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The Flight of the Syrian Army
v. 1. Then, while the king of Israel and the elders of the city were in the house of the prophet, Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord, tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour, a little more than eight quarts of the finest wheatflour, be sold for a shekel (about 64 cents), and two measures of barley, almost seventeen quarts, for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria, where the public market was usually held.
v. 2. Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned, one of his retinue, an adjutant, answered the man of God and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, causing barley and flour to rain down from the sky, might this thing be? This was not merely reasonable doubt, but open, bitter scorn, the scoffing and jesting of unbelief. And he, Elisha, said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, namely, the promised cheapness and plenty, but shalt not eat thereof, he would be punished for his unbelief. The manner in which this was brought about is next related.
v. 3. And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate, just outside the city wall, for they were not permitted to have their dwelling in the city, Lev_13:46; Num_5:3. And they, since they no longer received any food from the people in the city, said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
v. 4. If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is In the city, hunger stared them in the face there as well, and we shall die there; and if we sit still here, we die also. Now, therefore, come and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians, deserting to the enemy in this extremity; if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
v. 5. And they rose up in the twilight, in the dusk of evening, when they could no longer be seen from the city, to go unto the camp of the Syrians; and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, the place of the outposts nearest the city, behold, there was no man there, the entire camp was deserted.
v. 6. For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host; for so the soldiers explained to themselves the continuous and increasing rushing and roaring in the air, their ears being deceived through the power of God. And they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, whose forces might be expected from the north, and the kings of the Egyptians, who would come upon them from the south, to come upon us. It was a panic brought about by the direct interference of God.
v. 7. Wherefore they arose, with one frightened impulse, and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their asses, even the camp as it was, their terror being so great and so unreasonable that they abandoned everything, and fled for their life.
v. 8. And when these lepers, those spoken of above, came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent and did eat and drink, for they found food in abundance, and carried thence silver and gold and raiment, and went and hid it, as their legitimate plunder; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it, for the ease with which the deserted camp could be plundered stimulated their covetousness.
v. 9. Then they said one to another, their conscience reminding them of the duty which they owed their fellow-citizens, We do not well; this day is a day of good tidings, which they were bound to communicate to the people of Samaria as soon as possible, and we hold our peace; if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us, they would be sure to be found out and suffer punishment, and justly so. Now, therefore, come that we may go and tell the king's household, make a report to the palace of the king.
v. 10. So they came and called unto the porter, the watchman of the guard, of the city, the man stationed at the gate; and they told them, all the watchmen who hurried up at their call, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, no person to be seen or heard, but horses tied and asses tied, and the tents as they were.
v. 11. And he called the porters, all the members of the guard; and they told it to the king's house within, they made the report required in such cases. There is nothing impossible with the Lord; He is able to help when men are at their wits' end and have given up all hope.