Berean Study Bible Elisha’s Prophecy of PlentyElisha served as the LORD’s prophet in the Northern Kingdom after Elijah. During the Aramean siege of Samaria, the city suffered a devastating famine, and the king and people saw no human solution. 2Ki 3:16-17 and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley… “Hear the word of the LORD! Elisha called the people to receive God’s announcement, not his own opinion. 2Ki 20:16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD: This is what the LORD says: He delivered a promise from the LORD concerning the immediate end of the crisis. 2Ki 20:1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill.… ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, The city gate, where commerce and public affairs were conducted, would become the visible setting for the fulfillment of God’s word. 1Ki 20:6 But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants… a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, Food that had become scarce and costly would be plentiful and affordable within a single day. 2Ki 6:25 So there was a great famine in Samaria… and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’” Even barley, commonly eaten by the poor, would be abundant. The precise prediction showed that the LORD would end the famine by His power and restore supplies to Samaria. Deu 28:53 Then you will eat the fruit of your womb,… But the officer on whose arm the king leaned A chief royal attendant, trusted by the king and holding authority at the gate of Samaria, spoke in the presence of Elisha during the siege and famine. 2Ki 5:18 Yet may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing:… answered the man of God, Elisha had announced that by the next day food would be abundant in Samaria, despite the city’s desperate conditions. 1Ki 13:14 He found him sitting under an oak tree… “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” The officer treated the promise as impossible, doubting that the LORD could so quickly reverse the famine and supply the city. Gen 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, … “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, Elisha confirmed that the LORD would fulfill His word and that the officer would personally witness it. Psa 91:8 You will only see it with your eyes, and witness… “but you will not eat any of it.” Because of his unbelief, the officer would see the abundance but would not share in it. The prophecy was fulfilled when he was trampled to death at the city gate as the people rushed out to gather the provisions left by the fleeing Arameans. Luk 14:24 For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited…
The Syrians FleeThe men suffered from a skin disease that made them ceremonially unclean under the Law, requiring separation from the community. They remained outside Samaria’s gate, excluded from the city yet near enough to seek food or aid. During the Syrian siege, their position left them especially vulnerable to famine. Lev 13:45-46 A diseased person must wear torn clothes… and they said to one another, Bound together by their shared condition and desperate circumstances, they considered their limited choices. Gen 37:19-20 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.… “Why just sit here until we die? Death seemed certain if they remained where they were, since the city had no food to spare and they could not enter freely. Their decision to act set in motion the discovery of the abandoned Syrian camp and became the means by which news of God’s deliverance reached Samaria. 2Ki 6:25-29 So there was a great famine in Samaria… If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; Samaria was under Aramean siege, and the famine within its walls had become catastrophic. What should have been a place of refuge could no longer sustain its inhabitants. The lepers understood that entering the city offered only starvation. 2Ki 6:25-29 So there was a great famine in Samaria… but if we sit here, we will also die. Excluded from the city because of their uncleanness, the four men had no food or protection outside the gate. Remaining where they were meant certain death. Jer 38:2 This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city… So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. The enemy camp was their only remaining possibility of finding food. Though the decision exposed them to danger, desperation drove them to act rather than wait for death. 1Sa 14:6 Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come… If they let us live, we will live; The lepers hoped the Arameans might spare them and provide what they needed. Their limited expectation became the means by which God would reveal His deliverance for Samaria. 1Ki 20:31-32 Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, … if they kill us, we will die.” Since death was certain if they remained, they accepted the risk of approaching the Arameans. Their decision led them to discover that the Lord had already caused the enemy army to flee. Est 4:16 Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found… So they arose at twilight Shut out of Samaria because of their disease and facing death by famine, the four lepers acted when daylight was fading. Their decision marked a desperate but necessary departure from the city’s hopeless conditions. Jdg 7:19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts… and went to the camp of the Arameans. The Aramean army had surrounded Samaria, contributing to the severe famine within the city. The lepers reasoned that surrendering to the enemy offered their only possibility of survival. Jdg 7:21-22 Each Israelite took his position around the camp… But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, Reaching the edge of the enemy encampment, they expected to encounter soldiers and guards. Instead, they entered the place from which the Arameans had suddenly fled. Jdg 7:17-18 “Watch me and do as I do,” Gideon said… there was not a man to be found. The camp was deserted because the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of a great army and abandon their supplies, animals, and tents. What had appeared to be the source of Israel’s danger became the means of God’s provision for the starving city. Jer 4:25 I looked, and no man was left; all the birds of the air… For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, God intervened directly as Samaria suffered under the Aramean, or Syrian, siege. Though no advancing force was present, He made the camp hear what seemed to be a massive army approaching, turning the besiegers’ confidence into terror. 