Chapter 7 Melachim II

Chapter 7

Melachim ב (Kings II (A Teachers' Guide

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Chapter 7

This chapter continues the story of the siege of Shomron, begun in the previous chapter.

Verse 1:

ויאמר אלישע שמעו דבר ה' כה אמר ה' כעת מחר סאה סולת בשקל וסאתיים שעורים בשקל בשער שומרון

ויאמר אלישע שמעו דבר ה'

1. Yehoram was worthy of being saved, because of his statement in the previous verse (6:33), recognizing Hashem's ultimate powers. The prophet wanted Yehoram to understand that one should never give up one's faith in Hashem, and that there is always an opportunity to repent fully. (Da'at Sofrim)

2.* This prophecy was the outcome of the fear of Heaven expressed by the messenger, in his refusing to harm Elisha. (Metzudat David)

בשער שומרון

The gates of the city, where the wheat was usually sold. (Metzudat David)

Verse 2:

ויען השליש אשר למלך נשען על ידו את איש האלוקים ויאמר הנה ה' עושה ארובות בשמיים היהיה הדבר הזה ויאמר הִנְכָה רואה בעיניך ומשם לא תאכל

ויען השליש

This person was the second-in-command to the king, but in the presence of the king he is referred to as shalish (aide-de-camp), and not as mishneh (second-in-command). (Da'at Sofrim)

אשר למלך נשען על ידו

The word אשר links the word shalish both to the king and to the description of the shalish: the shalish, who is a shalish to the king, and who leans on his arm. (Metzudat David)

הנה ה' עושה ארובות בשמיים היהיה הדבר הזה

The shalish was saying that even if Hashem were to open up the heavens and rain wheat and barley on the city, it would still be impossible for the prices of food to be so low. (Metzudat David)

ויאמר הנכה רואה בעיניך ומשם לא תאכל

1. Since the shalish made fun of the prophet's words, he was told that he would die before he would be able to partake of the food. (Metzudat David)

2.* It is evident from the end of the chapter (verses 18-19), that the shalish had butted into the conversation between the king and the prophet - not only showing lack of respect for both of them, but also mocking them in his words. (Me'am Lo'ez)

3. The shalish lacked the proper faith in G-d, doubting His ability. That is the reason for his severe punishment. (Abarbanel)

Verse 3:

וארבעה אנשים היו מצורעים פתח השער ויאמרו איש אל רעהו מה אנחנו יושבים פה עד מתנו

וארבעה אנשים היו מצורעים

The four people were Geihazi and his three sons. (Rashi)

It is assumed that Elisha cured many metzora'im (lepers) aside from Na'aman (see 5:3). These four people had to be, therefore, people who were incurable, namely, Geihazi and his sons. (Malbim)

פתח השער

The metzora'im were living outside of the walls of Shomron, in accordance with the laws of tzara'at delineated in the Torah. See Vayikra 13:46. (Rashi, Metzudat David)

עד מתנו

1. They realized that their situation would not change, and that if they continued to sit there they would die of hunger. (Metzudat David)

2.* They realized that the curse of tzara'at pronounced upon them would be in effect forever. (Me'am Lo'ez)

Verse 4:

אם אמרנו נבוא העיר והרעב בעיר ומתנו שם ואם ישבנו פה ומתנו ועתה לכו ונפלה אל מחנה ארם אם יחיונו נחיה ואם ימיתונו ומתנו

נחיה

They knew that the Aramite forces had food. (Metzudat David)

ואם ימיתונו ומתנו

Since they felt they were destined to die, it didn't matter how they would die. (Metzudat David)

Verse 5:

ויקומו בנשף לבוא אל מחנה ארם ויבואו עד קצה מחנה ארם והנה אין שם איש

ויקומו בנשף

1.* Neshef is the beginning of the night. See Shmuel I 30:17. (Da'at Sofrim)

2. It was imperative that they go that very night, in order to fulfill Elisha's prophecy that by the next day there would be food. (Malbim)

ויבואו עד קצה מחנה ארם

* They came to the outskirts of the camp, where the sentries are usually posted. (Malbim)

Verse 6:

וה' השמיע את מחנה ארם קול רכב קול סוס קול חיל גדול ויאמרו איש אל אחיו הנה שכר עלינו מלך ישראל את מלכי החיתים ואת מלכי מצרים לבוא עלינו

