2 Kings 7:2 kjv
Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
2 Kings 7:2 nkjv
So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, "Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" And he said, "In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it."
2 Kings 7:2 niv
The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, "Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?" "You will see it with your own eyes," answered Elisha, "but you will not eat any of it!"
2 Kings 7:2 esv
Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, "If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" But he said, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it."
2 Kings 7:2 nlt
The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, "That couldn't happen even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven!" But Elisha replied, "You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won't be able to eat any of it!"
2 Kings 7 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 7:11 | In the six hundredth year... all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of heaven were opened. | "Windows of heaven" previously for destruction. |
| Gen 18:12 | So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out... shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” | Human doubt at divine promise. |
| Gen 18:14 | Is anything too hard for the Lord? | God's omnipotence questioned by unbelief. |
| Num 11:21-22 | But Moses said, “The people... are 600,000 men on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat for a whole month!’ Will flocks and herds be slaughtered for them...?" | Doubt about large-scale divine provision. |
| Deut 28:53-57 | During the siege and hardship, you will eat the fruit of your womb... | Extreme famine conditions, prior warning. |
| Psa 78:19-20 | They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?... He struck the rock and water gushed out; can He also give bread?" | Challenging God's power to provide food. |
| Isa 55:10-11 | For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return... so shall My word be... | God's word unfailingly accomplishes its purpose. |
| Mal 3:10 | Bring the whole tithe... and see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing for you... | "Windows of heaven" associated with abundant blessing. |
| Matt 8:12 | But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness... | Seeing light/blessing, but not partaking. |
| Matt 13:58 | And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. | Unbelief limits the experience of God's power. |
| Mk 10:27 | Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” | God's absolute capability. |
| Lk 1:37 | For with God nothing will be impossible. | Reiteration of God's omnipotence. |
| Lk 12:20 | But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you...' | Foolish reliance on human provision/outlook. |
| Lk 16:23 | And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. | Seeing blessing but not partaking, ultimate judgment. |
| John 1:17 | For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. | Grace as divine provision vs. law's limitations. |
| Rom 4:20-21 | He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith... | Abraham's faith as a counterpoint to unbelief. |
| Heb 3:19 | So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. | Unbelief hinders entry into promised blessing. |
| Heb 4:11 | Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. | The danger of unbelief/disobedience. |
| Heb 10:26-27 | For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment... | Serious consequences for persistent rejection/unbelief. |
| Jam 1:6-7 | But he must ask in faith, without any doubting; for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea... | Importance of faith without wavering. |
2 Kings 7 verses
2 Kings 7 2 Meaning
This verse details the response of a high-ranking officer, who was close to the king, to the prophet Elisha's remarkable prophecy. Skeptical of Elisha's promise of abundant food in Samaria within twenty-four hours, the officer scoffs, suggesting such a provision would only be possible if the Lord were to open windows in heaven to flood the earth with food. Elisha then directly pronounces judgment upon this officer, declaring that he will witness the promised abundance but will not partake in it himself.
2 Kings 7 2 Context
This verse immediately follows Elisha's dramatic prophecy in 2 Kings 7:1, delivered in response to the severe famine and Aramean siege crippling Samaria. The situation was desperate, with evidence of cannibalism within the city walls (2 Kgs 6:28-29) and the king of Israel contemplating desperate measures. Elisha declared that by the very next day, a seah of fine flour would be sold for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel, a reversal of economic hardship indicating immense abundance. The officer's retort in verse 2 directly challenges this prophecy, highlighting the seeming impossibility of such a swift and total reversal of fortune from a human perspective amidst such dire circumstances.
2 Kings 7 2 Word analysis
- Then the officer: The Hebrew word is shalish (שָׁלִישׁ), typically translated as 'captain' or 'third man' (perhaps from a chariot-three: driver, archer, shield-bearer). This indicates a high-ranking military or royal official, signifying his position of authority and proximity to power.
- on whose hand the king leaned: This phrase (asher al yado ha-melekh nish'an) portrays a close, intimate, and trusted relationship. It implies he was a chief aide or advisor, possibly even a physical support due to infirmity, suggesting significant influence and counsel to the king.
- answered the man of God: A direct, public rebuttal and challenge to Elisha's divine authority and message. This act shows disrespect for God's prophet and, by extension, God's word.
- "Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?":
- "windows in heaven": The Hebrew term 'arubot (אֲרֻבּוֹת) refers to floodgates or vents. This phrase echoes Gen 7:11 (Noah's flood) where God opened "windows of heaven" for destructive deluge, and Mal 3:10 for outpouring blessing. The officer's sarcasm twists it, implying such abundance would require a supernatural event on the scale of a destructive flood, thus being utterly impossible for provision. This is a statement of utter skepticism, asserting a physical impossibility for such rapid and widespread provision, bordering on a polemic against God's capacity for benevolent, swift intervention beyond perceived natural limits.
- "could this thing be?": A rhetorical question expressing extreme doubt and scorn, emphasizing the perceived absurdity of Elisha's prophecy.
- "And he said": Elisha's immediate and unequivocal response.
- "Indeed, you shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it":
- "Indeed, you shall see it": Emphasizes the certainty of the divine word. The fulfillment will be undeniable and witnessed by the very skeptic.
- "with your own eyes": This adds a specific, personal dimension to the judgment. The very sense through which he doubted will bear witness to the truth.
- "but you shall not eat of it": This is the divine judgment, fitting the nature of his scoffing. He doubted God's ability to provide food, and therefore he will not benefit from that provision. It is a severe consequence of his public disbelief and mockery, directly tying his punishment to the specific area of his skepticism. This poetic justice highlights the gravity of questioning God's omnipotence and faithfulness.
2 Kings 7 2 Bonus section
The swiftness of judgment against the officer directly correlates with God's principle of "watching over His word to perform it" (Jer 1:12), which applies not only to blessings but also to curses or pronouncements of judgment. This passage contrasts human reasoning and physical limitations with divine power, where God is not bound by natural processes or the scarcity caused by human conflict. The episode of the four lepers (2 Kgs 7:3-8), who discovered the abandoned Aramean camp and its provisions, stands as the practical, immediate fulfillment of Elisha's prophecy, confirming God's extraordinary means to bring about His word. The officer's death, trampled in the gate, highlights a severe public consequence, serving as a powerful deterrent against future mockery of God's prophets or doubt in His ultimate sovereignty.
2 Kings 7 2 Commentary
2 Kings 7:2 serves as a stark illustration of the consequences of unbelief and mocking God's revealed word. Amidst the unprecedented suffering in Samaria, Elisha's prophecy offered miraculous relief. The officer's retort was not merely an expression of doubt, but a sarcastic challenge to God's omnipotence, implying that only an absurdly catastrophic or destructive event like another great flood could bring such swift and immense abundance. His high social standing, "on whose hand the king leaned," highlights that skepticism can permeate all levels of society, even those in positions of perceived wisdom and authority. Elisha's immediate and potent response, "you shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it," signifies God's intolerance for such scornful disbelief in His ability to perform the impossible. This incident underscores that divine judgment can be swift and precise, a direct consequence tailored to the offense. The officer's fate, tragically, became the living testament to both God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises and His stern justice against those who despise them. It teaches us the critical importance of reverent trust in God's word, even when human reasoning deems it improbable or impossible.