1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.
4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.
20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
24 And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
26 And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
27 And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
28 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.
29 So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31 Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
32 But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?
33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?
<html><b>The disciples of the prophets said.</b> The miracles that were performed through him, he continues to list. Our Rabbis said, that from here [we deduce] that Geichazi would reject the students [who came] before him,1<i class=“footnote”>I.e., many of the students who came previously, found Geichazi’s behavior and bad character repulsive and did not stay while he was around.</i> and when he was banished, many students came, and the place became cramped on account of them.2<i class=“footnote”>See Maseches Sotah 47a.</i></html>
<html><b>Agree.</b> Be willing.</html>
<html><b>The iron [ax blade].</b> The ax head. <b>It is borrowed.</b> I borrowed it, and I have no funds to pay [for it].</html>
<html><b>Floated up.</b> Floated upon the water.3<i class=“footnote”>Elisha cut a new handle to fit the head of the ax and threw it into the water. The new handle found the hole in the blade, went into it, and floated back up with the blade attached.—Radak</i></html>
<html><b>Concealed, secret.</b> [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “covered and hidden.” “פלוני” is an expression of, “If it be concealed [=יפלא],”4<i class=“footnote”>Devarim 17:8.</i> it will be covered.5<i class=“footnote”>See Megillas Rus 4:1 and Rashi there.</i> <b>Secret.</b> Without a name, for he did not want it to be revealed. <b>I will make my camp.</b> There I will encamp and ambush the king of Yisroel or his bands who pass to plunder in my land through that place.</html>
<html><b>Not to pass by this place.</b> From going there. <b>Are encamped.</b> Are encamped.</html>
<html><b>The king of Yisroel dispatched [scouts].</b> He would send and see whether it was true. <b>And warned him.</b> The man of God had warned him passing there. <b>Not once and not twice.</b> Did he do so for him, but many times.</html>
<html><b>Over this situation.</b> Who was revealing his secret.</html>
<html><b>Where he is.</b> Where he is.6<i class=“footnote”>See Shir Hashirim 1:7 for a similar expression.</i>7<i class=“footnote”>According to Malbim, this was not a hostile act. The king sent his men to invite Elisha to his court in the hope of winning him over.</i></html>
<html><b>Those who are with us.</b> To help us.</html>
<html><b>And said, “Please strike, etc.”</b> On the curse he did not mention the Name [of God],8<i class=“footnote”>Because it is not proper that G’s Name be associated with evil and curses. See Bereishis Rabbah 3:6.</i> but for opening [the eyes] he mentioned the Name [of God] on both of them, concerning opening the attendant’s [eyes], and concerning opening the troop’s eyes. <b>With blindness.</b> A sickness of confusion; one sees, yet does not know what he sees.9<i class=“footnote”>See Bereishis 19:11.</i></html>
<html><b>Nor is this the city.</b> Wherein the prophet is found. He told them the truth because he had already left it.</html>
<html><b>[Would you slay] those you captured, etc.</b> Is it your custom to slay those whom you bring into captivity (and destroy them)?</html>
<html><b>He prepared.</b> An expression of preparing a meal.</html>
<html><b>Pigeon dung.</b> Dung that flows from the doves.10<i class=“footnote”>When they no longer had wood to cook with, they used dung for fuel.</i></html>
<html><b>“Save me, my master, the king!”</b> He thought that she was asking for food.</html>
<html><b>But she has hidden her son.</b> [Who was] dead, and she wants to eat him by herself.11<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, the other woman’s child was alive and she was hiding him to save his life.—Radak</i></html>
<html><b>The people saw.</b> Through the tear [they saw] the sackcloth under his garments.</html>
<html><b>If the head of Elisha son of Shophot stands.</b> For he is able to beg for mercy.12<i class=“footnote”>He could have ended the hunger through prayer as Eliyahu had done. See I Melochim 18:41-45. But he failed to do so.</i></html>
<html><b>And he sent a man from his presence.</b> The king sent [a man] to kill him, and before the messenger had come to Elisha, it was revealed to him through the Divine Spirit, and he said to the elders, etc., [after which Scripture states,] “and behold the messenger was coming down to him,” and the king was after him.</html>
<html><b>He said.</b> The king. <b>“Behold, this tragedy is from Adonoy.”</b> This is one of the curses that He cursed through Moshe, “And you will eat the flesh of your womb, etc., in the siege and in the distress, etc.”13<i class=“footnote”>Devarim 28:53.</i> <b>What more can I hope for from Adonoy?</b> To save, it will surely not avail.14<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, מָה אוֹחִיל means “what more can I pray [=אוֹחִיל] before God?”—Targum </i></html>