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The Swimming of the Ax-Head. —
v. 1. And the sons of the prophets, probably those living at Jericho, said unto Elisha, Behold, now, the place where we dwell with thee, literally, "before thy face," under his supervision, is too strait for us, the present buildings no longer offered sufficient room for their increasing number.
v. 2. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan and take thence every man a beam, by cutting down some of the large trees near the river and preparing them for the walls of the new building, and let us make us a place there where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye, he gladly gave his consent.
v. 3. And one said, Be content, let it please thee, I pray thee, and go with thy servants, they believed that the presence of the prophet would bring blessing and success to their labor. And he answered, I will go.
v. 4. So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood, felling some of the trees which grew along its banks.
v. 5. But as one was felling a beam, the ax-head, slipping its helve, fell into the water; and he cried and said, Alas, master, for it was borrowed! He had begged its use for the work at hand, since he was too poor to buy an ax.
v. 6. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he, Elisha, cut down a stick and cast it in thither, where the iron had sunk to the bottom; and the iron did swim, lifted up by the water against the course of nature, it floated on the surface.
v. 7. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand and took it. We see here that the Lord is willing to help even in small things, in the little embarrassments of life.