Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 7
Elisha had just declared a wonderful message of good news from God, for the inhabitants of Samaria. It was about the prices of certain foods in the city’s market. For a long time, good food had been completely unavailable. People had to spend all their money on food that disgusted them. However, God told Elisha that good food would be available at cheap prices. In fact, people would be able to buy everything that they wanted on the next day.
This was such good news that it was hard to believe it. The army of an enemy, Aram, had completely surrounded Samaria; and they were not allowing anyone to enter or to leave the city. Israel’s soldiers in Samaria were not strong enough to fight against them, and they had no plans to do that. It seemed impossible that the enemy would leave so soon.
The man who spoke back to Elisha, seems to be the leader of Israel’s army (compare 2 Kings 5:1 and 5:18). He declared that Elisha was speaking lies. He even dared to speak against God: he said that God was unable to do such a thing. This man probably meant that he should kill Elisha at once. That was what the king had wanted him to do (6:31).
However, in reply to his words, Elisha spoke a second message from God. This man would see for himself on the next day that Elisha had spoken the truth. However, the man would not eat any of the food that the people were buying. Elisha did not explain how this could happen. It seemed a strange statement because, like everyone else in the city, that man was desperate for good food.
Next part: Four men with leprosy at the gate of Samaria (2 Kings 7:3-4)
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