For ever. Not perhaps to those who might be already born, unless they were accomplices in the crime. The leprosy is hereditary. Giezi was punished for simony, in selling the miracle, as well as for lying and disobedience. (Calmet) --- He might also have given occasion to Naaman to judge ill of his master; as the false prophets were noted for such avarice, Micheas iii. 11. But Eliseus would probably take care to give him better information. (Tirinus) --- He did not require his servant to give up what he had unjustly received, as the general had made over the property to him; and he thought proper to leave it in the hands of Giezi, to indemnity him for past services, and that he might have wherewith to support himself, as he now dismissed him from his company. (Salien, the year before Christ 903.) --- Snow, and therefore more incurable. (Tirinus) --- See Leviticus xiii. (Calmet) --- "All the covetous and misers, together with their riches, possess the leprosy of Giezi:" thesaurum criminum congregarunt. (St. Ambrose) Giezi prefigured Judas, the false apostles of Christ, and all those who buy or sell spiritual things. By their avarice, they procure infamy in this world, and damnation in the next. (St. Augustine, ep. 208, de Temp.) (Worthington) CHAPTER V. Timber. Hebrew and Septuagint, "a beam." Salien supposes that these prophets resided at Galgal. (Menochius) Borrowed. He was grieved because he could not repair the loss. (Worthington) Swam. So; Demersam fluvio relevavit virga securim. (Tertullian, contra Marc.) The Fathers here remark a figure of the cross of Jesus Christ; the virtue of which, in baptism, reclaims the hardened sinner from the ways of vanity. (Tertullian, contra Jud\'e6os xiii.) (Calmet) --- Those who would explain the reason of every miracle, may here inform the infidel why recourse was had to a supernatural interference, in a matter apparently of such a trifling nature. They ask why God should cause the eyes of various pictures in Italy to move on a late occasion; and because they cannot assign a satisfactory reason, they boldly assert that all was an imposture. But this mode of argumentation is very delusive, if not impious. " Who hat been his counsellor? " (Romans xi. 34.) All that we have to do is to believe, when the proofs are of such a nature as to require our rational assent. And such, which the king would mention. (Menochius) --- The causes of this war are not known; but an ambitious prince always finds pretexts to cover his injustice. (Calmet) Twice, but very frequently: so that the Syrian feared some treachery. (Haydock) Chamber. It is difficult therefore for the saints in heaven to hear our prayers? though they have not such long ears as Calvin ridicules. (Haydock) Take him. Foolish attempt! as if the prophet could not foresee his own danger. (Salien) --- Dothan or Dothain, (Genesis xxxvii. 17.) twelve miles north of Samaria. (Eusebius; Calmet) Adrichomius says, in the tribe of Zabulon. (Menochius) Of an, or, "of the army." To take one man was judged of such consequence; and Benadad feared lest the Israelites should rise up in his defence. (Haydock) Servant, Giezi; as his leprosy is placed too soon. (Salien) (Menochius) Of fire. The angels assumed such a glorious and terrible appearance. One of them would have sufficed to destroy all the army of Syria; and thus the servant might be convinced how vain were all attempts against God's servants, Psalm cxliv. 19. (Salien, the year before Christ 907.) Jacob beheld such camps of angels, (Genesis xxxii. 1, 2.) and our Saviour speaks of the legions which he could have brought forward, Matthew xxvi. 53. (Calmet) Blindness. The blindness here spoken of was of a particular kind, which hindered them from seeing the objects that were really before them; and represented other different object to their imagination; so that they no longer perceived the city of Dothan, nor were able to know the person of Eliseus; but were easily led by him, whom they took to be another man, to Samaria. Sot that he truly told them; this is not the way, neither is this the city, &c., because he spoke with relation to the way, and to the city which was represented to them. (Challoner) --- Stratagems in war are lawful. (St. Chrysostom, &c.) (Grotius, Jur. iii. 