12 And the king riseth by night, and saith unto his servants, 'Let me declare, I pray you, to you that which the Aramaeans have done to us; they have known that we are famished, and they are gone out from the camp to be hidden in the field, saying, When they come out from the city, then we catch them alive, and unto the city we enter.' 13 And one of his servants answereth and saith, 'Then let them take, I pray thee, five of the horses that are left, that have been left in it—lo, they 'are' as all the multitude of Israel who have been left in it; lo, they are as all the multitude of Israel who have been consumed—and we send and see.' 14 And they take two chariot-horses, and the king sendeth after the camp of Aram, saying, 'Go, and see.' 15 And they go after them unto the Jordan, and lo, all the way is full of garments and vessels that the Aramaeans have cast away in their haste, and the messengers turn back and declare to the king. 16 And the people go out and spoil the camp of Aram, and there is a measure of fine flour at a shekel, and two measures of barley at a shekel, according to the word of Jehovah. 17 And the king hath appointed the captain, by whose hand he is supported, over the gate, and the people tread him down in the gate, and he dieth, as the man of God spake, which he spake in the coming down of the king unto him, 18 yea, it cometh to pass, according to the speaking of the man of God unto the king, saying, 'Two measures of barley at a shekel, and a measure of fine flour at a shekel are, at this time to-morrow, in the gate of Samaria;' 19 and the captain answereth the man of God, and saith, 'And lo, Jehovah is making windows in the heavens—it is according to this word?' and he saith, 'Lo, thou art seeing with thine eyes, and thereof thou dost not eat;' 20 and it cometh to him so, and the people tread him down in the gate, and he dieth.
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.