Iain Provan points to two entertaining puns in the story of the siege of Samaria in 2 Kings 6-7. The first puns on “lepers” (Heb. MISORAIM) and “Egypt” (Heb. MIZRAIM): The Arameans become frightened by the sound of an army, thinkin that Egyptians are attacking; it’s only lepers, though, scrounging for food. God makes the Arameans panic at the dropping of a leaf.
There is also a pun on “windows” (Heb. ARRUBOT) and “four” (Heb. ARABA). The skeptical royal official does not believe Elisha’s prophecy could come true even if Yahweh dropped grain through the windows of heaven, but ultimately four lepers bring the good news that there is food available in abundance. The lepers, we might say, are the windows of heaven through which Yahweh delivers bread to His people.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Possibility of Possibility
"Might could” is a Southern expression meaning “maybe I could” or “I might be able to,” conveying…
The False Promise of No Contact
Around the time nineteen-year-old Alice began cutting ties with her family, she announced on social media that…
Moral Certitude and the Iran War
The current military engagement with Iran calls renewed attention to just war theory in the Catholic tradition.…