1, 17.) The words of the prophet might be merely ironical. --- Blindness, Septuagint Greek: aorasia, "not seeing" certain objects, while they could perceive others; as was the case of the men who sought Lot's door at Sodom; (Genesis xix. 11.; Calmet) and the eyes of the disciples were held, that they might not know our Saviour. Eliseus had left his house, going towards Samaria to meet the soldiers; and when they asked him where the prophet dwelt, he answered truly, This, &c. For he was then near the royal city, and is above was at Dothan. (Salien) (Haydock) --- The reprobate will thus acknowledge their error, when it is too late, at the last day. For thou. Hebrew, "Dost thou kill, &c.?" If those who have surrendered themselves in battle be often spared, though they might be slain by the strict laws of war, how much less ought these men to be treated with such severity? (Calmet) --- Sicut bellanti &resistenti violentia redditur: ita victo vel capto misericorida jam debetur. (St. Augustine, ep. 1. ad Bonif.) (Grotius) --- And water, all necessary provisions. (Worthington) --- These men were suffered to live that they might relate the wonders of God. (Theodoret, q. 20.) Meats. So the apostle orders us to treat our enemies, Romans xii. 20. --- The robbers, these soldiers, who were dismissed. (Haydock) --- No more, or, "no farther." (Haydock) during this war, or in small troops; but, a little later, Benadad came with all his forces to besiege Samaria. (Tirinus) --- He was enraged at Eliseus and Joram, as if they despised his power. (Salien) In Samaria. It had raged in all the country above three years, (Salien) and continued other four, chap. viii. 1. The continuance of the siege added fresh horrors. --- Pieces is not expressed in Hebrew: a sicle is understood. (Haydock) --- Lyranus supposes that the whole ass was sold for about 38 crowns, (Haydock) or 130 livres; as we say commonly, "so much a head." But interpreters generally assert that the price of the head alone is given; which shews more forcibly the greatness of the famine. On other occasions the animal could not be eaten by the Jews. Artaxerxes was forced to kill his beasts of burden; and an ass's head was then sold for 60 drachms, or 25 livres. When Hannibal besieged Casilinum, a mouse (or rat) was sold for above 70, or for 200 denari. (Pliny, [Natural History?] viii. 57.) (V. Max. vii. 6, 3.) --- Cabe. Sufficient measure of corn for a man's daily sustenance. (Menochius) --- The fourth part would be about a gill. (Haydock) --- Dung. Bochart maintains that "chick-peas" are designated. The Arabic usnen and kali, "pigeon or sparrows' dung," are real eatables. Those who suppose that the Samaritans bought the dung of pigeons to use as salt or for food, or to burn, or to manure the earth, &c., produce not satisfactory reasons; no more than the Rabbins, who pretend that the corn which they had picked up was taken from their crop. (Tr. Megil. 3., and the Scholastic History.) Junius and Fuller would translate "belly," which is refuted by Bochart. (Anim. T. ii. B. i. 7.) Very disgusting things have often been used through extreme hunger, (Grotius) and some sort of birds' dung is said to fatten oxen and swine. (Varro 38.; Pliny xvii. 9.) --- But what nutriment can there be in that of pigeons, that people should go to buy it? (Calmet) --- Houbigant understands a sort of peas is meant. (Haydock) --- The Hebrews called them kali when they were parched; and such food was very common, 2 Kings xvii. 28. (Bellon. ii. 53, and 99.) (Calmet) CHAPTER VI. Save Many ancient manuscripts read salvet, conformably to the Hebrew and Septuagint, as if the king cursed the woman: "Let not the Lord save thee," Josephus [Antiquities?] ix. 4. Others place the stops differently: "He said, no: the Lord save thee." (Calmet) --- He is the author of life. (Menochius) Eat him. Strange cruelty! foretold [in] Deuteronomy xxviii. 