2Ki 6:18-20 As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed… so that they said to one another, The sudden fear spread throughout the Aramean camp. Convinced that an attack was imminent, they interpreted the sound according to the military dangers they knew. Jdg 7:22 And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded,… “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.” The Arameans assumed that Jehoram had secured support from powerful neighboring rulers. The Hittite kingdoms to the north and Egypt represented forces capable of threatening their army, so they fled before an enemy that God alone had created in their hearing. 1Ki 10:28-29 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue;… Thus the Arameans had arisen and fled at twilight, God had caused the Aramean army to hear what they believed was the approach of powerful allied forces. Convinced that Israel had hired foreign armies against them, they fled in panic under cover of evening. 1Ki 20:20-21 and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled,… abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys. Their retreat was so sudden that they left behind the equipment, animals, food, and supplies needed to sustain a military camp. What had been an instrument of Samaria’s suffering became a source of provision for the starving city. Num 31:7-12 Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had… The camp was intact, Nothing had been destroyed or removed in an orderly withdrawal. The untouched camp showed that the Arameans had not been defeated by an Israelite attack but had been driven away by fear the Lord had brought upon them. 1Sa 17:52-54 Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward… and they had run for their lives. Though no army pursued them, they ran for their lives in terror, as if immediate destruction were upon them. The siege ended without Israel’s military strength, fulfilling the promised deliverance for Samaria. Gen 19:17 As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said,… When the lepers reached the edge of the camp, Four men excluded from Samaria because of their disease found the Aramean camp deserted. The Lord had caused the Aramean army to flee, leaving behind its supplies and possessions. Lev 13:46 As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean.… they went into a tent to eat and drink. Hunger and fear gave way to immediate relief as they found food and drink in the abandoned tents. What had seemed certain death outside the city became unexpected provision. Gen 18:8 Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf… Then they carried off the silver, gold, and clothing, The camp contained far more than food. The valuables and garments showed the completeness of the Arameans’ flight and the abundance the Lord had provided. Jos 7:21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar… and went and hid them. At first, the men kept their discovery to themselves, securing goods for their own future. Jos 7:22-23 So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent,… On returning, they entered another tent, carried off some items from there, and hid them. Their repeated actions reveal their concern for personal survival, but they soon recognized that the news of deliverance belonged to the starving people of Samaria. 1Sa 17:53 When the Israelites returned from their pursuit… Finally, they said to one another, After taking food, silver, gold, and clothing from the deserted camp, the four lepers recognized the desperate condition of Samaria. Though excluded from the city because of their disease, they became the first witnesses of God’s deliverance. Gen 37:19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another. “We are not doing what is right. While the city suffered famine, they had found abundant provisions. Keeping the discovery to themselves would have meant benefiting from the people’s distress. Jas 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do,… Today is a day of good news. The Aramean army had fled, leaving behind food, supplies, and wealth. What had seemed impossible in the besieged city had come about exactly as the Lord had declared through Elisha. Pro 25:25 Like cold water to a weary soul is good news… If we are silent and wait until morning light, Further delay could cost lives within Samaria and would make them responsible for withholding the news. Est 4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief… our sin will overtake us. They understood that their silence would bring guilt and deserved judgment. Num 32:23 But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin… Now, therefore, let us go and tell the king’s household.” The lepers returned to the city gate and reported what they had found, setting in motion the deliverance of Samaria from famine. 2Sa 18:19-20 “Please let me run and tell the king the good news… So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city, Though excluded from the city because of their leprosy, the four men became the first witnesses of Israel’s deliverance. They reported their discovery to the gatekeepers, who controlled access to Samaria and relayed urgent news to the city’s leaders and inhabitants. 2Sa 18:24-27 Now David was sitting between the two gates… saying, “We went to the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a trace— The Aramean army had fled during the night after the Lord caused them to hear the sound of a great approaching force. Their empty camp confirmed that the siege had ended exactly as Elisha had foretold. Jdg 7:21-22 Each Israelite took his position around the camp… only tethered horses and donkeys, The animals remained secured because the soldiers had fled in sudden terror, leaving behind resources that would benefit the starving people of Samaria. 