Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Would God my lord - אחלי achaley, I wish; or, as the Chaldee, Syrian, and Arabic have, "Happy would it be for my master if he were with the prophet," etc.

Here the mystery of the Divine providence begins to develop itself. By the captivity of this little maid, one Syrian family at least, and that one of the most considerable in the Syrian empire, is brought to the knowledge of the true God.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And she said unto her mistress,.... As she was waiting upon her at a certain time, and perhaps her mistress was lamenting the case of her husband as desperate and incurable:

would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria; meaning Elisha, who, though sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another, yet often at Samaria, and it seems was there when this girl was taken captive:

for he would recover him of his leprosy; the maid had heard of the miracles wrought by Elisha, and doubted not that at the request of her lord he would be willing, as she believed he was able, to cure him of this disease.

Geneva Study Bible

(b) Meaning Elisha.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Kings 5:3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord [were] with the prophet that [is] in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

Ver. 3. For he would recover him of his leprosy.] Few in Israel believed thus much. [Luke 4:27] This poor girl was confident that the prophet, famous in her country for so many miracles, both could and would cure her master, if duly sought unto; and her words found credit, to the great honour of the true God.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

In Samaria; either, first, In the kingdom of Samaria. Or, secondly, In the city of Samaria; where he was when she was taken; or where he commonly resided, though he went to other places, as need required.

He would recover him of his leprosy; or, take him away (as this Hebrew verb is used, Genesis 30:23 Zephaniah 1:2) from his leprosy, i.e. take away his leprosy from him.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

3.Recover him of his leprosy — Literally, he would gather him from his leprosy. The expression is an allusion to the Israelitish custom of shutting lepers out of the camp, and gathering them in again after their leprosy was healed. The same expression is used of Miriam’s reception into the camp after her exclusion of seven days. Numbers 12:14.

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

2 Kings 5:3. Would God my Lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria — In the kingdom of Samaria; or, rather, in the city of Samaria; where Elisha was when she was taken, and where he commonly resided, though he went to other places as need required. For he would recover him of his leprosy — She had heard of the wonderful things which he had done, and therefore was confident he could work this cure. Children should betimes acquaint themselves with the wondrous works of God, that wherever they go they may speak of them, to the profit of others. Yea, and servants, like this little maid, may be blessings to the families in which Providence casts their lot, by telling what they know of the glory of God, and the honour of his ministers.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Would God, &c. Figure of speech Ejaculatio. App-6.

in Samaria. This is the girl"s expression. Samaria was where she had heard of him.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) Would God.—O that! ’Ahalê here; in Psalms 119:5, ’Ahalay. The word seems to follow the analogy of ’ashrê, “O the bliss of!” (Psalms 1:1). It perhaps means “O the delight of!” the root ’ahal being assumed equivalent to the Arabic halâ, Syriac halî, “dulcis fuit.”

For he would recover him.—Then he would receive him back. (Comp. Numbers 12:14-15.) In Israel lepers were excluded from society. Restoration to society implied restoration to health. Hence the same verb came to be used in the sense of healing as well as of receiving back the leper. Thenius, however, argues that as the phrase “from leprosy” is wanting in Numbers 12, the real meaning is, “to take a person away from leprosy,” to which he had been, as it were, delivered up.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Would God

Numbers 11:29; Acts 26:29; 1 Corinthians 4:8

with

Heb. before. he would.

8; Matthew 8:2,3; 11:5; Luke 17:12-14

recover him of

Heb. gather in.