John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 6. And the man of God said, where fell it ? etc.] For though endowed with a spirit of prophecy, he did not know all things, and at all times; and if he did know where it fell, he might ask this question to lead on to the performance of the miracle: and he showed him the place ; the exact place in the river into which it fell: and he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither ; he did not take the old helve and throw in, but a new stick he cut off of a tree; some think he made of this another helve or handle, of the same size and measure with the other, and that this being cast in was miraculously directed and fixed in the hole of the iron at the bottom of the water, and brought it up with it; but, as Abarbinel observes, there is no need to suppose this; the wood was cast into the precise place where the iron fell, and was sent as it were to call it up to it: and the iron did swim ; it came up and appeared, and was bore on the surface of the waters; or, “and made the iron to swim” f79 ; which some understand of the wood cast in, as if it had some peculiar virtue in it to draw up the iron; but it was not any particular chosen wood, but what first occurred to the prophet f80 ; and the meaning is, that Elisha caused it to float, contrary to the nature of iron.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - There is that pleasantness in the converse of servants of God, whic can make those who listen to them forget the pain and the weariness of labour. Even the sons of the prophets must not be unwilling to labour Let no man think an honest employment a burden or a disgrace. An labour of the head, is as hard, and very often harder, than labour with the hands. We ought to be careful of that which is borrowed, as of ou own, because we must do as we would be done by. This man was s respecting the axe-head. And to those who have an honest mind, the sorest grievance of poverty is, not so much their own want an disgrace, as being rendered unable to pay just debts. But the Lor cares for his people in their smallest concerns. And God's grace can thus raise the stony iron heart, which is sunk into the mud of thi world, and raise up affections, naturally earthly.
Original Hebrew ויאמר559 אישׁ376 האלהים430 אנה575 נפל5307 ויראהו7200 את853 המקום4725 ויקצב7094 עץ6086 וישׁלך7993 שׁמה8033 ויצף6687 הברזל׃1270
