Reading for October 8th

Read 2 Kings 18.9-27 In verses 9-12: These verses reiterate the information about the fall of Israel in ch 17. In 14: A talent could weigh between 45 and 130 pounds. In verse 17: Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh are all tities for Assyrian military officers. The exact location of the conduit of the upper pool is unknown. In verse 18: The three Assyrians meet with three officials of the court of Judah-Eliakim, Shebnah, and Joah. The precise functions of their offices as the one in charge of the palace, secretary, and recorder are uncertain. In verses 19-25: Part of the tactics of ancient warfare involved speeches like this one designed to discourage th enemy. The Rabshakeh makes the point that the Assyrians greatly outnumber the forces of Judah (vv. 23-24) and asks who else the people of Judah are relying on. He observes, quite correctly, that the Egyptians to who Hezekiah may have looked for help (v. 24), are powerless compared with the Assyrian army. His comparison of Egypt to a broken reed of a staff in v. 21 is also found in Ezek 29.6 and may have been a proverb. The other possibilty he raises is that they are dependent on the Lord. To counter this, he states that Hezekiah removed the Lord's high places and altars (v. 22), which may have been true ina sense. That is, in his effort to centralize the government ad religion of Judah, Hezekiah may have outlawed all shrines outside of Jerusalem. The Rabshakeh also claims that the Lord sent the Assyrians against Jerusalem. This claim may also have had a measure of truth to the extent that Hezekiah or his predesessors likely swore an oath by the Lord to be loyal to their Assyrian overlord. In verse 26: Aramaic was the language of diplomacy of the time. The fates described here refer to the conditions of starvation of a city under siege. Comments or Questions...

Reading for October 7th

2 Kings 18.1-8 In 18.1-19.37: Hezekiah and the invasion of Sennacherib. The invasion of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, which is recounted in these chapters, took place in 701 BCE and is documented both in the Bible and in Assyrian records. Similar versions of the story are found in 2 Chr 32 and Isa 36. The Assyrian version was recorded in Sennacherib's annals and in a famous relief of the defeat of Lachish on his palace wall in Nineveh. In 18.4: The high places were shrines other than the Jerusalem Temple. They could be used for the worship of the Lord or of the gods. Here it appears to be the latter that is envisioned, since pillars and sacred poles were used in the worship of Canaanite gods. The bronze serpent that Moses had made was to save the people from poisonous snakes (Num 21.6-9). In verse 5: Statements of incomparability like this one are made also for Moses as a prophet (Deut 34.10), for Solomon for wisdom (1 Kings 3.12), and Josiah for obedience (2 Kings 23.25). In verse 8: The Philistines had remained more or less indepenedent in their land since the time of David. Hezekiah subjugated them to Judah, probably to strengthen the resistence to the Assyrians. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 6th

Read 2 Kings 17.29-41 In verses 29-34a: The newcommers, however, also retained the gods of their homelands and worshipped them along with the Lord. The names of the gods in vv. 30-31 are distortions or misspellings of the names of gods from different parts of the ancient Near East. However, the errors do not seem to be intentional. Rather, they betray an author (probably the deuteronomist) who is unfamilar with these different gods and who also writes at a later date, as indicated by the to this day statement in 34a. In verses 34b-40: These verses were added by a later writer who viewed the religion of the Samartan (the residents of the province of Samaria) as illegitimate. Verse 34b, therefore, directly contridicts v. 33. Many faithful Jews hated the Samaritans in part because of their religous practice, which mixed elements from other religions into Jewish observances. Samaritans were also regarded as practicing a form of Judaism, however, particularly at later periods. The animosity between the two groups surfaces in Ezra 4.1-3 and is clearly reflected in stories in the New Testament Gospels (Lk 10.29-37; Jn 4.7-42). In verse 41: This verse summarizes vv. 29-34a and may have been their orginal conclusion. It aggress with the viewpoint that the settlers woshipped both the Lord and other gods. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 5th