53, and again verified at Jerusalem, Ezechiel v. 10. Passed by, without punishing such a horrid crime, as he esteemed his own sins the occasion of it. (Menochius) --- Flesh. Behold the advantage to be derived from afflictions! They make the most hardened enter into sentiments of humility and penance. (Calmet) --- Abulensis thinks that God was pleased to cause the siege to be raised, to reward this act; as a similar one of Joram's father had merited a delay and mitigation of punishment, (Haydock) 3 Kings xxi. 27. (Salien) Day. This was said in a fit of sudden passion, which may give us reason to conclude that the repentance was insincere, or of short duration. (Haydock) --- The king supposed that he Eliseus could remedy the evil: but God was not moved by his prayers to grant such a favour, till all were convinced that human aid was fruitless. (Calmet) --- The prophet might have answered Joram in the words of Elias, 3 Kings xviii. 18. (Menochius) --- Probably he had dissuaded the king from making peace. (Tirinus) Murderer. Achab had slain Naboth, and Jezabel had destroyed the prophets. (Calmet) And he, Joram, (Menochius, &c.) after (Haydock) his messenger. (Estius) (Piscator) --- What, &c. All is desperate; (Calmet) our miseries cannot increase. (Menochius) --- I have nothing now to fear or to hope for. (Salien) A stater. It is the same as a sicle or shekel. (Challoner) --- As it is in Hebrew and Septuagint. --- Bushel, or "measure," (Haydock) above 9 pints. --- Gate, where the market place commonly was. (Calmet) Lords. Hebrew shalish, "an officer" of the first rank, Exodus xiv. 7. Septuagint Greek: tristates, which Josephus explains of one who "commands a third part of the army." (Calmet) --- Flood-gates. If corn should fall with the same abundance as water does from the cataracts of the Nile; or, Hebrew, "if the Lord should make windows," &c., to pour it down, (Calmet) could it possibly be so cheap? (Menochius) --- Thereof. Thus his incredulity was punished, ver. 17. (Salien) --- Reason must not pretend to reach the power of God, but ought to believe what he says. (Worthington) Lepers. They were excluded from society, though the laws of religion were ill observed in Israel. The Rabbins say, these four were Giezi and his three sons. (Calmet) --- But this is without foundation, (Haydock) as Giezi was not yet a leper, chap. viii. 5. --- Salien places that judgment two years later. (Haydock) Evening. Hebrew, "twilight." --- First part, where the advanced guard should be, or the nearest tents. Hethites. Septuagint, "Chetteans." Josephus, "the islands" of Cyprus, &c. He seems to have read Cethim in the text, as they peopled Cyprus. (Calmet) --- See Jeremias ii. 10. (Menochius) --- These Hethites seem to have dwelt in the stony Arabia, (Judges i. 26.) or in Syria. (Haydock) --- Solomon had connexions with them, 3 Kings x. 29. (Calmet) --- Angels made the noise of a mighty army, and probably appeared, as they had done to Giezi, chap. vi. 17. (Tirinus) Crime, and punished. Hebrew, "iniquity shall find us." Citizens are bound to give notice of what may tend to the common good. (Calmet) --- Court. Not in person, but by means of others. (Menochius) Tied to the mangers, or rather by the hind-legs, as it is still the custom in the East. (Xenophon. Anab. iii. Martyr legat. Babyl.) Consumed, for food. (Menochius) --- Septuagint, "Let them take five of the horses left. Those which are left here, behold they are to all the remaining multitude of Israel, and let us send them." They have read in a different manner from the present Hebrew, which has, "Let them take five of the horses there remaining; behold they are like all the multitude of Israel who are lost; let us send them." Arabic, "Let us send thither five horsemen who remain; if they escape, we shall look upon them as those Israelites who continue alive; if they perish, they well be numbered with the other Israelites who are dead." Both horses and horsemen were dreadfully lean, and they could not expect a better fate than those already consumed by famine. (Calmet) --- The truth of the report ought at least to be fully ascertained. By following the timid advice of the king no prospect of redress appeared. At last the king consented to send two horsemen. (Haydock) (Septuagint, ver. 14.) (Junius, &c.) Horses. Hebrew, "chariot horses," or two chariots with (each) two horses, as it was customary to go to war, and to travel on chariots. (Calmet) Gate, to prevent confusion and accidents, (Josephus) or to guard against any return of the enemy. (Menochius)