וה' השמיע את מחנה ארם קול רכב

1. Earlier the same evening, the Aramites thought they heard the sounds of an army coming upon them, when, in reality, there was no physical sound at all. (Rashi)

2. Only their ears heard these sounds. (Malbim)

לבוא עלינו

The Aramites understood that these sounds must be coming from foreign armies that the king of Israel had hired to help him. (See Melachim I 15:18-19, for an example of a king hiring a foreign power to help him in his war.) (Metzudat David)

Verse 7:

ויקומו וינוסו בנשף ויעזבו את אהליהם ואת סוסיהם ואת חמוריהם המחנה כאשר היא וינוסו אל נפשם

ויקומו וינוסו בנשף

The Aramites then fled. Since it was nighttime, nobody from the city of Shomron had seen them fleeing. (Radak)

ויעזבו את אהליהם ואת סוסיהם... וינוסו אל נפשם

1.* They left their belongings in the camp, to ease their escape, and also, so that the enemy would occupy themselves with the looting, and not pursue them. (Malbim)

2.* They realized that it would be easier to flee and hide in caves without their horses and donkeys, which might make noise and reveal their hiding places. (Da'at Sofrim)

3. Their only concern was to save themselves, without regard to their property. They did not even have time to saddle their animals in order to ride them. (Radak)

Verse 8:

ויבואו המצורעים האלה עד קצה המחנה ויבואו אל אוהל אחד ויאכלו וישתו וישאו משם כסף וזהב ובגדים וילכו ויטמינו וישובו ויבואו אל אוהל אחר וישאו משם וילכו ויטמינו

ויבואו עד קצה המחנה

* They entered the camp itself, whereas before they had only approached the camp. See Malbim on verse 5.

וישאו משם כסף וזהב ובגדים וילכו ויטמינו

Although the four metzora'im - Geihazi and his sons - were punished with tzara'at for having coveted material possessions, they continued to exhibit this same trait even now - they failed to learn the lesson of their punishment. (Me'am Lo'ez)

* The extent of each individual's desire to acquire personal wealth is hinted in the word ויטמינו - ויט מנו: each one of them turned aside in order to hide his new wealth from the others.

The students should be able to take note of this character trait - under the circumstances, this hoarding and hiding of wealth was out of place. They should then refer back to 5:24 - a previous example of Geihazi hiding his wealth.

Verse 9:

ויאמרו איש אל רעהו לא כן אנחנו עושים היום הזה יום בשורה הוא ואנחנו מחשים וחכינו עד אור הבוקר ומצאנו עוון ועתה לכו ונבואה ונגידה בית המלך

לא כן

1. We are not doing the proper thing in remaining in the camp of Aram. (Metzudat David)

2.* Our staying in the camp of Aram is not proper, because we can be saving starving people instead. (Malbim)

ואנחנו מחשים

We are being silent (see Melachim II 2:5). (Metzudat Zion)

וחכינו עד אור הבוקר ומצאנו עוון

1. If we wait until morning, someone else will tell the king, and we will then be found guilty of not hurrying to report the good news. (Metzudat David)

2.* If we wait until morning, we will be found guilty of not saving those that will die of starvation in the meantime. (Malbim, Me'am Lo'ez)

3.* If we wait until morning, the king will suspect that we took much loot from the camp. (Abarbanel)

These commentators understand ומצאנו עוון - "[someone] will find our guilt" - as referring to the king. Da'at Sofrim understands it as referring both to the king and to Hashem. Keeping quiet would be a sin against Heaven.

Verse 10:

ויבואו ויקראו אל שוער העיר ויגידו להם לאמור באנו אל מחנה ארם והנה אין שם איש וקול אדם כי אם הסוס אסור והחמור אסור ואוהלים כאשר המה

שוער העיר

The guard of the city. (Metzudat David)

a.* They could not enter the city because of their being metzoraim. (Me'am Lo'ez)

b.* They called to the guard of the city, to tell him that they were Jews, and not enemies. They then spoke to some of the people of the city to tell them the news. (Da'at Sofrim)

* The commentary of the Da'at Sofrim reflects the change from singular - שוער העיר - to the plural - ויגידו להם.

Verse 11:

ויקרא השוערים ויגידו בית המלך פנימה

1. The guard of the city reported the information to the guards of the palace, and they told the king. (Radak, Metzudat David)

2.* There was one guard in charge of all the guards watching the gate of the city. This guard commanded the other guards to report the news to the king. (Da'at Sofrim)

* All the commentators are struggling with the singular ויקרא vs. the plural השוערים and ויגידו. According to the first view, the שוערים are the guards of the palace; according to the second view, the שוערים are the guards of the city.