Read 2 Kings 17.19-28 In verses 19-20: These verses are also an addition, perhaps part of the addition in vv. 7-18. They make it clear that Judah was guilty of the same offenses as Israel. They were apparently written in the Exile (after 586 BCE.) as indicated in v. 20, where all the descendants of Israel would include both Israel and Judah. In verses 21-23: these verses conclude the theme of the sin(s) of Jeroboam, which refers to the shrines at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12.25-33) and which every king of Israel is accused of perpetuating. In verse 24: In addition to deporting the people of Israel, the Assyrians settled captives from other countries in the former land of Israel. They also renamed the area the Assyrian province of Samaria (Samerina). In verses 25-28: A widely accepted idea in the ancient Near East was that each country had its own god and each god its own country. It was therefore considered important by the Assyrians that the people whom they had imported into Israel learn the law of the god of land (v. 26), and the attacks by lions were blamed on the failure to do this. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 4th

Read 2 Kings 17.7-18 Many scholars regard these verses as a later addition, in deuteronomistic syle, to the initial Deuteronomistic History, since they explain Israel's fall as the result of idolatry, as opposed to the explanation in vv. 21-23, which culminates the theme of the sin of Jeroboam. Pillars and sacred poles (vv. 10,16) were trappings of the worship Canaanite gods. The host of heaven (v. 16) refers to astral deities (sun, moon, stars). Making their sons and their daughters pass through fire is child sacrifice. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 3rd

Read 2 Kings 17.1-6 In 17.-41: the fall of Israel. In verse 2: It is not clear why Hoshea is judged to be less evil than his predeccessors. In verse 4: Hosea 7.11 may reflect the prophet Hosea's judgment of the foolishness of Hoshea's revolt against Assyria. In verse 5: The fact that Samaria held out for three years is a tribute to its defenses. In verse 6: This verse marks the end of the northern kingdom of Israel. The places listed here to which the peole of Israel were deported were all close to the Assyrian homeland. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 2nd

Read 2 Kings 16.1-20 In 16.1-20: The reign of Ahaz In verse 3: Making his son pass through fire is a reference to child sacrifice (see 3.27). In verse 5: This verse refers to the "Syro-Ephraimitic crisis" of 734 BCE. See comment of 15.37. The oracle of Isaiah is Isa 7 is directed to this situation. In verse 6: Judah's problems with Syria and Israel weakened its hold on Elath (see 14.22), and the Edomites took advantage. In verses 7-9: These verses continue with the Syro-Ephraimitic crisis. According to Isa 7, Isaiah counseled Ahaz against seeking the help of the Assyrains. These verses indicate that Ahaz chose to ignore that advice and purchased the aid of Tiglath-pileser against Syria and Israel. This placed Judah in a subject relationship to Assyria that would be the source of future problems. Kiris the place of the Syrians' origin, according to Am 9.7. It is also mentioned as the place of Syrian exile in Am 1.5. It is obviously in Mesopotamia though its exact location is unknown. In verses 10-16: This story is apparently meant as condemnation of Ahaz to illustrate his importance of foreign elements into the worship of the Lord. It may be, however,that Ahaz intended the new altar to honor the Lord. Uriah the priest is likely the same figure mentioned inisa 8.2. In verses 17-18: Ahaz was forced to remove some of the bronze from the Temple in order to make his payment of tribute to the Assyrian king. For the descriptions of the bronze oxen under the sea and laver stands, see 1 Kings 7.23-37. The meaning and nature of the covered portal for use on the sabbath (v. 18) is not certain. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 1st

