12 Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants , "I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry ; therefore they have gone from the camp to hide themselves in the field , saying , 'When they come out of the city , we will capture them alive and get into the city .' " 13 One of his servants said , "Please , let some men take five of the horses which remain , which are left in the city. Behold , they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold , they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished , so let us send and see ." 14 They took therefore two chariots with horses , and the king sent after the army of the Arameans , saying , "Go and see ." 15 They went after them to the Jordan , and behold , all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste . Then the messengers returned and told the king . 16 So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans . Then a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel , according to the word of the Lord . 17 Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate ; but the people trampled on him at the gate , and he died just as the man of God had said , who spoke when the king came down to him. 18 It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king , saying , " Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel , will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria ." 19 Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said , "Now behold , if the Lord should make windows in heaven , could such a thing be?" And he said , "Behold , you will see it with your own eyes , but you will not eat of it." 20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Kings 7:12-20
Commentary on 2 Kings 7:12-20
(Read 2 Kings 7:12-20)
Here see the wants of Israel supplied in a way they little thought of, which should encourage us to depend upon the power and goodness of God in our greatest straits. God's promise may be safely relied on, for no word of his shall fall to the ground. The nobleman that questioned the truth of Elisha's word, saw the plenty, to silence and shame his unbelief, and therein saw his own folly; but he did not eat of the plenty he saw. Justly do those find the world's promises fail them, who think that the promises of God will disappoint them. Learn how deeply God resents distrust of his power, providence, and promise: how uncertain life is, and the enjoyments of it: how certain God's threatenings are, and how sure to come on the guilty. May God help us to inquire whether we are exposed to his threatenings, or interested in his promises.