2 Kings 14:26

2Ki 14:26 For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, [that it was] very bitter: for [there was] not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.

Ver. 26. For the Lord saw, &c., ] sc., In the days of Jehoahaz, when, likely, Jonah was sent with the above said prophecy.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 14:26-27. The Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter — Whereby he was moved to pity and help them, though they were an unworthy people. They that lived in those parts of their country, of which their enemies were masters, were miserably oppressed and enslaved, and could call nothing their own: the rest, we may suppose, were much empoverished by the frequent incursions which their enemies made upon them, to plunder them; and were continually frightened with their alarms; so that there was none shut up or left, but both towns and country were laid waste and stripped of their wealth, and no helper appeared. To this extremity they were reduced in many parts of the country in the beginning of Jeroboam’s reign, when God, in mere pity to them, heard the cry of their affliction, (for no mention is here made of the cry of their prayers,) and wrought this deliverance for them by the hand of Jeroboam. Reader, is thy case piteous? Then take comfort from the divine pity. He has bowels of mercy, and is full of compassion! For the Lord said not that he would blot out the name, &c. — That is, not yet: he had not yet declared this, as afterward he did by the succeeding prophets, though not in these very words, Hos 1:5-9. The decree was not yet gone forth for their utter destruction. If it be understood of the dispersion of the ten tribes, he did both say it and do it not long after: reprieves are not pardons. If of the utter extirpation of the name of Israel, he never said it, nor will ever do it: for that name still remains under heaven in the spiritual Israel, and will to the end of time.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14:26-28 The Lord . . . used Jeroboam II: God saw his people’s helplessness and remained faithful to the covenant established with Israel’s patriarchs (13:23). • everything he did: The narrator hints at the extent of Jeroboam’s God-given power and prosperity. The Samaria ostraca also indicate the prosperity of the era. The prophecies of Hosea and Amos show that despite the prosperity during Jeroboam’s reign, the Israelites refused to turn to the Lord.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Read 1 Kings 14:10.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 26. The Lord saw the affliction of Israel] It appears that about this time Israel had been greatly reduced; and great calamities had fallen upon all indiscriminately; even the diseased and captives in the dungeon had the hand of God heavy upon them, and there was no helper; and then God sent Jonah to encourage them, and to assure them of better days. He was the first of the prophets, after Samuel, whose writings are preserved; yet the prophecy delivered on this occasion is not extant; for what is now in the prophecies of Jonah, relates wholly to Nineveh.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(26) Affliction.—Better, oppression.

Bitter.—So the LXX., Syriac, and Vulg. Better, stubborn, and so, inveterate, unyielding, enduring. (Comp. Deu_21:18-20.) Targum, “hard;” Arabic, “strong” or “violent.”

For there was . . . left.—Comp. Note on 1Ki_14:10.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. the affliction of Israel] Occasioned by the inroads of the Syrians, who had not only conquered the lands on the east side, but also at one time some considerable portions on the west of the Jordan. (Cf. above 2Ki_13:3; 2Ki_13:7.)

for there was not any shut up, nor any left [R.V. adds at large] nor [R.V. neither was there] any helper] For the change cf. 1Ki_14:10 note. The expression means that there was no one, great or small, young or old, to whom they could look for aid.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The affliction of Israel - That which the Israelites had suffered for two reigns at the hands of the Syrians 2Ki 10:32-33; 2Ki 13:3, 2Ki 13:7,2Ki 13:22.

There was not any shut up, nor any left - A phrase implying complete depopulation (see the marginal reference note; 1Ki 14:10), but here meaning no more than extreme depression and weakness.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

In prison is not expressed in the original, (Calmet) which has, "not any shut up, nor last." Neither those who had strong castles, nor the poorest people, were exempt from suffering. (Haydock) --- None durst appear, 3 Kings xiv. 10. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

It was very bitter; whereby he was moved to pity and help them, though they were an unworthy people.

There was not any shut up, nor any left: See Poole "Deu 32:36"; See Poole "1Ki 14:10"; See Poole "1Ki 21:21".

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

26. Not any shut up, nor any left — On this idiomatic phrase, see 1Ki_14:10, note. Israel had become reduced to great extremities; the prisoner and the free seemed gone, and thus was fulfilled in them a prophecy of Moses. Compare Deu_32:36.

Nor any helper — No God-sent deliverer, or “saviour,” (comp. 2Ki_13:5; 2Ki_19:25,) to effectually deliver them from the oppression of the Syrians. Joash had thrice smitten Syria, but as the dying Elisha prophesied, he secured no permanent victory.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter. (comp. 2Ki_13:4, 2Ki_13:23) The repetition is perhaps to be accounted for by the desire of the writer to explain how it came to pass that so great a deliverance was granted to Israel under a king who maintained the worship of the calves. He views it as the consequence of God"s infinite compassion, and of the extreme bitterness of Israel"s sufferings under the Syrians. (comp. 2Ki_13:7 and Amo_1:3). For there was not any shut up, nor any left, (see the comment on 1Ki_14:10) nor any helper for Israel. Apart from Jehovah, Israel had no one to come to her aid. Judah would not help her, for Judah had just suffered at her hands (vers. 11-14); still less would Philistia, or Moab, or Ammon, who were her constant enemies. Her isolation rendered her all the more an object for the Divine compassion.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Was bitter - Whereby he was moved to pity and help them, though they were an unworthy people. Nor any left - Both towns and country were utterly laid waste.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The higher ground for this strengthening of Israel in the time of Jeroboam was to be found in the compassion of God. The Lord saw the great oppression and helpless condition of Israel, and had not yet pronounced the decree of rejection. He therefore sent help through Jeroboam. מאד מרה without the article, and governed by ישׂ אני (see Ewald, 293, a.), signifies very bitter, מרה having taken the meaning of מרר. This is the explanation adopted in all the ancient versions, and also by Dietrich in Ges. Lex. וגו עצוּר ואפס, verbatim from Deu 32:36, to show that the kingdom of Israel had been brought to the utmost extremity of distress predicted there by Moses, and it was necessary that the Lord should interpose with His help, if His people were not utterly to perish. דבּר לא: He had not yet spoken, i.e., had not yet uttered the decree of rejection through the mouth of a prophet. To blot out the name under the heavens is an abbreviated expression for: among the nations who dwelt under the heavens.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

it was very bitter

Suffering that was difficult is spoken of as if it had a bitter taste. AT: "it was very difficult" (See: Metaphor)

there was no rescuer for Israel

"there was no one who could rescue Israel"

blot out

To completely destroy Israel is spoken of as if Yahweh wiped them away with a cloth. AT: "completely destroy" (See: Metaphor)

the name of Israel

Here "the name of Israel" represents all of Israel and its inhabitants. AT: "the Israelite people" (See: Metonymy)

under heaven

"on earth"

he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash

Here "hand" is a metonym for power. Also, "Jehoash" is a synecdoche representing Jehoash and his army. AT: "he enabled King Jeroboam and his army to rescue them" (See: Metonymy and Synecdoche)

translationWords

suffer

servant

free

name

heaven

save

hand

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Intensifying increasingly. Very vexing, contrarios, in O.F., as in, “who will rebel [יַמְרֶה] against your command,” [and as in,] “You have been contrary [מַמְרִים],” [and as in,] “and they were a source of spiritual bitterness [מֹרַת רוּח].” Others interpret מוֹרֶה מְאֹד as “very low,” an expression of, “He hurled [יָרָה] into the sea.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.