Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 28:15
And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.
15. were expressed ] R.V. have been expressed. The phrase is characteristic of the Chronicler; cp. 2Ch 31:19 ; 1Ch 12:31; 1Ch 16:41; Ezr 8:20.
took the captives ] Render, took hold of the captives; i.e. succoured them; cp. Heb 2:16 ( = “he taketh hold of”).
to eat and to drink ] Cp. 2Ki 6:23.
anointed them ] Part of the host’s duty; cp. Luk 7:44-46.
to Jericho ] Jericho perhaps belonged to the northern kingdom; cp. 1Ki 16:34; 2Ki 2:4. A road led to it from Mount Ephraim past ‘ Ain ed-Duk, G. A. Smith, Hist. Geography, pp. 266 ff.
the city of palm trees ] Cp. Deu 34:3. The phrase is an alternative name of Jericho; cp. Jdg 1:16; Jdg 3:13. Date palms were common in Jericho down to the seventh century of the Christian Era. Bdeker, p. 164.
to their brethren ] Lit. “to the side of their brethren.” Jericho probably belonged to the northern kingdom; see above.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Jericho, which lies much farther from Samaria than many points of the territory of Judah, was perhaps selected because the captives had been carried off principally from this point; or because there may have been less danger of falling in with portions of Pekahs army on this than on the direct route.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Which were expressed by name; which were appointed to take care about the management of this business.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. the men which were expressed byname rose upThese were either the “heads of the childrenof Ephraim” (mentioned 2Ch28:12), or some other leading individuals chosen for thebenevolent office. Under their kindly superintendence, the prisonerswere not only released, but out of the spoils were comfortablyrelieved with food and clothing, and conveyed as far as Jericho ontheir way back to their own homes. This is a beautiful incident, andfull of interest, as showing that even at this period of nationaldecline, there were not a few who steadfastly adhered to the law ofGod.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the men that were expressed by name rose up,…. Either those before named, 2Ch 28:12 as Jarchi, and so the Vulgate Latin version; or such as they pitched upon, nominated, and appointed:
and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them; put clothes on their backs, and shoes on their feet, who either were taken or carried away before they could put on their garments, or had been stripped of them:
and gave them to eat, and drink, and anointed them; not only fed them, being hungry and thirsty, but anointed them for refreshment after travelling; the Targum is, “washed them”, from dirt and filth contracted by travelling:
and carried all the feeble of them on asses; women and children that were not able to walk afoot so far back again:
and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren; a city on the borders both of Judah and Israel, and famous for the number of palm trees near it, see Jud 1:16 in all which these inhabitants of Samaria acted the part of the good Samaritan, Lu 10:33,
then they returned to Samaria: the prophet, with the princes, and the army, and the whole congregation.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(15) The men which . . . by name.1Ch. 12:31; 1Ch. 16:41. Certain chiefs formally designated for the office, perhaps including those of 2Ch. 28:12.
All that were naked.Literally, and all their nakednesses they clad out of the spoil (maarummm, nakednesses, here only).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(15) And arrayed . . . shod them.And they clad them, and sandalled them. (For the miserable destitution of captives, see Isa. 3:24; Isa. 20:2; Isa. 20:4, naked and barefoot.)
Anointed them (sk, usually intransitive, e.g., 2Sa. 14:2). (Comp. Luk. 7:38.) A different word (mashah) was used to express the ceremonial anointing of kings and priests.
Carried all the feeble of them upon asses.Literally, led them on he-asses, to wit, every stumbling one. There would be many such, as the captives were mostly women and children.
To.Beside.
The writer dwells with manifest pleasure upon the kindness shown by their repentant foes of the northern kingdom to these Jewish captives. He may have intended to suggest a lesson to the Samaritans of his own age, whose bitter hostility had proved so damaging to the cause of the restored exiles (Neh. 4:2; Neh. 4:7-8; Neh. 6:1-2 sqq.), and who, according to Rabbinical tradition, endeavoured to prejudice Alexander the Great against the commonwealth of Jerusalem (Talmud, Yoma, 69, A).
Some have supposed that our Lord had this passage in His mind when He uttered the parable of the Good Samaritan. The coincidences between the two stories are at any rate curious. (See Luk. 10:30; Luk. 10:33-34.)
The interposition of the Ephraite prophet Oded between the Ephraites and their Judan captives is precisely parallel to that of the Judan prophet Shemaiah between his people and the Ten Tribes, as related in 1Ki. 12:22-24; and granting the truth of the one account, there can be no ground for suspecting the other.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 28:15 And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.
Ver. 15. And anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them. ] This was to “break off their iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, that there might be a lengthening of their tranquillity.” Dan 4:27 Clementia plus potest quam violentia. a Courtesy can do no more than cruelty, said Antigonus. Julius Caesar, Vespasian, Aurelian, and our Queen Elizabeth, are famous in history for showing mercy to their enemies.
a Plut.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
feeble = tottering.
the city of palm trees. Compare Deu 34:3.
then they returned to Samaria. Compare this account with Luk 10:30-37.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
expressed by name: 2Ch 28:12
clothed: Job 31:15-23, Isa 58:7, Mat 25:35-45, Act 9:39, 1Ti 5:10, Jam 2:15, Jam 2:16, 1Jo 3:17, 1Jo 3:18
gave them: 2Ki 6:22, Pro 25:21, Pro 25:22, Luk 6:27, Luk 8:27, Luk 8:35, Rom 12:20, Rom 12:21
carried: Rom 15:1
the city: Deu 34:3, Jdg 1:16
Reciprocal: 2Ki 6:23 – he prepared 2Ch 28:9 – Behold 2Ch 31:19 – the men Neh 5:12 – We will restore Job 31:19 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ch 28:15. The men expressed by name Nominated and appointed by the heads of the people, to take care of the captives, and see them well treated, which they did even to a very high degree of humanity.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
28:15 And the men which were {i} expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and {k} anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their {l} brethren: then they returned to Samaria.
(i) Whose name were rehearsed before, 2Ch 28:12.
(k) Either for their wounds or weariness.
(l) To them of the tribe of Judah.