2 Kings 16 6

2 Kings 16:6 kjv

At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

2 Kings 16:6 nkjv

At that time Rezin king of Syria captured Elath for Syria, and drove the men of Judah from Elath. Then the Edomites went to Elath, and dwell there to this day.

2 Kings 16:6 niv

At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the people of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.

2 Kings 16:6 esv

At that time Rezin the king of Syria recovered Elath for Syria and drove the men of Judah from Elath, and the Edomites came to Elath, where they dwell to this day.

2 Kings 16:6 nlt

At that time the king of Edom recovered the town of Elath for Edom. He drove out the people of Judah and sent Edomites to live there, as they do to this day.

2 Kings 16 verses

2 Kings 16 6 Meaning

At that time, King Rezin of Syria restored Elath, a crucial port city, to Syrian control by driving out the Judahite inhabitants. Following this, the Edomites subsequently occupied Elath, making it their home and holding it up to the point the biblical narrative was composed. This event marks a significant economic and strategic loss for Judah, highlighting the dire consequences faced during King Ahaz's reign due to external enemies taking advantage of Judah's weakened state and divine disfavor.

2 Kings 16 6 Context

This verse is situated within the narrative of King Ahaz's reign over Judah (2 Kings 16), which is characterized by extreme wickedness and idolatry, a stark departure from the ways of his forefather David. At this specific time, Judah was caught in the Syro-Ephraimite War. King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel formed an alliance and aggressively attacked Judah, intending to depose Ahaz and install a puppet king. Instead of trusting in the Lord for deliverance as urged by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 7), Ahaz impiously sought help from Tiglath-Pileser III, the powerful king of Assyria, by sending tribute and declaring himself Assyria's servant. The loss of Elath described in 2 Kings 16:6 serves as one of the immediate and tangible consequences of Judah's vulnerability and King Ahaz's faithless decisions during this crisis, highlighting both the external pressures and the divine hand allowing these misfortunes. Elath (also known as Ezion-Geber) was strategically vital, being Judah's sole outlet to the Red Sea for maritime trade, particularly profitable ventures to distant Ophir. Its loss represented a severe economic blow and a significant territorial diminishment for Judah.

2 Kings 16 6 Word analysis

• At that time: (Hebrew: בָּעֵת הַהִיא, ba'et hahi) - A common chronological marker, connecting this event directly to the preceding narrative, particularly the military pressures Judah was facing from Syria and Israel. It situates the loss of Elath as part of the unfolding Syro-Ephraimite crisis.
• Rezin king of Syria: (Hebrew: רְצִין מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם, Retzin melekh Aram) - Rezin was a significant antagonist of Judah and a key figure in the regional geopolitics. Syria (Aram) under Rezin's leadership was a formidable power based in Damascus, actively seeking to counter Assyrian influence by pressing its neighbors, including Judah.
• recovered: (Hebrew: וַיָּשֶׁב, vayyashëv) - From the verb shuv (שׁוּב), meaning "to turn, return." In the Hiphil stem (causative), it signifies "he caused to return" or "he restored/brought back." This implies that Elath was either previously held by Syria and then lost, or that Syria was reclaiming it as part of their broader expansionist efforts. Given Amaziah of Judah had recovered it from Edom, this highlights a fluctuating control over this vital port.
• Elath: (Hebrew: אֵילַת, Elat) - A crucial port city on the Gulf of Aqaba, the northern tip of the Red Sea. Known also as Ezion-Geber. Its importance lay in facilitating maritime trade routes to the south, especially to regions like Ophir (1 Ki 9:26). Its loss deprived Judah of direct access to lucrative Red Sea trade.
• for Syria: Clarifies the purpose and beneficiary of Rezin's action. The conquest was to secure this strategic port for Syrian interests.
• drove the men of Judah from Elath: (Hebrew: וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֶת־הַיְּהוּדִים מֵאֵילוֹת, vayyagārash ’et-hay’hūdim mē’Ēylōṯ) - The verb garash (גָּרַשׁ) means "to drive out, cast out, expel." This was a forced eviction, a hostile act signifying the complete military takeover and ethnic displacement of Judahite residents.
• and the Edomites came to Elath: (Hebrew: וָאֲדוֹמִים בָּאוּ אֵילַת, va’Ădōmîm bā’û ’Êylaṯ) - This indicates a subsequent, opportunistic takeover by the Edomites. Descendants of Esau, Edomites (Idumaeans later) had a long history of animosity with Israel/Judah (cf. Num 20:14-21; Obad 1:10-14). They seized the moment of Judah's weakness, possibly with Syria's implicit or explicit consent, or by taking advantage of the vacuum left by the Judahite expulsion.
• and lived there: (Hebrew: וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם, vayyēshəvû shām) - Denotes their settlement and establishing permanent control over the city.
• to this day: (Hebrew: עַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, ‘ad hayyōm hazzeh) - A common ancient Near Eastern historiographical formula found throughout the Bible. It signifies that this state of affairs (Edomite control of Elath) persisted at the time the Book of Kings was being compiled or edited, reinforcing the permanence and enduring consequence of this loss for Judah. This phrase underscores the deep, lasting scar this event left on Judah's national identity and economy.

2 Kings 16 6 Bonus section

The re-conquest of Elath by Syria and its eventual settlement by Edom occurred during the initial phase of the Syro-Ephraimite War (c. 735 BCE), predating the full Assyrian intervention. This means Judah's territorial and economic losses were already occurring as a consequence of their sin, before Ahaz's desperate alliance with Assyria yielded any perceived benefit. The account in 2 Chronicles 28 expands on these adversities, noting not only the Syro-Ephraimite and Edomite attacks but also successful raids by the Philistines. This multifaceted assault from various directions paints a picture of Judah being surrounded by hostile nations, all seemingly unleashed against them during Ahaz's wicked reign. The consistency across prophetic and historical accounts (Kings, Chronicles, Isaiah) underscores the theological interpretation that these calamities were divinely permitted, if not orchestrated, due to Judah's profound apostasy.

2 Kings 16 6 Commentary

2 Kings 16:6 compactly describes a critical event during King Ahaz's reign: the loss of Elath. This verse is not just a geographical and military report but carries deep theological significance within the broader narrative of Kings. The seizure of Elath by Syria and its subsequent occupation by Edom were tangible consequences of Judah's vulnerability, intensified by Ahaz's idolatry and his unholy alliance with Assyria instead of trusting the Lord (as depicted in Isaiah 7 and 2 Chronicles 28). The re-taking of Elath by Syria highlights their strategic ambition to control trade routes. The opportunistic move by the Edomites, long-standing adversaries, further demonstrates the divine allowance of these foreign enemies to vex Judah, functioning as a judgment against the kingdom's disobedience. The phrase "to this day" tragically underlines the lasting nature of this territorial and economic setback. This loss served as a humbling sign, warning Judah that when they abandon the Lord, their security and prosperity crumble, even at the hands of their historic foes. It reflects a biblical pattern where national setbacks are often linked to covenant unfaithfulness.