The students should discover the grammatical difficulty themselves, and be able to understand the Radak's commentary on their own.

Verse 12:

ויקם המלך לילה ויאמר אל עבדיו אגידה נא לכם את אשר עשו לנו ארם ידעו כי רעבים אנחנו ויצאו מן המחנה להחבה בשדה לאמור כי יצאו מן העיר ונתפשם חיים ואל העיר נבוא

את אשר עשו לנו ארם

The king was suspecting that this was a planned deception, with the intention of ambushing the Jews. (Metzudat David)

להחבה בשדה

See Melachim II 6:8 for a precedent for this type of warfare - ambushing the forces outside of the cities.

The students should be able to recall and locate this information themselves!

כי יצאו מן העיר ונתפשם חיים

1. They thought that Aram's plan was that the Jews would be so hungry that they would go toward the empty camp without investigating it first. (Metzudat David)

2. This is an indication of the wickedness of Yehoram: Even though he had been foretold by Elisha that a miracle would occur, he did not take that news as a sign of the fulfillment of the prophecy, but thought that it might be a trap. (Malbim)

Verse 13:

ויען אחד מעבדיו ויאמר ויקחו נא חמישה מן הסוסים הנשארים אשר נשארו בה הינם ככל המון ישראל אשר נשארו בה הינם ככל המון ישראל אשר תמו ונשלחה ונראה

ויקחו נא חמישה מן הסוסים הנשארים אשר נשארו בה הינם ככל המון ישראל...

1. They suggested sending five riders to investigate the situation in Aram's camp. They reasoned, that even if these five riders would be killed by the enemy, they would be no worse off than the other people in the city, who were destined to die. (Metzudat David)

2.* They suggested sending five of the remaining horses. The appearance of these horses was similar to the appearance of the people: thin, weak, and of an unhealthy complexion. (Abarbanel, Me'am Lo'ez)

הינם ככל המון ישראל אשר תמו

1. Even if these five riders' deaths would be hastened by this mission, they would still be no different from those that had already perished from hunger. (Metzudat David)

2.* Even if the horses should die, they will be no different from the people of the city, who had already died. (Me'am Lo'ez, Abarbanel)

Verse 14:

ויקחו שני רכב סוסים וישלח המלך אחרי מחנה ארם לאמור לכו וראו

ויקחו שני רכב סוסים

They didn't want to expose more than two horses to this possible danger. (Metzudat David)

אחרי מחנה ארם

They followed the path toward the country of Aram. (Metzudat David)

Verse 15:

וילכו אחריהם עד הירדן והנה כל הדרך מלאה בגדים וכלים אשר השליכו ארם בחפזם וישובו המלאכים ויגידו למלך

אשר השליכו ארם בחפזם

The Aramites had divested themselves of their extra burdens, in their hasty flight. (Metzudat David)

Verses 16-17:

ויצא העם ויבוזו את מחנה ארם ויהי סאה סולת בשקל וסאתיים שעורים בשקל כדבר ה'. והמלך הפקיד את השליש אשר נשען על ידו על השער וירמסוהו העם בשער וימות כאשר דיבר איש האלוקים אשר דיבר ברדת המלך אליו

וירמסוהו

The shalish was trampled to death, by all the people hurrying out the gate to take the spoils from the camp of Aram. (Metzudat David)

וירמסוהו העם בשער

The prophet describes the exact location - at the gate of the city - to underscore that the death of the shalish was measure for measure: He denied the prophecy of וסאתיים שעורים בשער שומרון, and therefore he was trampled at that very same gate. (Mussar Hanevi'im)

Hashem punishes measure for measure, to illustrate that there is a Divine system of justice in the world. This knowledge can lead a person to do teshuva. (Mussar Hanevi'im)

אשר דיבר ברדת המלך אליו

This information emphasizes the distinction between the king, who lowered himself in front of the prophet, and the shalish, who mocked the prophet. (Me'am Lo'ez)

Verse 18:

ויהי כדבר איש האלוקים אל המלך לאמור סאתיים שעורים בשקל וסאה סולת בשקל יהיה כעת מחר בשער שומרון

ויהי כדבר איש האלוקים

The story of the prophecy, mentioned already in verse 17, is retold here in order to the emphasize the connection of this death to that prophecy. (Radak)

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