[91] The moral difficulty must have been early felt, for the Alexandrian LXX. reads καὶ προσκυνήσω ἄμα αὐτῷ ἐγὼ Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ μου. But he would still be bowing in the House of Rimmon, though he might in his heart worship God. "Elisha, like Elijah" (says Dean Stanley), "made no effort to set right what had gone so wrong. Their mission was to make the best of what they found; not to bring back a rule of religion which had passed away, but to dwell on the Moral Law which could be fulfilled everywhere, not on the Ceremonial Law which circumstances seemed to have put out of their reach: 'not sending the Shunammite to Jerusalem' (says Cardinal Newman), 'not eager for a proselyte in Naaman, yet making the heathen fear the Name of God, and proving to them that there was a prophet in Israel'" (Stanley, _Lectures_, ii. 377; Newman, _Sermons_, viii. 415). [92] Prov. iv. 14, 15. [93] Prov. xvii. 14. [94] On Gehazi's lips it meant no more than the incessant _Wallah_, "by God," of Mohammedans. [95] 2 Kings v. 19. Heb., _kib'rath aretz_, "a little way"--literally, "a space of country." (The Vatican LXX. follows another reading, εἰς Δεβραθὰ τῆς γῆς; Vulg., _electo terræ tempore_[?].) [96] LXX., κατεπήδησεν. [97] A talent of silver was worth about £400--an enormous sum for two half-naked youths. [98] 2 Kings v. 24. The LXX. (εἰς τὸ σκοτεινὸν) seems to have read אֹפֵל (_ophel_); "darkness," a treasury or secret place, for צַֹפֶל, and so the Vulgate _jam vesperi_. [99] 2 Kings v. 26. The verse is so interpreted by some critics, especially Ewald, followed by Stanley. Margin, R.V.: "Mine heart went not from me, when" etc. [100] Exod. iv. 6; Num. xii. 10. [101] The later Rabbis thought that Elisha was too severe with Gehazi, and was punished with sickness because "he repelled him with both his hands" (_Bava-Metsia_, f. 87, 1, and _Yalkut Jeremiah_). [102] The Hebrew word for "cut off" (_qatsab_) is very rare. LXX., ἀπέκνισε ξύλον; Vulg., _præcidit lignum_. [103] It must be further borne in mind that "the iron did swim" (A.V.) is less accurate than "made the iron to swim" (R.V.). The LXX. has ἐπεπόλασε, "brought to the surface." Von Gerlach says, "He thrust the stick into the water, and raised the iron to the surface." CHAPTER VII _ELISHA AND THE SYRIANS_ 2 KINGS vi. 1-23 "Now there was found in the city a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city."--ECCLES. ix. 15.