2 Kings 6:32

Contextual Overview

²⁴Some time later, King Ben-hadad of Aram brought all his military units together and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. ²⁴ It happened after this, that Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Shomron. ²⁴ And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. ²⁴ Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. ²⁴ Later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered his whole army and surrounded and attacked Samaria. ²⁴ Later King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled his entire army and attacked and besieged Samaria. ²⁴But it came about after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram (Syria) gathered his whole army together and went up and besieged Samaria. ²⁴ Now it came about after this, that Ben-hadad the king of Aram gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. ²⁴ But afterward Ben-hadad King of Aram gathered all his hoste, and went vp, and besieged Samaria. ²⁴Now it happened afterwards, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his military camp and went up and besieged Samaria.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the elders: Ezekiel 8:1, Ezekiel 14:1, Ezekiel 20:1, Ezekiel 33:31

ere the messenger: 2 Kings 6:12, 2 Kings 5:26

See ye how: Luke 13:32

son of a murderer: 1 Kings 18:4, 1 Kings 18:13, 1 Kings 18:14, 1 Kings 21:10

the sound: 1 Kings 14:6

Reciprocal: Exodus 7:1 - See 2 Kings 3:2 - wrought 2 Kings 5:9 - General 2 Kings 7:18 - as the man 2 Kings 8:4 - all the great Jeremiah 32:3 - Zedekiah Lamentations 3:39 - a man Acts 5:9 - the feet Hebrews 11:34 - escaped

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Elisha sat in his house,.... In Samaria:

and the elders sat with him; not the elders of the city, or the magistrates thereof, but his disciples, as Josephus says p, the eldest of them, whom he admitted to greater familiarity and converse with him:

and the king sent a man from before him; to execute what he had sworn should be done that day to the prophet:

but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, see ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? which he knew by a spirit of prophecy, and spoke of it before the executioner came; he calls Joram the son of a murderer, because of his mother Jezebel, who killed Naboth, and the prophets of the Lord, and to which his father Ahab also consented, and therefore might be so called too; and he intimates hereby that he was of the same temper and disposition, and as the above oath, and his orders, showed:

look when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door; and not suffer him to come in:

is not the sound of his master's feet behind him? that is, of Joram king of Israel, who followed the messenger, either to listen and hear what the prophet would say unto him; or repenting of his order, as Josephus q thinks, he followed him to prevent the execution.

p Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 9. c. 4. sect. 4.) q Ibid.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But Elisha sat ... - Translate, “And Elisha was sitting in his house, and all the elders were sitting with him, when the king sent, etc.”

The “elders,” - either “the elders of the city” or “the elders of the land,” - who may have been in session at Samaria now, as they had been at the time of a former siege 1 Kings 20:7 - had gone to Elisha for his advice or assistance. Their imminent peril drove them to acknowledge the power of Yahweh, and to consult with His prophet.

This son of a murderer - i. e. of Ahab, the murderer, not only of Naboth, but also of all the prophets of the Lord (marginal reference), whom be allowed Jezebel to slay.

Hold him fast at the door - The elders, public officials, not private friends of Elisha, could not have been expected to resist the entrance of the executioner at the mere request of the prophet. He therefore assigns a reason for his request - “the king is coming in person, either to confirm or revoke his order - will they detain the headsman until his arrival?”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 6:32. This son of a murderer — Jehoram, the son of Ahab and Jezebel. But Ahab is called a murderer because of the murder of Naboth.

Shut the door — He was obliged to make use of this method for his personal safety, as the king was highly incensed.

The sound of his master's feet behind him? — That is, King Jehoram is following his messenger, that he may see him take off my head.