Read 2 Kings 15.23-38 In verse 27: Twenty years is difficult to fit into a chronology for Israel. It is is not a simple error or exaggeration, it may indicate that Israel was divided and that Pekah reigned over a splinter section of it before becoming king over the entire country. In verse 29: The sites listed in this verse are all in northern Israel which, along with Damascus and Syria, was ravaged in 733-732 BCE. In verse 30: Tiglath-pileser help Hoshea to overthrow Pekah. The overthrow and Hoshea's pro -Assyrian policy kept Israel from meeting the same fate as Syria in 732. Hoshea's kingdom, however, was only a part of the former state, since the northern part of the country was made into an Assyrian province. In verse 37: Pekah and Rezin wanted to force Judah to join them in a coalition to resist Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria. The matter came to a head during the reign of Ahaz. See 16.5. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 30th

Read 2 Kings 15.1-22 In 15.1-38: Azariah and Jotham of Judah; Zehariah, Shallum, Menahem, and pekahiah of israel. In verse 1: Azariah is also known as Uzziah (2 Chr 26). In verse 4: High places were shrines other than the Temple of Jerusalem. In verse 5: Leprosy was a word used for a variety of skin diseases. It was greatly feared because it was regarded as fatal and incurable. Lepers were isolated because the disease was contagious. Henece, Azariah and his son Jotham were co-regents, that is, they ruled together. In verse 12: The prophecy about the duration of the Jehu dynasty is reminiscent of the last days of Baash's house in 1 Kings 16. In verse 15: The rest of the deeds is part of the standard deuteronomistic formula. Since he reigned only one month (v. 13). Shallum did not have time to accomplish many deeds. In verse 16: Tiphsah was a town on the Euphrates, quite out of Menahem's reach. A better reading is Tappuah (as in the Septuagint), which was within Israel. The practice of rip(ping) open pregnant women is mentioned elsewhere in the Bible in the context of wars with other countries (2 Kings 8.12; Hos 13.16; Am 1.13). The reason for Memahem's brutality against the town of Tappuah is unknown, bit it has been suggested that it was Shallum's hometown. In verse 19: Pul was another name for Tiglath-pileser III, one of the greatest kings of the Assyrian empire (see v. 29). A talent was between 45 and 130 pounds. A thousand talents of silver was an enormus sum. In verse 20: A shekel was slightly less than half an ounce. Comments or Questions.

Reading for September 29th

Read 2 Kings 14.11-29 In verse 13: A cubit was about 18 inches, so 400 cubits is about 200 yards. the wall of a city was essential for protection. In verse 19: Lachish was an important fortress and city about 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem. In verse 22: Elath was an important port city at the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. Amaziah was able to rebuild and restore it to Judah after he had defeated Edom (v. 7). In verse 25: Lebo-hamath represented the idealized northern border of Israel in northern Syria as described for Solomon (1 Kings 8.65). The Sea of the Arbah was the Dead Sea. Jonah was the prophet about whom the book of Jonah was written. The oracles referred to here, however, are not recorded. In verse 28: Jerobaom's reign was a prsperous one, but he did not restore Damascus and Hamath to Israel, nor had they once belonged to Judah. The text has been damaged in transmission, and the orginal reading is uncertain. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 28th

Read 2 Kings 14.1-10 In 14.1-29: The reigns of Amaziah of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel. In verse 4: The high places were shrines other than the Temple of Jerusalem. In verse 6: The law referred to here is Deut 24.16. In verse 7; The location of the Valley of Salt is uncertain, but most scholars locate it south of the Dead Sea in the same depression in which the Dead Sea or Salt Sea lies. Sela means "rock" or "crag." The meaning of Jokthe-el is uncertain. One suggestion is that it means "God destroys." In verse 8: Let us look one another inthe face is a challenge to battle (v. 11). In verse 9: The fable does notimply any marriage treaty or relationship btween Amaziah and Joash. Its point, rather, is that Amaziah is trying to make himself more important than he is and that he will be trampled down if he continues. Comments or Questions...

