12.  is  with  him]     This  expression  seems  to  imply  a   more   than


II.  KINGS,  III.  [vv.  13,  14.
13  king  of  Edom  went  down  to  him.  And  Elisha  said  unto
the  king  of  Israel,  What  have  I  to  do  with  thee?  get  thee
to  the  prophets  of  thy  father,  and  to  the  prophets  of
thy  mother.  And  the  king  of  Israel  said  unto  him,  Nay:
for  the  Lord  hath  called  these  three  kings  together,  to  deli-

14  ver  them  into  the  hand  of  Moab.  And  Elisha  said.  As  the
Lord  of  hosts  liveth,  before  whom  I  stand,  surely,  were
it  not  that  I  regard  the  presence  of  Jehoshaphat  the  king  of

ordinaiy  participation  of  the  divine  Spirit.  The  more  usual  phrase  is
'The  word  of  the  Lord  came  to'  (cf.  Gen.  xv.  i;  i  Sam.  xv.  10  (S:c. ).
And  even  the  'sons  of  the  prophets'  recognized  that  Elijah  and  after
him  Ehsha  were  preeminently  endowed  with  gifts  from  God.
ivcnt  doiun  to  ht/n'\  Such  a  man  was  not  to  be  lightly  summoned,
and  at  such  a  crisis  all  reverence  would  be  shewn  to  one  on  whose
words  it  seemed  that  the  chance  of  relief  greatly  depended.  It  may  be
that  the  phrase  'go  down'  is  used  here  also  because  the  tents  of  the
kings  would  stand  above  the  host.  Josephus  tells  us  that  the  tent  of
Elisha  was  outside  the  camp,  which  is  very  improbable.  Bp  Hall
remarks  here:  'It  was  news,  to  see  three  kings  going  down  to  the
servant  of  him  who  ran  before  the  chariot  of  Ahab.  Religion  and
necessity  have  both  of  them  much  power  of  humiliation.  I  know  not
whether  more.     Either  zeal  or  need  will  make  a  prophet  honoured'.
