2 Kings 7:1

The word of the Lord. The king of Israel had expressed his opinion, and now Elisha was to reveal the will of the Lord. It should be noted that the division between chapters six and seven at this point is artificial. A proper division would have been at ch. 6:24, where the present narrative begins. Elisha is now taking up the challenge of the king and is relating what the Lord is about to do. In full view of the people Joram had placed the blame for the present crisis upon God, and having turned against the Lord, he now proposed taking things into his own hands, in the hope of finding some means of relief. Elisha reveals that it is God and not the king who will provide relief.

Measure. Heb. se’ah. Six cabs were equal to a seah, and three seahs were equal to an ephah. The seah was approximately 6.66 dry qts. (6.4 liters) (see Vol. I, p. 167). On one day “the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung” sold for “five pieces of silver” (ch. 6:25).

But on the next day 24 times that amount of wheat would be sold for a fifth the price. Or in other words, the amount of money that during the famine would purchase a bit of the cheapest and lowliest product that could be used to sustain life, would on the following day purchase 120 times as much of the best wheat flour.

The gate of Samaria. In Oriental cities where access is had to cities by gates through the city walls, the gate becomes a busy and thriving market place. When food became available, one of the gates of Samaria would be the center of distribution.