Reading for September 27th

Read 2 Kings 13.14-25 In 13.14-25: Elisha's death. This story lies outside of the framework of the regnal formulas. That is, it follows the closing formula for Joash (vv. 12-13) but procedes the beginning formula for Jerobaom II (14.23-24). Since the deuteronomistic editor regualarly uses these formulas as the framework for the history, this story may be either out of place or a later addition. In verse 14: My Father is a term of repect showing the king's subordination to the prophet. The exact sense of the chariots of Israel and its horsemen here is uncertain. It recalls previous episodes in the Elisha stories (2.12; 6.17) and may have become a kind of nickname for him because of these episodes. In verses 15-17: Symbolic acts like this one are frequently carried out by prophets in the Bible, especially Ezekiel and Jeremiah. In this case, the Lord's arrow of victory is shot eastward (v.17), toward Aram (Syria), to represent victory over the Arameans. In verses 18-19: This is an example of bellomancy, the use of weapons of war to foretell the future, which was common in the ancient Near East. In verses 20-21: Elisha's miraculous powers continue even after his death. In verses 22-23: While these verses were certainly written after the fall of Israel in 721 BCE, the writer still appeals to the people of the north in stating that the Lord has not ultimately abandoned them. In verses 24-25: These verses fulfill Elisha's prediction in v. 19. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 26th

Read 2 Kings 13.1-13 In 13.1-13: The reigns of Jehoahz and Joash. In verse 1; Joash and Jehoash are two versions of the same name. In verse 2: The sins of Jeroboam are the shrines at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12.25-33). In verse 3: Like the rest of the regnal formulas, this verse is deuteronomistic and sounds much like part of the deuternomistic formula found in the book of Judges (Judg 2.14; 4.1-2; 6.1) In verse 5: The idea and language are also borrowed from the book of Judges. The identity of this savior is not clear, but it may be a reference to Elisha (vv. 14-21). In verse 6: The sins of the house of Jeroboam are the same as the sins of Jeroboam (v. 2). The sacred pole was used in the worship of the Caanite goddess Asherah. In verse 7: Like the dust at threshing means that the army has scattered. In verse 10: While they bear the same name, Joash king of Judah and Jehoash king of Israel are two different people. In verse 13: This Jeroboam is distinct from the one in 1 Kings 12-14 and is often called Jeroboam II. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 25th

Read 12.1-21 In 12.1-21: The reign of Jehoash In verse 1: Forty years is probably a round number for a generation. In verse 3: The high places were shrines other than the Temple of Jerusalem. In verses 4-16: Jehoash repairs the Temple. Jehoash has to admonish the priests (v. 7), who are slow to carry out the repairs. Money is lterally "silver." Parts of this account, however, seem to assume that the contributions were in the form of coins, which would be an anachronism since coins began to be used widely in Palestine no earlier than the late sixth century BCE. In verse 18: Votive gifts were special items of value that the kings of Judah had dedicated tot he Temple. By paying these to Hazael as tribute, Jehoash capitulated to him and in effect bribed him to prevent him from attacking Jerusalem. In verse 19: The Annals of the Kings of Judah may have been offical records of the monarchy of judah. They no longer exist. In verse 20: Millo means "fiil"; it probably refers to the earthwork done by David to fill in the saddle between the Temple area and the palace area south of it (2 Sam 5.9). In verse 21: The motive behind Jehoash's assination is not explained in 2 Kings. See 2 Chr 24.20-27. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 24th

Read 2 Kings 11.9-21 In verse 10: The spears and shields mentioned here orginally of gold and deicated by David (2 Sam 8.7). But they had been replaced by Rehoboam with bronze articles after Shishak's invasion (1 Kings 14.26-27). In verse 12: The covenant would have been a written document, perhaps laws or a contract between people and the king. However, the word maybe an error for armlet, associated with the crown in 2 Sam 1.10. See the comment on 11.7. In verse 14: The pillar in front of the Temple is meant here. In verse 17: Only after Athaliah's removal is the covenant made. It appears to be an agreement between the people and the kingto follow the Lord, but its exact nature and it relationship to the laws in the Bible are unknown. In verse 20: The exact identity of the people of the land is disputed. They may have been the landholders or leading citzens of Judah. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 23rd

