29<\/strong>. Gird up thy loins<\/em> ] With the loose flowing garments of Orientals it is needful when haste is desired, to gather them up and bind them together so that they do not impede the traveller. This is done by a band round the waist.<\/p>\n take my staff in thine hand<\/em> ] It is not easy to see the purpose of this order. The staff was to be laid on the face of the child, but it produced no effect. It may be that Elisha thought God would allow the restoration of the child on the imposition of the staff. Some have supposed that the action was meant to teach those who knew of it, that the miracle was not to be ascribed to any external agency, but only to God’s intervention in answer to prayer. Others have thought that the lack of faith in the mother, who would not go back without Elisha, caused the first measures adopted to be ineffective. Perhaps the prophet only sent on Gehazi that the mother might feel that something was being done, and be soothed in her distress.<\/p>\n if thou meet any man, salute him not<\/em> ] An injunction necessary in the East where the salutations are full of form, and consume much time. Cf. our Lord’s language to the seventy (Luk 10:4<\/span>).<\/p>\n Salute him not – <\/B>Compare the marginal reference. Salutation is the forerunner of conversation and one bent on speed would avoid every temptation to loiter.<\/P> Lay my staff upon the face of the child – <\/B>Perhaps to assuage the grief of the mother, by letting her feel that something was being done for her child.<\/P><\/p>\n 2Ki 4:29<\/span><\/p>\n Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The power and weakness of faith contrasted in Elisha<\/strong><\/p>\n There are no less than five instances wherein the prophet exemplifies the man of faith and the man of love witnessing to the faith of God by his grateful deeds.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>On the power of faith and its success, as exemplified by the <\/strong>prophet.<\/p>\n What is the working of faith in us? Have we faith?<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Mark the weakness of faith and its consequent failure in Elisha. This weakness, we have seen, consisted in a self-confidence approaching presumption. (G. L. Glyn.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Verse 29. Salute him not<\/B><\/I>] Make all the haste thou possibly canst, and lay my staff on the face of the child; he probably thought that it might be a case of mere suspended animation<\/I> or a swoon<\/I>, and that laying the staff on the face of the child might act as a stimulus<\/I> to excite the animal motions.<\/P> <\/p>\n Gird up thy loins; <\/B>tie up thy long garments about thy loins for expedition. See 1Ki 18:46<\/span>. Make no delays nor stops by the way, neither by words nor actions, but go with all possible speed. Compare Luk 10:4<\/span>. He requires this haste, that the miracle might be done secretly and speedily, before the childs death was divulged, which might cause many inconveniences. See Poole “2Ki 4:21<\/span>“. Lay my staff upon the face of the child; for God can work a miracle by the most unlikely and contemptible means, as he did by a rod, Exo 14:16<\/span>, and a mantle, 2Ki 2:8<\/span>. <\/P> <\/p>\n 29-31. take my staff . . . and lay .. . upon the face of the child<\/B>The staff was probably anofficial rod of a certain form and size. Necromancers used to sendtheir staff with orders to the messengers to let it come in contactwith nothing by the way that might dissipate or destroy the virtueimparted to it. Some have thought that Elisha himself entertainedsimilar ideas, and was under an impression that the actualapplication of his staff would serve as well as the touch of hishand. But this is an imputation dishonorable to the character of theprophet. He wished to teach the Shunammite, who obviously placed toogreat dependence upon him, a memorable lesson to look to God. Bysending his servant forward to lay his staff on the child, he raised[the Shunammite’s] expectations, but, at the same time, taught herthat his own help was unavailing”there was neither voice, norhearing.” The command, to salute no man by the way, showed theurgency of the mission, not simply as requiring the avoidance of thetedious and unnecessary greetings so common in the East (Lu10:1<\/span>), but the exercise of faith and prayer. The act of Gehaziwas allowed to fail, in order to free the Shunammite, and the peopleof Israel at large, of the superstitious notion of supposing amiraculous virtue resided in any person,<\/I> or in any rod,<\/I>and to prove that it was only through earnest prayer and faith in thepower of God and for His glory that this and every miracle was to beperformed.<\/P><\/p>\n Then he said to Gehazi, gird up thy loins<\/strong>,…. His loose and long garments about him, that he might make quicker dispatch in travelling:<\/p>\n and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way<\/strong>; not for the sake of travelling with it, but for an end after mentioned:<\/p>\n if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again<\/strong>; that so no time may be lost:<\/p>\n and lay my staff upon the face of the child<\/strong>; he not intending when he said this to go himself, but at the time, as near as he could, when this action was performed, would pray to God to restore life to the child; for he could not imagine that by this bare action it could be done.<\/p>\n (29) If thou meet any man, salute him not.<\/strong>An injunction of utmost haste<\/em>. (Comp. the similar words of our Saviour, Luk. 10:4<\/span>.) A short greeting might end in a long halt. Orientals lose much time in tedious salutations (Keil<\/em>).<\/p>\n Lay my staff upon the face of the child.<\/strong>It seems to be implied that if the mother had had faith this would have sufficed for raising the child. (Comp. 2Ki. 2:8<\/span>; Act. 19:12<\/span>.) Keil supposes that the prophet foresaw the failure of this expedient, and intended by it to teach the Shunammitess and his followers generally that the power of working miracles was not magically<\/em> inherent in himself or in his staff, as they might imagine, but only in Jehovah, who granted the temporary use of that power to faith and prayer. In other words, Elisha was seeking to lift the minds of his disciples to higher and more spiritual conceptions of the prophetic office. But this seems doubtful.