2 Kings 6 23

2 Kings 6:23 kjv

And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

2 Kings 6:23 nkjv

Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel.

2 Kings 6:23 niv

So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory.

2 Kings 6:23 esv

So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.

2 Kings 6:23 nlt

So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their master. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel.

2 Kings 6 verses

2 Kings 6 23 Meaning

2 Kings 6:23 describes the miraculous outcome of Elisha's unusual act of hospitality towards the Aramean soldiers who were sent to capture him. Instead of allowing them to be killed by the King of Israel, Elisha commanded that they be given a lavish meal and then sent back unharmed to their master. The direct result of this unexpected kindness was that these specific "marauding bands" from Aram ceased their raids into the land of Israel for a period of time. This verse highlights divine power, unconventional wisdom, and the transforming potential of showing mercy to enemies.

2 Kings 6 23 Context

2 Kings chapter 6 portrays the continuous conflict between Aram and Israel. The King of Aram, frustrated by Elisha’s prophetic warnings that consistently foiled his military plans (2 Kgs 6:8-12), sent a great army to Dothan to capture Elisha (2 Kgs 6:13-14). When Elisha’s servant saw the surrounding Aramean army, Elisha prayed for his eyes to be opened, revealing that a celestial army of chariots of fire was protecting them (2 Kgs 6:15-17). Elisha then prayed for the Aramean army to be struck with blindness, leading them to follow him into the heart of Samaria, the capital of Israel (2 Kgs 6:18-19). Upon their arrival, Elisha prayed for their sight to be restored (2 Kgs 6:20). The King of Israel, seeing his enemy defenseless before him, asked Elisha if he should kill them (2 Kgs 6:21). Elisha sharply rebuked this thought, stating that they should not be killed like prisoners of war. Instead, Elisha instructed the king to prepare a grand meal for them, which the king did. Verse 23 details the result of this unusual act of hospitality and release, noting the temporary cessation of Syrian raids. This passage highlights divine intervention in human affairs, a display of Yahweh’s power over foreign armies, and the surprising strategy of mercy. It stands in contrast to common warfare practices and also sets the stage for the subsequent large-scale siege of Samaria by Aram mentioned in 2 Kings 6:24.

2 Kings 6 23 Word analysis

• So he prepared a great feast for them;
  • he prepared: Refers to the King of Israel, at Elisha’s explicit instruction (2 Kgs 6:22). This was not the king’s natural inclination but an act of obedience to the prophet of God.
  • a great feast: Hebrew mishteh gādôl (מִשְׁתֶּה גָּדֹול). A feast of significant scale, indicating lavish provision and abundance. This was far more than mere subsistence; it conveyed hospitality, respect, and peace. Such an act was highly counter-cultural given they were enemies.
  • for them: The Aramean soldiers, who had just been blind, led to Samaria, and had expected to be captured or killed. This unexpected gesture would have made a powerful impression.
• and after they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away,
  • eaten and drunk: Implies full satisfaction and restoration after their ordeal and potential exhaustion. It symbolizes complete provision and sustenance.
  • he sent them away: Hebrew šillaḥ. Means to dismiss, send off, or let go. In this context, it implies safe conduct back to their homeland, unharmed and well-fed, without ransom or imprisonment. This complete freedom and kindness defied all expectations of warfare.
• and they went to their master.
  • their master: The King of Aram, indicating their return was successful and direct, to report what had occurred. This underscores the impact of the event on the enemy nation's leadership.
• So the marauding bands of Syria did not come again into the land of Israel.
  • marauding bands: Hebrew gedûdîm (גְּדוּדִים). This specific term refers to small, organized raiding parties, typically engaging in plunder and sporadic incursions, rather than a full-scale army (which would be a ḥayil or maḥaneh). This distinction is crucial for interpreting the verse's final clause.
  • Syria: Refers to Aram.
  • did not come again: Hebrew lo'-yāsəphû lābô' (לֹא־יָסְפוּ לָבֹוא). Literally, "they did not add to come," meaning "they did not continue to come" or "they ceased coming." This cessation of raids was a direct result of the extraordinary event. The phrasing implies a definite break from the previous pattern of these particular raiding parties.
  • into the land of Israel: Signifying the effective deterrence of these specific threats against the territory.
• words-group by words-group analysis
  • "So he prepared a great feast for them; and after they had eaten and drunk": This highlights an act of lavish, generous, and deliberate hospitality by the King of Israel at the divine instruction through Elisha, aimed at completely satisfying and nourishing the enemy.
  • "he sent them away, and they went to their master": Emphasizes the complete and safe release of the enemy soldiers, an act of unexpected grace that ensured their safe return to their king.
  • "So the marauding bands of Syria did not come again into the land of Israel": This climactic phrase describes the concrete and lasting peace dividend for Israel specifically related to these smaller, plundering incursions, demonstrating the tangible benefit of the divine and unconventional strategy. The temporary nature (implied by later events in 2 Kgs 6:24) refers to this specific type of incursion ceasing, not all conflict.

2 Kings 6 23 Bonus section

The unique nature of Elisha’s spiritual perception versus the conventional, worldly view of the Israelite king is a central theme. The king desired a quick, humanly decisive victory (killing the enemies), while Elisha acted on divine wisdom, which provided a more strategic and enduring (though temporary regarding all war) solution. This episode reveals that true strength and effective warfare, in a spiritual sense, sometimes involve acts of radical love and generosity rather than brute force. This mercy also served as a testimony to Yahweh's character to a foreign nation. The narrative of 2 Kings 6:8-23 emphasizes God's proactive protection of His prophet and His people, demonstrating His sovereignty over even military endeavors of powerful nations. It is a testament to the fact that God uses various means, including supernatural interventions and acts of unexpected grace, to shape historical events.

2 Kings 6 23 Commentary

2 Kings 6:23 is a profound demonstration of God’s wisdom, power, and mercy working through His prophet Elisha. The conventional response of the Israelite king would have been to execute the entrapped Aramean soldiers, an act justifiable by ancient war ethics. However, Elisha’s command for radical hospitality not only confounded the human expectations but also delivered a powerful message to Aram. Providing a lavish feast to disarmed and vulnerable enemies, followed by their safe release, broke the cycle of retaliatory violence and instilled a sense of awe or perhaps shame in the Aramean court. The result – "the marauding bands... did not come again" – signifies a temporary cessation of small-scale, plundering raids. It's crucial to understand that this verse does not mean an end to all conflict with Aram, as a full-scale Aramean siege of Samaria occurs immediately afterward in 2 Kings 6:24. The impact of Elisha's act was specific: it deterred the common, destructive banditry that plagued the borders. This story underlines the principle of overcoming evil with good, echoing later New Testament commands (Rom 12:20), and showcases God’s ability to achieve His purposes through unconventional, gracious means that surprise human enemies and bring peace, even if partial or temporary.