Read 2 Kings 11.1-8 In 11.1-21: The reign of Athaliah and revolt of Jehoash. In verses 1-3: Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel who married Joram king of Judah in a treaty between Israel and Judah (8.18). After the death of her son, Ahaziah, she seized power. No regnal formula is reported for her because the writer of 2 Kings did not consider her a legitimate ruler. In verse 4: Jehoiada was a priest. Since the new king, Jehoash (or Joash), was only seven years old, Jehoiada was really in charge of the kingdom. The Carites were apparently the royal bodyguard, and this may be an error or Cherethites, the name for the bodyguard under David and Solomon (2 Sam 8.18). In verses 5-7: The parenthetical statement in v. 6 is probably a late gloss or explantory addition, trying to idenitify the other two divisions. The gate Sur is unknown. Jehoiada chooses the change of the guard on the sabbath as the time for the revolt. This made all the troops available to him in order to protect Jehoash. It was also a time when troop movements would not be suspious. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 22nd

Read 2 Kings 10.15-36 In verse 15: Son of Rechab designates Jehonadab's clan rather than his father. The Rechabites were ascetics and strict devotees of the Lord (Yahweh). See Jer 35. In verses 24-25: Hosea 1.4 seems to condemn Jehu bloodshed. In verse 26: The Pillar was an important element in the worship of Baal, it represented him much like an idol. In verse 32: The reigns of Jehu and his descendants were marked by the subjugation of Israel to Aram (Syria). See also 13.3. Many stories about prophets earlier in 1-2 Kings seem to preposuppose this political situation, which was not true under Omri dynasty. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 21st

Read 2 Kings 10.1-14 In verse 1: Sons probably means descendants, that is, son and grandsons, although Ahab may have had a large enough harem to produce seventy sons. In verses 9-10: The exact meaning of Jehu's words in v.9 is unclear. However, he seems to be suggesting that his revolt is more than a rebellion by a single individual and that the Lord is behind it. Hence, the prophecies against Ahab's house will be fulfilled (v. 10). In verse 14: Forty-two was also the number of boys killed by bears in 2.24. This may indicate that it was a conventional number for disaster. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 20th

Read 2 Kings 9.14-37 In verses 21,25-26: Either the story of Jehu's revolt has been tailored as a fulfillment of Elijah's oracle in 1 Kings 21 in punishment for the murder of Naboth, or these vereses reflect the original setting of the oracle against Ahab and Jezebel, which has been changed in order to attribute it to Elijah in 1 Kings 21. In verse 22: Whoredoms probably refers to the worship of other gods, as is frequently the case in the Bible (compare the book of Hosea). Sorceries may also refer to other practices (divination and the like) associated with the worship of other gods. In verse 30: It is not clear whyJezebel dresses up. It may be that she is described this way in order to fit the image of a prostitute. In verse 31: Jezebel calls Jehu Zimri because Zimri led the revolt and was the murderer of (his) master. Zimri's subsequent reign lasted only seven days, so the Jezebel is also implying that Jehu's kingship will be unsuccessful (1 Kings 16.9-20). In verses 32-33: Eunuchs were used to guard the harem. Jezebel was thrown from the second story of the building. In verses 34-37: Jezebel's death is described as the fulfillment, through elaborated of Elijah's prophecy in1 Kings 21.23. Her gruesome end fulfills the threat of non-burial in 1 Kings 21.24 (compare 2 Kings 9.10). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 19th