<\/p>\n 29<\/strong>. <\/strong> If thou meet salute him not <\/strong> As though he had said, “You will have no time to linger, and a pausing to give or receive compliments may not only cause much waste of time, but so distract your thoughts as to frustrate the object of your mission.” When a miracle is wrought through many intermediate instruments and agencies it is necessary that those instruments be in perfect unison with each other, and in sympathy and harmony with the mind and will of Him with whom alone is the power to work miracles. <\/p>\n Lay my staff upon the face of the child <\/strong> Did Elisha expect that the child would be raised by this means? The Scripture does not say, and all attempts to answer this question must be at best merely conjectural. Keil thinks that Elisha sent Gehazi, not expecting that he would raise the child, but to show the Shunammite, and perhaps Gehazi also, that the power to work a miracle did not lie magically in himself or his staff, but solely in the power of God, exerted in answer to the prayer of faith. It is possible, however, that the failure was owing to the unfitness of Gehazi to work his part of the miracle, or to the fact that after Elisha had given this command to Gehazi and sent him away, he changed his mind and went himself with the woman. See more on 2Ki 4:31<\/span>.<\/p>\n It is gracious when Jesus sends his servants, the ministers of his gospel, to his people, and commissions them to good. But, oh! how infinitely surpassing the whole choir of angels in their ministering service, is the coming of Jesus himself. Yes! dearest Lord; like the Shunammite I would say, never shall my soul give over her importunity, till thou comest in thine own dear Person.<\/p>\n 2Ki 4:29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.<\/p>\n Ver. 29. If thou meet any man, salute him not.<\/strong> ] Stand not tattling, much less cracking, that thou shalt with that staff of mine raise a dead child. Some Rabbis think Gehazi did so; a<\/em> and thence that means proved ineffectual. But it seemeth rather to be the mother’s unbelief that made it so. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n a<\/em> Ridebat Gehazi dicendo obviis, Credisne baculum istum vitam restituere?<\/em> – R. Eliezer,<\/em> cap. 33.<\/p>\n said. In what Elisha said the signs given are put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6, for the things symbolized by them. <\/p>\n salute him not. Idiom. The salutation being ceremonial and taking time. <\/p>\n child. Hebrew. na’ar = youth. <\/p>\n Gird up thy loins: 2Ki 9:1, 1Ki 18:46, Eph 6:14, 1Pe 1:13 <\/p>\n take my: 2Ki 2:14, Exo 4:17 <\/p>\n salute him not: Luk 10:4 <\/p>\n lay my staff: 2Ki 2:8, 2Ki 2:14, Exo 7:19, Exo 7:20, Exo 14:16, Jos 6:4, Jos 6:5, Act 3:16, Act 19:12 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Gen 47:7 – And Jacob 2Ki 4:12 – Gehazi Pro 31:17 – girdeth Jer 1:17 – gird up Mat 17:16 – and they Mar 9:18 – and they Mar 16:8 – neither Joh 20:17 – Touch<\/p>\n 2Ki 4:29. He said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins Tie up thy long garments about thy loins for expedition. If thou meet any man, &c. Make no delays or stops by the way, either through words or actions, but go with all possible speed. See Luk 10:4. He requires this haste that the miracle might be done secretly and speedily, before the childs death was divulged, which might cause many inconveniences. And lay my staff upon the face of the child For God can work a miracle by the most unlikely and contemptible means, as he did by a rod, Exo 14:16; and a mantle, 2Ki 2:8.<\/p>\n 4:29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: {p} if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.<\/p>\n (p) Make such speed that nothing may stop you in the way, Lu 10:4.<\/p>\n Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. 29. Gird up thy loins ] With the … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 4:29”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9644"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9644\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
I. <\/strong>The power of Elishas faith, and the success which attended it.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>This weakness and this failure is to be seen at the very dawn of the trial now coming upon the prophet. The Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me (2Ki 4:27<\/span>), is the querulous expostulation of the now mortified prophet, even before the nature of the vexation had been ascertained. He is evidently greatly put out, not so much by the outward event itself, but at the circumstance of his friend being afflicted without his knowledge. How difficult it is to be honoured and lifted up, and yet to remain contented and humble! How many a follower of a great man upon earth is spoiled instead of improved by even just and moderate rewards of honour and confidence, and his previously gratified Lord has to take him down again! So it was with Elisha. He has a lesson to learn of dependent humility–and the Lord is <\/strong>going to teach it him. He follows up the hasty expression of his petulance and mortification by as hasty a proceeding, which, viewed in the most favourable light, is redolent of presumption and self-confidence: Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins and take my staff in thine hand; etc. Here is no prayer no earnest seeking, no humble inquiry of the Lord, What must I do? but, in the spirit of one aiming to work lying wonders rather than healing benefits, he puts his own staff into the hands of his servant, anticipating that a miracle might be wrought and a child restored to life by the simple touch of the holy staff, without his own presence or effort. Let us now examine ourselves on this event in Elishas history.<\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"