2 Kings 6:6

Contextual Overview

¹The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision is too small for us. ¹ The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, See now, the place where we dwell before you is too strait for us. ¹ And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. ¹ Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. ¹ The groups of prophets said to Elisha, "The place where we meet with you is too small for us. ¹ Some of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we meet with you is too cramped for us. ¹Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look now, the place where we live near you is too small for us. ¹ Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too cramped for us. ¹ And the children of the Prophets saide vnto Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the place where we dwell with thee, is too litle for vs. ¹And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he cut down: This could have no natural tendency to raise the iron and cause it to swim: it was only a sign, or ceremony, which the prophet chose to employ on the occasion. 2 Kings 2:21, 2 Kings 4:41, Exodus 15:25, Mark 7:33, Mark 7:34, Mark 8:23-25, John 9:6, John 9:7

the iron: This was the real miracle; for the gravity of the metal must otherwise still have kept it at the bottom of the river.

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 9:6 - city 2 Kings 8:4 - all the great

Cross-References

Genesis 6:8
But Noach found favor in the LORD's eyes.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord .

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah pleased the Lord .

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord .

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor and grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh.

Genesis 6:8
But the Lord was pleased with Noah,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the man of God said, where fell it?.... For though endowed with a spirit of prophecy, he did not know all things, and at all times; and if he did know where it fell, he might ask this question to lead on to the performance of the miracle:

and he showed him the place; the exact place in the river into which it fell:

and he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; he did not take the old helve and throw in, but a new stick he cut off of a tree; some think he made of this another helve or handle, of the same size and measure with the other, and that this being cast in was miraculously directed and fixed in the hole of the iron at the bottom of the water, and brought it up with it; but, as Abarbinel observes, there is no need to suppose this; the wood was cast into the precise place where the iron fell, and was sent as it were to call it up to it:

and the iron did swim; it came up and appeared, and was bore on the surface of the waters; or, "and made the iron to swim" e; which some understand of the wood cast in, as if it had some peculiar virtue in it to draw up the iron; but it was not any particular chosen wood, but what first occurred to the prophet f; and the meaning is, that Elisha caused it to float, contrary to the nature of iron.

e יצף "fecit supernatare", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. f Vid. Friese, Dissert. de Ferro Natante, sect. 7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

No doubt there is something startling in the trivial character of this miracle, and of the few others which resemble it. But, inasmuch as we know very little as to the laws which govern the exercise of miraculous powers, it is possible that they may be so much under their possessor’s control that he can exercise them, or not exercise them, at pleasure. And it may depend on his discretion whether they are exercised in important cases only, or in trivial cases also. Elisha had evidently great kindness of heart. He could not see a grief without wishing to remedy it. And it seems as if he had sometimes used his miraculous power in pure good nature, when no natural way of remedying an evil presented itself.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 6:6. He cut down a stick — This had no natural tendency to raise the iron; it was only a sign or ceremony which the prophet chose to use on the occasion.

The iron did swim. — This was a real miracle; for the gravity of the metal must have for ever kept it at the bottom of the water,