Read 2 Kings 9.1-13 In 9.1-10.36: Jehu's revolt. In 9.1-3: The revoltis begun by Elisha. Again, the anointing of Jehu is apparently meant as a carrying out of the commission to Elijah (1 Kings 19.16). In verses 7-10a: These verses are an addition by the deuteronomist editor. They violate Elisha's order to anoint Jehu and flee (v. 3). They are also comparable to the prophetic oracles against the houses of Jeroboam (1 Kings 14.7-11), Baasha (1 Kings 16.2-4), and Ahab (1 Kings 21.21-24). As in 1 Kings 21.21-24, the dynasty here is referred to as the house of Ahab (vv. 8-9), even though it is actually the "house of Omri." The reason is the local role of Ahab's reign in 1-2 Kings and his reputation for being the worst king of Israel (1 Kings 21.25). In verse 11: In part because of such ecstatic experiences, a prophet was sometimes called a madman (Jer 29.26; Hos 9.7). In verse 13: By spreading their cloaks before him, the other commanders signal their submission to Jehu as their king (Mt 21.8). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 18th

Read 2 Kings 8.16-29 In 8.16-29: Regnal formulas for Joram and Ahaziah. In verse 20: The king of Edom referred to in 3.9 may have been only a "deputy" under the king of Judah (1 Kings 22.47). In verse 28: Ramoth-gilead was east of the Jordan in territory disputed between Israel and Aram. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 17th

Read 2 Kings 8.7-15 In 8.7-15: The designation of Hazel. Elisha here appaently carries out the commission given to Elijah in 1 Kings 19.15. In verse 8: Inquire is a technical term for divination. Stories of inquiry through a prophet in the case of illness are found also in 1 Kings 14.1-14; 2 Kings 1.2-17. In verse 9: Forty camel loads would be an enormous sum. That this exaggeration is also clear from the fact that forty is a round number for a large quantity. You son is an expression of humility and self-effacement. Ben-hadad is placing Elisha above him. In verse 11: The subject of these verbs is apparently Elisha. Perhaps Elisha stared at Hazael until Hazael was ashamed. Another possibility is that Elisha Elisha stared in a kind of trance until he himself became ashamed. In verse 12: Elisha forsees that hazael willbe the Lord's instrument to punish Israel. In verse 13: Hazael refers to himself as a mere dog, not because he sees violent acts described by Elisha as despicable but because he is of loow social status and does not have the power to carry out such deeds. Elisha explains, however, that he is to be king over Aram. In verse 15: Until he died, suggests that Hazael is responsible for Ben-hadad's death. The Hebrew is more ambigous, however. Placing the wet bet-cover over the king's face may have been simply a way of cooling him off, and this verse may only explain the time of his death. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 16th

Read 2 Kings 8.1-6 In 8.1-6: Elisha and Shunammite woman. These veres refer to and continue the stories in 4.8-37. In verse 1; Seven years is a round number for completeness, indicating that the famine was severe and long-lasting. In verse 2: The land of the Philistines was along the southern coast of Palestine near the area known today as the Gaza strip. In verse 3: It is not clear who was trying to take the woman's land, but they are more than squatters, for thye are making alegal claim. In verses 4-5: the miraculous part of this tale is the timing. The appeared just as the facinated king was hearing the story of her involvement with Elisha. Gehazi appears here without reference to his leprosy. Either this episode is connected with 4.8-37 or comes from a source completely apart fromthe story in ch. 5. However, the fact that Gehazi alone is speaking withthe king may indicate that this story arose after Elisha's death. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 15th

Read 2 Kings 7.3-20 In verse 3: People with skin diseases were isolated from society because leprosy was contagious. Hence, these four leprous men outside the city gate. In verse 4: The four men surrender to the Arameans because they have nothing to lose. In verse 6: Egypt (Heb., "Misrayim") may be a mistake for Mursi, an area in Anatolia (modern Turkey), which was also the home of the Hittites. In verses 17-20: These verses explain the fulfillment of the oracle in v. 2. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 14th

