2 Kings 7:2
in 2 Kings 7But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if Jehovah should make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
KJV
Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
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This verse in 2 Kings 7
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThen a lord - שליש shalish. This word, as a name of office, occurs often, and seems to point out one of the highest offices in the state. So unlikely was this prediction to be fulfilled, that he thought God must pour out wheat and barley from heaven before it could have a literal accomplishment. But shalt not eat thereof - This was a mere prediction of his death, but not as a judgment for his unbelief; any person in his circumstances might have spoken as he did.
This site's exposition
a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel
on 2 Kings 7:1-2
Elisha sets tomorrow's prices, “a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel”. The officer scoffs, and Elisha answers that he will see it “but you will not eat any of it”.
This site's exposition
the officer on whose arm
The officer holds the office of shalish, which Adam Clarke counts among the highest in the state. Clarke reads Elisha's answer as a prediction of death only. Matthew Henry, following Bishop Patrick, reads it as the portion of unbelief, like Israel seeing Canaan and never entering.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Elisha said, "Tomorrow there will be relief from the siege and the famine in the city of Samaria." But an officer of the house of king Jehoram mocked these words and derided the word [of the prophet]. Elisha answered him what the Scripture relates here. …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The murmuring Israelites saw Canaan, but could not enter in because of unbelief. Such (says bishop Patrick) will be the portion of those that believe not the promise of eternal life; they shall see it at a distance--Abraham afar off, but shall never taste of it; for they forfeit the benefit of the promise if they cannot find in their heart to take God's word.
Then a lord, on whose hand the king leaned,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
a lord on whose hand the king leaned--When an Eastern king walks or stands abroad in the open air, he always supports himself on the arm of the highest courtier present. if the Lord would make windows in heaven--The scoffing infidelity of this remark, which was a sneer against not the prophet only, but the God he served, was justly and signally punished (see 2Ki 7:20).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
THE PEOPLE OF SAMARIA had cast off their allegiance to Jehovah, and worshipped other gods, and therefore, according to his solemn threatening, the Lord visited them with sore judgments. They were so blockaded by Syrian armies, that food failed them altogether, and in their hunger they devoured human flesh, and the most abominable offal. They could not open the city gates, for they knew that the adversary, if he once entered, would sack and ransack the city, and put them all to the sword, and therefore they remained cooped up within the city walls to perish.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
THE PEOPLE OF SAMARIA had cast off their allegiance to Jehovah, and worshipped other gods, and therefore, according to his solemn threatening, the Lord visited them with sore judgments. They were so blockaded by Syrian armies, that food failed them altogether, and in their hunger they devoured human flesh, and the most abominable offal. They could not open the city gates, for they knew that the adversary, if he once entered, would sack and ransack the city, and put them all to the sword, and therefore they remained cooped up within the city walls to perish. In their dire extremity the Lord had mercy upon them and remembered that they were the children of Israel, the seed of Abraham, his friend, and therefore he would not utterly destroy them, but gave them space for repentance. He turned an eye of pity upon the famished thousands and promised them relief from the sore famine which had wasted them. How rich in mercy is the Lord our God! Sin must be multiplied exceedingly ere his long suffering ceases; he is unwilling to execute the sentence of his wrath. Judgment is his strange work. He is ever ready with his mercy, he waiteth to be gracious, yea, he is always beforehand with us in his grace, but he is very slow footed in punishment; he pauses by the way and deliberates, and before he deals a blow he often expostulates with himself and cries, "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim?" Verily he is a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. Perhaps one reason why the Lord was pleased in Samaria's extremity to visit it so graciously was the presence of Elisha there.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A lord - Rather, “the captain,” as in Exo 14:7; 1Ki 9:22; etc. The term itself, שׁלישׁ shâlı̂ysh (derived from שׁלושׁ shâlôsh, “three,”) may be compared with the Latin “tribunus.” Windows - Rather, “sluices” (compare Gen 7:11). The “lord” means to say “If Yahweh were to open sluices in heaven, and pour down grain as He poured down rain in the time of the Deluge, even then could there be such abudnance as thou speakest of?”
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֣עַן | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| הַשָּׁלִ֡ישׁ | hashalish | the officer | H7991 → | 20 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לַמֶּלֶךְ֩ | lamelekh | [belonged] to the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| נִשְׁעָ֨ן | nishan | [who] was leaning | H8172 → | 22 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יָד֜וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִים֮ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וַיֹּאמַר֒ | vaiyomar | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּ֣ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עֹשֶׂ֤ה | ʾoseh | [is] making | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֲרֻבּוֹת֙ | ʾarubot | windows | H699 → | |
| בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם | bashamayim | in the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| הֲיִהְיֶ֖ה | hayihyeh | ¿ will it happen | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַדָּבָ֣ר | hadavar | the thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּ֑ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנְּכָ֤ה | hinekhah | here you | H2005 → | 316 times |
| רֹאֶה֙ | roeh | [are] about to see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ | beeineikha | with own eyes your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וּמִשָּׁ֖ם | umisham | and from there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֹאכֵֽל׃ ס | tokhel | you will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
וַיַּ֣עַןand he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
הַשָּׁלִ֡ישׁthe officer
hashalishH7991 →20 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
לַמֶּלֶךְ֩[belonged] to the king
lamelekhH4428 →2525 times
נִשְׁעָ֨ן[who] was leaning
nishanH8172 →22 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יָד֜וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אִ֣ישׁ[the] man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
הָאֱלֹהִים֮<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וַיֹּאמַר֒and he said
vaiyomarH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּ֣הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עֹשֶׂ֤ה[is] making
ʾosehH6213 →2628 times
אֲרֻבּוֹת֙windows
ʾarubotH699 →
בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִםin the heavens
bashamayimH8064 →421 times
הֲיִהְיֶ֖ה¿ will it happen
hayihyehH1961 →3559 times
הַדָּבָ֣רthe thing
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּ֑ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הִנְּכָ֤הhere you
hinekhahH2005 →316 times
רֹאֶה֙[are] about to see
roehH7200 →1300 times
בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָwith own eyes your
beeineikhaH5869 →887 times
וּמִשָּׁ֖םand from there
umishamH8033 →834 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תֹאכֵֽל׃ סyou will eat
tokhelH398 →810 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
Malachi 3:10Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of…
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 9:6–8
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
- Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
- Proverbs 3:9–10
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest;
- Psalms 37:3
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
- Deuteronomy 28:12
The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but borrow…
- 2 Corinthians 9:6–8
Through
Romans 3:3What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 2:13
if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
- Hebrews 4:2
For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.
- Romans 9:6
It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
- 2 Timothy 2:13
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. 1238: “Beware of Unbelief” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 7:1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.