 |
|
     |
|
|
|
In 2 Kings 2, Elisha heals a "barren land," a land described as "causing miscarriage" or as "abortive" itself. The land is mother, and the new "father" of the prophets sows salt to heal the land and make it fruitful.
2 Kings 3 picks up on this mother-land analogy. Elisha predicts what the three kings will do to the land of Moab. Along with destroying cities, the three kings are going to make war on the land itself, felling trees and stopping up springs and ruining the ground with stones. Two of these phrases point to larger symbolic concerns. The word for "spring" has sexual connotations in Pr 5:16 and Song of Songs 4:12; stopping up the springs of the land is sterilizing the mother land. Likewise, the word for "mar" or "ruin" often connotes "to cause pain" or "to wound" (Gen 34:25; Job 5:18). The three kings are going to "stone" the land, like a woman caught in adultery.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Monday, May 30, 2005 at 03:10 PM
Permission is given to use material on this site, provided the source is cited, blog entries are republished in full, and the author is notified in advance.
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