Read 2 Kings 6.24-7.2 In 6.24-7.20: The siege of Samaria. In 6.24-25: In a siege, a city was surrounded and its food supply cut off in order to starve out the inhabitants. Thus, food prices within the city soared. A shekel was a measure of weight of just less than half an once. A kab was slightly more than a quart. In verse 27: The threshing floor was flat, raised area where grain was separated from the hull. A wine press was where grapes were squeezed for thier juice to make wine. The king is replying that he has no access to food supplies than does the woman who was asking for his help. His wish, let the Lord help you seems sarcastic in this context, as he blames the Lord for the predicament of the city. In verses 28-29: The woman's complaint is a legal case, since the king is, in effect the supreme court of the land. The case she brings reflects the desperate straits of the city, where people have resorted to cannibalism. It also recalls, in a disorted way, the case of Solomon's judgement in 1 Kings 3.16-28. In verse 30: Sackcolth is a transliteration of the Hebrew "saq," which refers to some kind of garment worn to symbolize mourning. In verse 31: it is not clear why the king holds Elisha responsible for the siege, but it seems to be a classic case of blaming the messager for the message. The Lord has sent the trouble (v. 33), and Elisha is the Lord's messenger. In verse 33: The king may be asking why he should hope in the Lord any longer or what more (punishment) he can expect fromthe Lord if he kills Elisha. In 7.1: Compare 6.25. Elisha predicts that the availablity of food will dramatically in crease and hence the prices be drastically reduced within the a day. In verse 2: On whose hand the king leaned was a titile for a special assistant to the king. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 13th

Read 2 Kings 6.11-23 In verse 12: The Aramean officer tells his king that Elisha knows even the most intimate words spoke by the king in his bedchamber. Though this is certainly an exaggeration, it is quite disconcerting to the king. In verses 13-14: The story stresses Elisha's importance since he is the reason for an invasion by the Arameans. In verse 17: This verse vividly illustrates the title "the Lord of host" ("yahweh sebaoth"), since the Lord controls both earthly and heavenly armies (see 2.11). Thus, in this story the king was subject to the prophet. Comments or Qustions..

Reading for September 12th

Read 2 kings 6.1-10 In 6.1-23: More wonders of Elisha In verses 1-7: This story, in which Elisha makes an ax head float, is set near the Jordan River where trees grow becuase of the abundance of water. In verses 8-10: Elish's strategic importance for the israelites is invaluable, since he is able to warn them of the impending actions of their enemies, the Arameans (Syrians). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 11th

Read 2 Kings 5.15-27 In verse 15: Naaman's statement is very similar to Israel's confession of faith (Deut 6.4). In verse 17: The idea behind Namman's request for two muleloads of earth was that the Lord (Yahweh) could only be worshippe on Israelite soil. In verse 18: Rimmon ('poegranate") is a mocking distoration of Ramman, a title for the Syrian god Hadad. Namman continues to whorship the deity of his native land only because he is forced to do so; he no longer believes in Hadad. In verses 19b-27: This episode shows the danger of trying to deceive a prophet. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 10th

Read 2 Kings 5.1-14 In 5.1-27:The healing of Naaman. In verse 1: The story presupposes a time when Aram (Syria) dominates Israel. This was the case during the Jehu dynasty (see 10.32) but not during the Omri dynasty where this set, according to it current placement in 2 Kings. However neither king of Aram nor the king of Israel (v. 5) is named. Leprosy is a broad term for some skin diseases. It was greatly feared because it was regarded as incurable, disfiguring, fatal, and highly contagious. In verse 3: The prophet is later identified as Elisha. This story shows how his frame reached beyond the borders of Israel. A talent could weigh from 45 to 130 pounds. Father is a title of respect here and does not indicate any blood relationship. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 9th

Read 2 Kings 4.38-44 In verses 38-41: This story is similar to the one in 2.19-22. In verses 42-44: Compare the New Testament stories of Jesus' multipication of the loaves (Mt14.13-21; 15.32-38; and mtheir parallels in the other Gospels). Comments or Questions..