1Ki 10:26-29 Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses,… and the tents were intact.” The untouched tents and supplies showed that the retreat was immediate and complete. God had removed Israel’s enemy without battle and provided abundance where famine had prevailed. Jdg 6:5 For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents… The gatekeepers shouted the news, The gatekeepers quickly announced what the lepers had reported: the Aramean army had fled, leaving its camp, supplies, and provisions behind. Their urgent proclamation carried the news from the city entrance to those responsible for the city’s defense and order. Isa 52:8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices,… and it was reported to the king’s household. The report reached the royal court, where the king and his officials would decide how to respond. What appeared impossible during the siege had occurred exactly as Elisha had declared: the Lord had removed the Aramean threat and provided food for the starving city. 2Sa 18:31-33 Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king… So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, The king, Jehoram son of Ahab, acted quickly because Samaria’s famine had left the city fearful and vulnerable. He summoned his servants at night to assess what appeared to be an unexpected opportunity. Est 6:1 That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered… “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. Convinced that the enemy was using deception, he interpreted the abandoned camp as a deliberate military strategy rather than a deliverance. 2Ki 6:8-10 Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel.… They know we are starving, The siege had reduced Samaria to extreme hunger, making its defenders likely to rush out for food and supplies. The king believed the Arameans understood their desperation. 2Ki 6:25 So there was a great famine in Samaria… so they have left the camp to hide in the field, He suspected the Aramean army had concealed itself nearby, waiting for Israelites to leave the protection of the city walls. Jos 8:12-14 Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and… thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city.’” In the king’s view, the enemy intended to capture those who emerged, then use the confusion to seize Samaria. His fear showed how completely the siege had shaken the city, though the Arameans had fled because the LORD had intervened. 1Ki 20:18 “If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them…”… But one of his servants replied, Amid the king’s despair, a servant offers a practical course of action. His counsel contrasts with the paralysis and fear that had taken hold within the starving city. 2Ki 5:13 Naaman’s servants, however, approached him and said,… “Please, have scouts take five of the horses that remain in the city. The siege had reduced Samaria’s resources to almost nothing. Even the remaining horses were dying, yet they could still be used to investigate the Aramean camp. 2Ki 13:7 Jehoahaz had no army left, except fifty horsemen,… Their plight will be no worse than all the Israelites who are left here. Those sent out would face danger, but those remaining in the city faced the certainty of death from famine. The servant recognizes that there is little left to lose. Jer 24:8-10 But like the bad figs, so bad they cannot be eaten,… You can see that all the Israelites here are doomed. The severity of the famine had brought the city to the edge of destruction. Humanly speaking, no escape or provision remained. Jer 21:8-10 Furthermore, you are to tell this people… So let us send them and find out.” The king accepts the proposal to investigate what had happened outside the city, leading to the discovery that the Lord had caused the Aramean army to flee. 2Ki 6:13 So the king said, “Go and see where he is,”… Then the scouts took two chariots with horses, The king sent a small reconnaissance force beyond Samaria to test the report that the Arameans had fled. Chariots gave the men speed and protection as they traveled through territory that might still have been occupied by enemy soldiers. 2Ki 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots… and the king sent them after the Aramean army, Samaria had suffered under the Aramean siege, and the king could not risk opening the city or sending out the people without confirmation. The mission would determine whether the retreat was real or a trap intended to draw Israel into the open. 1Sa 30:8-10 David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders?”… saying, “Go and see.” The men were ordered to inspect the enemy’s route and return with reliable evidence. Their investigation would confirm the deliverance God had brought about during the night. 2Ki 6:13-14 So the king said, “Go and see where he is,”… And they tracked them as far as the Jordan, The scouts followed the Aramean route to the Jordan River, confirming that the enemy army had fled far beyond Samaria. Reaching the river showed that the retreat was complete and that the immediate threat to Israel had ended. Jdg 8:4 Then Gideon and his three hundred men… and indeed, the whole way was littered with the clothing and equipment Along the road, the scouts found supplies, garments, and military equipment abandoned by the fleeing soldiers. The evidence matched the report of the lepers and showed that the Arameans had left their camp in sudden fear. Exo 12:35-36 Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word… the Arameans had thrown off in haste. The army had discarded anything that slowed its escape. God had caused them to believe they were facing a massive invading force, and their panic turned the siege into a complete rout without Israel having to fight. Exo 12:11 This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed… So the scouts returned and told the king. Their report verified the empty camp and confirmed Elisha’s promise that the siege would end. The king and the people now had reliable evidence that God had delivered Samaria from the Arameans. Num 13:26 and they went back to Moses, Aaron, and the congregation…
