Synopsis of the Chapter
Elisha foretells that Samaria will be freed from the siege and famine the next day: and so it happens. For God, sending terror upon the Syrians through phantom sounds of enemies, puts them to flight. Whence the Hebrews plunder their camp, and there is abundance of provisions.
Verse 1: At This Time Tomorrow a Measure of Fine Flour ¶
1. AT THIS TIME TOMORROW A MEASURE OF FINE FLOUR SHALL BE SOLD FOR ONE STATER, that is, it will be sold for one shekel, that is, one French franc, namely four julii or reals, as if to say: Tomorrow there will be the greatest abundance of grain, through which all the want and famine of Samaria will be removed, and all things will be purchased at a low price.
Allegorically, "Ben-hadad" is the devil, who was besieging Samaria, that is, the old Church, and was causing a great spiritual famine of the Word of God, and of salvation and heavenly things. Elisha came, that is, Christ, who by Himself and through His Apostles preaching everywhere, removed this famine, and brought it about that everywhere there are teachers who preach the Word of God, and who teach the way of salvation, virtue, and perfection. So Eucherius and Angelomus.
Verse 2: If the Lord Should Make Floodgates in Heaven ¶
2. IF THE LORD SHOULD MAKE FLOODGATES IN HEAVEN, so that through them He might rain down wheat, as the waters rained down in the flood of Noah, and manna in the desert, Exodus chapter 16: "Could what you say possibly come to pass?" As if to say: It is impossible that in such a dearth of things such abundance should suddenly occur, that wheat should be sold at so low a price, and one measure purchased for one stater.
YOU SHALL SEE IT WITH YOUR EYES, BUT YOU SHALL NOT EAT OF IT, because you will be crushed by the crowd of people in the gate: and this will happen by the just judgment of God on account of your unbelief, by which you do not believe this oracle of mine from God; because you seem to think that this deed is impossible even for God, for whom all things are possible. Therefore you deny God His omnipotence. So Abulensis.
Verse 6: The Lord Had Caused the Sound of Chariots ¶
6. FOR THE LORD HAD CAUSED THE SOUND OF CHARIOTS AND HORSES to be heard in the camp of the Syrians — of hostile forces invading them: and so He terrified the Syrians, so that in dismay they fled and left Samaria free. So Josephus. See here how divine power plays with human affairs. For He could have sent Angels against the Syrians, who would have immediately slaughtered them all; He could have struck them with lightning; He could have destroyed them with heavenly fire, and in a thousand other ways. But He did not wish to; He wished to crush their pride by an empty sound, by a false imagination, by a ridiculous fear, whereby they feared to be struck where there was no fear, and throwing away all their possessions, they fled, wishing only to save their lives. A similar panic fear of a host of enemies coming against them, God sent into the camp of Midian, when Gideon with three hundred soldiers, smashing blazing jars and blowing trumpets, invaded it, Judges 7:19.
Verse 13: Let Us Take Five of the Horses That Remain ¶
13. LET US TAKE FIVE OF THE HORSES THAT REMAIN IN THE CITY, FOR THEY ALONE ARE LEFT IN THE WHOLE MULTITUDE OF ISRAEL, that is, in all of Samaria, which is the capital and metropolis of the kingdom of Israel, that is, of the ten tribes. Our translator read ככל bechal, that is, in the whole; but now instead of ב they read the similar ככל kechal, that is, like the whole. Whence the Chaldean, Pagninus, Vatablus translate: behold, they are like the whole multitude of Israel, as if to say: Just as the whole people in Samaria is lean and consumed by famine, so also these five horses that remain in it are emaciated and consumed by famine.
Verse 17: Whom the Crowd Trampled at the Entrance of the Gate ¶
17. WHOM THE CROWD TRAMPLED AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE GATE, because the gate was narrow and the crowd immense: which, ravenous with hunger, was almost mad to get to the food that was in the camp of the Syrians; whence that captain of the gate, wishing to control this crowd and divide it into groups lest they crush one another, was himself oppressed and crushed by the same crowd violently rushing in: thus Elisha's oracle was in every respect true and certain.