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CHAPTER 14 : CLOSE OF ELISHA'S PUBLIC MINISTRY: THE
BEGINNING OF JUDGMENT - The Shunammite on her Return
from Philistia restored to her Property - Elisha's Visit to
Damascus - The Embassy of Hazael - Prediction of Future
Judgment through him - The Murder of Ben-hadad and
Accession of Hazael. (2 Kings 8:1-15.)
THE two narratives which follow that of the siege of Samaria may be characterized
as in some sense supplementary to it. On the one hand, they mark the relations
between Elisha and Joram; and on the other, those between the prophet and Syria.
They also close what seems the more personal account of Elisha's activity. After that
we have only an account of his death and burial (chap. 13.), drawn, as we suppose,
from the same "memoirs" to which the whole of this series is due; the reference to
Elisha's activity in the anointing of Jehu (chap. 9.) forming part of the more general
history. Accordingly we again remind ourselves that what is about to be described
must not be regarded as following in strict chronological succession what had
preceded, but rather as in internal connection with it.
The first narrative introduces once more the Shunammite and her heaven-given,
heaven restored son, although in circumstances far different from those in which we
first knew them. Indirectly we learn and mark that the relations between the prophet
and the family of Shunem had not ceased with the restoration of the child to life,
although Holy Scripture has not preserved any record of such intercourse. And this
also is instructive as regards Bible history. Further, we mark the affectionate interest
of Elisha, and his care for the outward well-being of this family. Among the other
dealings of God with Israel we learn that He "called for a famine" - a most emphatic
expression (comp. Psalms 105:16; Haggai 1:11). This dearth was to last for seven out
of the twelve years of Joram's reign. Before its commencement the prophet "had
spoken" to the Shunammite, warning her to betake herself to any place outside the
land of Israel where she might be able to secure a temporary home; and "the woman
had arisen and done^245 after the saying of the man of God." Although we have
evidence that this famine pressed severely on the people (comp. 4:38), yet the advice
of the prophet must have been determined by special circumstances. From the
absence of any reference to him, it is probable that the Shunammite had lost her
husband, and with him her mainstay in times of trouble and difficulty.
We are told that she went to the land of the Philistines -- probably as that nearest to
her home, and at the same time least likely to suffer, both on account of its fertility
and its easy communication with grain producing Egypt. When the predicted seven
years of famine ended, the woman who, as the original expressly marks, had only
gone "to sojourn as a stranger," returned to her home at Shunem. But here her faith,
(^)