Elisha’s Prophecy FulfilledWith the Aramean army gone, Samaria’s starving population found the abandoned camp filled with food, animals, clothing, and valuable goods. The siege had ended without Israel needing to fight. Num 31:11-12 and carried away all the plunder and spoils,… It was then that a seah of fine flour sold for a shekel, Fine flour, once unattainable during the famine, became available at the price Elisha had announced. The abundance immediately reversed the inflated prices caused by the siege. Amo 8:5-6 “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain?… and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, Barley also became plentiful, providing food for those who had suffered most under the famine. What had been a desperate shortage became an unexpected surplus overnight. Rev 6:6 And I heard what sounded like a voice… according to the word of the LORD. The outcome occurred exactly as God had spoken through Elisha. The deliverance of Samaria showed that the Lord ruled over Israel’s enemies, the siege, and the city’s need. Jos 21:45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel… Now the king had appointed the officer on whose arm he leaned The king placed this trusted senior official in a position of public responsibility during the crisis. 2Ki 5:18 Yet may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing:… to be in charge of the gate, The city gate controlled access to Samaria and became the point where the people would gather when food entered the city. 2Ki 11:6 a third shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third… but the people trampled him in the gateway, When the siege suddenly ended and provisions became available, the desperate crowd rushed through the gate and crushed the officer. 2Ki 9:33 “Throw her down!” yelled Jehu. So they threw her down… and he died, just as the man of God had foretold His death fulfilled Elisha’s judgment after he had doubted the Lord’s promise of abundant food. 2Ki 1:4 Therefore this is what the LORD says: … when the king had come to him. The prophecy had been spoken in the king’s presence during the siege, leaving no doubt that its fulfillment came according to God’s word. 2Ki 13:14-19 When Elisha had fallen sick with the illness… It happened just as the man of God had told the king: Elisha’s prediction was fulfilled exactly, confirming that the Lord had spoken through him. The king had heard the promise during Samaria’s desperate siege, when famine had made such abundance seem impossible. 1Ki 8:56 Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel… “About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, The city gate served as Samaria’s public marketplace and gathering place. The reversal would occur openly, where the effects of the siege and the sudden availability of food could be seen by all. 1Ki 22:10 Dressed in royal attire, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat… two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel, Barley, commonly eaten by the poor and used as animal feed, had become scarce during the famine. Its price now reflected a dramatic return of food supplies. Rev 6:6 And I heard what sounded like a voice… and a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel.” Fine flour was more desirable than barley, yet it too became available at an ordinary price. The abundance came swiftly after the Aramean army fled, leaving its provisions behind, just as Elisha had declared. 1Ki 17:14-16 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:… And the officer had answered the man of God, The royal officer had openly dismissed Elisha’s promise that food would be plentiful in Samaria by the next day. Elisha, speaking for the Lord, answered his unbelief with a solemn warning. 2Ki 1:9 Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company… “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, The officer considered such provision impossible even if God were to pour supplies down from heaven. The severity of the famine made Elisha’s prediction seem beyond belief. Gen 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, … could this really happen?” His question revealed contempt for the word God had spoken through His prophet. Gen 18:14 Is anything too difficult for the LORD?… So Elisha had replied, Elisha declared the certain outcome of both the promised deliverance and the officer’s judgment. 1Ki 17:13-14 “Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her… “You will see it with your own eyes, The officer would live to witness the sudden abundance God provided when the Aramean army fled and left its camp behind. Deu 34:4 And the LORD said to him, “This is the land… but you will not eat any of it!” Though he saw the prophecy fulfilled, he was trampled to death at the city gate by the crowd rushing out for food. Deu 28:30-31 You will be pledged in marriage to a woman.… And that is just what happened to him. Elisha’s word was fulfilled exactly. The officer had dismissed the promise of abundant food in Samaria, even though the Lord had declared it through His prophet. He lived to see the provision arrive but did not share in it. 1Ki 2:27 So Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD… The people trampled him in the gateway, Stationed at the city gate to manage the crowds, the officer was overwhelmed as the starving people rushed out to seize the supplies abandoned by the Arameans. The place where he exercised authority became the scene of his judgment. Luk 12:1 In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered,… and he died. His death completed Elisha’s warning: he would see the food with his own eyes but would not eat any of it. The outcome revealed both the certainty of God’s word and the serious consequence of rejecting it. 2Ki 1:17 So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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