Then a lord on whose hand the king {b} leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make {c} windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not {d} eat thereof.

(b) To whom the king gave the charge and oversight of things as in 2Ki 7:17.

(c) He mocked at the prophets words saying, that if God rained down corn from heaven, yet this could not come to pass.

(d) Your infidelity will be punished in this when you see this miracle, and yet not partake of it.

Wesley's Notes

7:2 Windows - Through which he could rain down corn, as once he did Manna.

King James Translators' Notes

a lord...: Heb. a lord which belonged to the king leaning upon his hand

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. a lord on whose hand the king leaned-When an Eastern king walks or stands abroad in the open air, he always supports himself on the arm of the highest courtier present.

if the Lord would make windows in heaven-The scoffing infidelity of this remark, which was a sneer against not the prophet only, but the God he served, was justly and signally punished (see 2Ki 7:20).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:1,2 Man's extremity is God's opportunity of making his own power to be glorious: his time to appear for his people is when their strength is gone. Unbelief is a sin by which men greatly dishonour and displease God, and deprive themselves of the favours he designed for them. Such will be the portion of those that believe not the promise of eternal life; they shall see it at a distance, but shall never taste of it. But no temporal deliverances and mercies will in the end profit sinners, unless they are led to repentance by the goodness of God.

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Chapter 7

Relief is here brought to Samaria and her king, when the case is, in a manner, desperate, and the king despairing. I. It is foretold by Elisha, and an unbelieving lord shut out from the benefit of it (v. 1, 2). II. It is brought about, 1. By an unaccountable fright into which God put the Syrians (v. 6), which caused them to retire precipitately (v. 7). 2. By the seasonable discovery which four lepers made of this (v. 3-5), and the account which they gave of it to the court (v. 8-11). 3. By the cautious trial which the king made of the truth of it (v. 12-15). III. The event answered the prediction both in the sudden plenty (v. 16), and the death of the unbelieving lord (v. 17-20); for no word of God shall fall to the ground.

Verses 1-2

Here, I. Elisha foretels that, notwithstanding the great straits to which the city of Samaria is reduced, yet within twenty-four hours they shall have plenty, v. 1. The king of Israel despaired of it and grew weary of waiting: then Elisha foretold it, when things were at the worst. Man's extremity is God's opportunity of magnifying his own power; his time to appear for his people is when their strength is gone, Deu. 32:36. When they had given over expecting help it came. When the son of man comes shall he find faith on the earth? Lu. 18:8. The king said, What shall I wait for the Lord any longer? And perhaps some of the elders were ready to say the same: "Well," said Elisha, "you hear what these say; now hear you the word of the Lord, hear what he says, hear it and heed it and believe it: to-morrow corn shall be sold at the usual rate in the gate of Samaria;" that is, the siege shall be raised, for the gate of the city shall be opened, and the market shall be held there as formerly. The return of peace is thus expressed (Jdg. 5:11), Then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates, to buy and sell there. 2. The consequence of that shall be great plenty. This would, in time, follow of course, but that corn should be thus cheap in so short a time was quite beyond what could be thought of. Though the king of Israel had just now threatened Elisha's life, God promises to save his life and the life of his people; for where sin abounded grace doth much more abound.

II. A peer of Israel that happened to be present openly declared his disbelief of this prediction, v. 2. He was a courtier whom the king had an affection for, as the man of his right hand, on whom he leaned, that is, on whose prudence he much relied, and in whom he reposed much confidence. He thought it impossible, unless God should rain corn out of the clouds, as once he did manna; no less than the repetition of Moses's miracle will serve him, though that of Elijah might have served to answer this intention, the increasing of the meal in the barrel.

III. The just doom passed upon him for his infidelity, that he should see this great plenty for this conviction, and yet not eat of it to his comfort. Note, Unbelief is a sin by which men greatly dishonour and displease God, and deprive themselves of the favours he designed for them. The murmuring Israelites saw Canaan, but could not enter in because of unbelief. Such (says bishop Patrick) will be the portion of those that believe not the promise of eternal life; they shall see it at a distance-Abraham afar off, but shall never taste of it; for they forfeit the benefit of the promise if they cannot find in their heart to take God's word.