noticed that the Spirit of God acted upon him most freely when his mind was restful and subdued. He found himself best prepared for the heavenly voice when the noise within his soul was hushed, and every disturbing emotion was quieted. Having ascertained this fact by observation he acted upon it. He could not create the wind of the Spirit, but he could set his sail to receive it, and he did so. At the particular time alluded to in the text Elisha had been greatly irritated by the sight of Jehoram, the king of Israel, the son of Ahab and Jezebel. In the true spirit of his old master, Elijah, the prophet let Jehoram know what he thought of him; and having delivered his soul, he very naturally felt agitated and distressed, and unfit to be the mouthpiece for the Spirit of God. He knew that the hand of the Lord would not rest upon him while he was in that state, and therefore he said, ‘Bring me a minstrel.’ The original Hebrew conveys the idea of a man accustomed to play upon the harp.
Bring me a minstrel - A person who played on the harp. The rabbins, and many Christians, suppose that Elisha’s mind was considerably irritated and grieved by the bad behavior of the young men at Beth-el, and their tragical end, and by the presence of the idolatrous king of Israel; and therefore called for Divine psalmody, that it might calm his spirits, and render him more susceptible of the prophetic influence. To be able to discern the voice of God, and the operation of his hand, it is necessary that the mind be calm, and the passions all in harmony, under the direction of reason; that reason may be under the influence of the Divine Spirit. The hand of the Lord came upon him - The playing of the harper had the desired effect; his mind was calmed, and the power of God descended upon him. This effect of music was generally acknowledged in every civilized nation. Cicero, in his Tusculan Questions, lib. iv., says, that “the Pythagoreans were accustomed to calm their minds, and soothe their passions, by singing and playing upon the harp.” Pythagoraei mentes suas a cogitationum intentione cantu fidibusque ad tranquillitatem traducebant. I have spoken elsewhere of the heathen priests who endeavored to imitate the true prophets, and were as actually filled with the devil as the others were with the true God. The former were thrown into violent agitations and contortions by the influence of the demons which possessed them, while the latter were in a state of the utmost serenity and composure.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Bring me a musician. Because of his anger, the Divine Presence departed from him. 11 See Maseches Pesachim 66b. Alternatively, Elisha was unable to prophesy because he was mourning Eliyahu’s departure. The Divine Presence does not reside with people who are sad.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֖ה | veatah | and now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| קְחוּ־ | kechu- | fetch | H3947 → | 966 times |
| לִ֣י | li | for me | ||
| מְנַגֵּ֑ן | menagen | a musician | H5059 → | 15 times |
| וְהָיָה֙ | vehayah | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כְּנַגֵּ֣ן | kenagen | when played | H5059 → | 15 times |
| הַֽמְנַגֵּ֔ן | hamnagen | the musician | H5059 → | 15 times |
| וַתְּהִ֥י | vatehi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עָלָ֖יו | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יַד־ | yad- | [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְעַתָּ֖הand now
veatahH6258 →433 times
קְחוּ־fetch
kechu-H3947 →966 times
לִ֣יfor me
li
מְנַגֵּ֑ןa musician
menagenH5059 →15 times
וְהָיָה֙and it was
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
כְּנַגֵּ֣ןwhen played
kenagenH5059 →15 times
הַֽמְנַגֵּ֔ןthe musician
hamnagenH5059 →15 times
וַתְּהִ֥יand it was
vatehiH1961 →3559 times
עָלָ֖יוon him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
יַד־[the] hand of
yad-H3027 →1618 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 18:46And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 3:14
So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 1:3
the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.
- 2 Kings 9:1
Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
- Isaiah 8:11
For this is what the LORD has spoken to me with a strong hand, instructing me not to walk in the way of this people:
- Jeremiah 1:17
Get yourself ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them, or I will terrify you before them.
- Ezekiel 3:14
Through
Ezekiel 1:3the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 3:22
And there the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you.”
- 1 Kings 18:46
And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
- Ezekiel 8:1
In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; and there the hand of the Lord…
- Ezekiel 3:22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1612: “The Minstrel” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 3:15; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.