Elisha spoke to the woman. Seven years [before].¹

footnotes: ¹ I.e., seven years before the incident described in this chapter. See above, 4:8-37.

For Adonoy has proclaimed a famine. This is the hunger during the days of Yoel the son of Pesuel.²

footnotes: ² See Yoel Chapter 1 and Maseches Taanis 5a.

About her house and her field. Which robbers had occupied.³

footnotes: ³ She had abandoned her estate for seven years and strangers had occupied it in the meantime.

Elisha came to Damesek. To cause Geichazi to repent.⁴⁵

footnotes: ⁴ Maseches Sotah 47a. See also Rashi in Maseches Sanhedrin 107b. ⁵ Alternatively, to carry out God’s command stated in I Melochim 19:15—Radak Or, Geichazi went to Damesek to ask Na’amon for help.

‘You will surely live.’ Pertaining to Chazoeil he said that he would live instead of Ben-Hadad [and occupy] the throne.⁶

footnotes: ⁶ It is read [=קְרִי] as ‘לוֹ’, meaning, “say to him, ‘you will surely recover,’” but it is written [=כְּתִיב] as ‘Gא’, and the meaning is “say, ‘you will surely not recover.’” According to Rashi the קְרִי pertains to Chazoeil, and the כְּתִיב pertains to Ben-Hadad; or Elisha meant that Ben-Hadad would not die of his illness, but he would die by assassination. Alternatively, the כְּתִיב reflects what was on Elisha’s mind and the קְרִי is what he said.—Radak

He [Elisha] kept his face emotionless. [He held in] his expression of grief, for he wanted to cry; he held it in, so that he would not cry in front of Chazoeil. He made a concentrated effort to stand and control himself.

For a long time. Like “בשש [=delay],”⁷ and he could not control himself [any longer] and he wept.

footnotes: ⁷ See commentary on 2:17 above.

You will dash. An expression of splitting the intestines.⁸ The original source⁹ [for the meaning of תרטש is], “and bows will split [תְּרַטַּשְׁנָה] young men.”¹⁰

footnotes: ⁸ Alternatively, תְּרַטֵּשׁ means “dashing against a wall or the ground.”—Radak Or, “you will cause their infants to be abandoned” by killing their parents.—Ralbag ⁹ I.e., the conclusive evidence for this definition. ¹⁰ Yeshayahu 13:18.

And their pregnant women. Their pregnant women.

A blanket. [Targum] Yonoson renders גּוּנְכָא [=blanket],¹¹ and similarly, “and she covered him with a blanket [=[בַּשְּׂמִיכָה,”¹² he renders, בְּגוּנְכָא [=a blanket], i.e., a garment.

footnotes: ¹¹ Alternatively, “a pillow.”—Radak Or, a thick garment.—Metzudas Tzion ¹² Shoftim 4:18.

He spread it over his [Ben-Hadad’s] face. To cool off.¹³

footnotes: ¹³ He told Ben-Hadad that he was doing this to give him some relief of his illness, but actually, Chazoeil intended to kill him.—Radak

In the fifth year, etc. Yehoshophot crowned Yorom [who reigned] two years during his lifetime, when they returned from the war they had waged with the king of Mo’av;¹⁴ so it was taught in Seder Olam. In the fifth year of Yehorom[’s reign], which is the fiftieth¹⁵ [חָמֵשׁ] year” as it appears in Rashi’s caption. Rashi explains the verse that Yehorom son of Yehoshophot, began his reign in the fifth year since it was decreed on Yehoshophot to be killed in Ramos-Gilod. The decree was reprieved for seven years, so Yorom thus ruled for two years during Yehoshophot’s lifetime. Alternatively, “the fiftieth year” [as our text reads] may refer to the year in which Yehoshophot finished his dual kingship with his son Yehorom. It was in the year 3050. year of Yehoshophot, it was decreed for Yehoshophot to be killed in Ramos-Gilad, but [the decree] was reprieved for seven years because he cried out.¹⁶

footnotes: ¹⁴ See Radak’s commentary pertaining to Rashi’s calculation. ¹⁵ Perhaps the text should read “the fifth ¹⁶ See above 1:17 and Rashi there.

A kingdom. Kingdom.¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁷ Adonoy king shines like a light [=נֵר].—Metzudas Tzion See Targum in Bamidbar 21:30 who renders ‘וַנִּירָם’ as ‘וּמַלְכוּ’[=its kingdom].

And appointed a king over themselves. From the time of Dovid they did not have a king, as it is stated, “There was no king in Edom,.”¹⁸ [and] “And he appointed governors in Edom.”¹⁹ Eight kings reigned in Edom before a king reigned in Yisroel, they are listed in the Book of Bereishis.²⁰ Corresponding to them, eight kings reigned in Yisroel: Ish-Boshes, Dovid, Shlomo, Rechovom, Aviyom, Asa, Yehoshophot, and Yehorom, while Edom had no king.²¹ What is written above that the king of Edom²² went with Yehorom son of Achov, and with Yehoshophot, to war against the king of Mo’av [can be explained that] he was not a real king, but a governor, who is also referred to as a king, as it is stated, “There was no king in Edom, the governor was king.”²³ The governor served instead of a king.

footnotes: ¹⁸ I Melochim 22:48. ¹⁹ II Shmuel 8:14. ²⁰ See Bereishis 36:31-43, and Rashi there. The eight kings are listed in Bereishis Rabboh 83:2. However, Bereishis Rabboh lists Shaul as one of the eight and omits Yehorom because during Yehorom’s reign, Edom was ruled by a king. ²¹ See above 3:9. ²² I Melochim 22:48. ²³ I.e., Yorom attacked and struck the Edomites who were near the border.

That were surrounding him. Those near the border.²⁴

footnotes: ²⁴ Alternatively, “הַסֹּבֵיב אֵלָיו” refers to those Edomites who had not rebelled against Yehudah and “וַיַּכֶּה” refers to the King of Edom, i.e., the King of Edom struck and killed the Edomites who had not joined in the rebellion.—Radak

Livnoh rebelled. The inhabitants of Livnoh rebelled, and they rebelled against the king. I do not know from what nation they were, because Livnoh is part of Eretz Yisroel.²⁵ But I say that they were of the tribe of Yehudah and they rebelled against the king.²⁶

footnotes: ²⁵ Livnoh is listed as one of Yehudah’s cities that were located at the southern extremity of Yehudah’s territory at Edom’s border. See Yehoshua 15:21, 42. ²⁶ Alternatively, Livnoh was an Edomite town close to the border, but at first did not join in the rebellion with the rest of Edom. However, after the war, Livnoh joined the Edomite rebellion.—Radak

And was buried with his forefathers in the City of Dovid. In Divrei Hayomim it states, “[They buried him] in the City of Dovid, but not in the graves of the kings.”²⁷

footnotes: ²⁷ II Divrei Hayomim 21:20.