2 Kings 6 24

2 Kings 6:24 kjv

And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

2 Kings 6:24 nkjv

And it happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.

2 Kings 6:24 niv

Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria.

2 Kings 6:24 esv

Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria.

2 Kings 6:24 nlt

Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army and besieged Samaria.

2 Kings 6 verses

2 Kings 6 24 Meaning

2 Kings 6:24 states that following an earlier engagement, Ben-hadad, the king of Aram (Syria), gathered the full strength of his army and advanced to besiege Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel. This action marks the commencement of a severe military blockade, introducing a period of intense distress and famine upon the city and its inhabitants, which sets the stage for miraculous divine intervention.

2 Kings 6 24 Context

This verse immediately follows a pivotal event where the prophet Elisha demonstrated God's power and mercy. In 2 Kings 6:8-23, Ben-hadad repeatedly sent raiding parties to capture Elisha, but Elisha supernaturally exposed and foiled their plans. Eventually, Elisha led a blind Aramean army directly into Samaria, where King Jehoram wanted to kill them. However, Elisha commanded that they be fed and released, leading to a period where Syrian raiders apparently stopped entering Israel. Verse 24, "And it came to pass after this," directly contradicts the presumed long-term peace implied by the previous verses, signifying that despite God's previous display of power and Israel's act of mercy, Ben-hadad resumed his aggression, this time with a full-scale, devastating siege. Historically, this places the event in the context of the ongoing power struggles between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Aram (Damascus) during the Iron Age II period. Siege warfare was a common, brutal tactic, leading to widespread famine and suffering, underscoring the severe threat faced by Samaria.

2 Kings 6 24 Word analysis

• And it came to pass after this, (וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי-כֵן, wa-y'hi aharei-khen)

  • "And it came to pass": A common transitional Hebrew phrase, wayehi, which introduces a new development. It does not necessarily imply immediate temporal succession but rather logical or narrative sequence. Here, it explicitly links this event to the preceding one.
  • "after this": Points to the event in 2 Kings 6:23 where Elisha miraculously returned the Aramean army to their king after feeding them, showing divine grace to the enemy. This phrase highlights the disappointing reality that the act of kindness did not deter future aggression from Ben-hadad. It shows a cyclical pattern of conflict despite earlier divine intervention.

• that Ben-hadad king of Syria (בֶּן-הֲדַד מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם, Ben-hadad melek Aram)

  • Ben-hadad: "Son of Hadad," Hadad being a prominent Aramean storm-god. This is likely Ben-hadad II, who frequently warred with Israel, though some scholars suggest Ben-hadad III. His consistent enmity underscores the persistent threat to Israel from their northern neighbor. His name being linked to a deity also points to the pagan belief system prevalent in Aram.
  • Syria (Aram): Refers to the kingdom of Aram, with its capital at Damascus. This region was Israel's primary foreign adversary during this period. The use of "Syria" in English versions is a Septuagintal (Greek translation) influence on the Hebrew term Aram.
  • "king of": (מֶלֶךְ, melek) Emphasizes his sovereign authority and military leadership.

• gathered all his army, (קָבַץ אֶת-כָּל-חֵילוֹ, qavats et-kol-cheylo)

  • "gathered": (קָבַץ, qavats) Means to assemble, collect, or gather together. It signifies a deliberate and strategic mustering of forces for a major military operation.
  • "all his army": (כָּל-חֵילוֹ, kol-cheylo) The inclusion of "all" (כָּל, kol) emphasizes the immense scale and totality of the force deployed, signifying a comprehensive military effort, not a mere raiding party. This indicated a full-blown war, designed to conquer or utterly subjugate Samaria.

• and went up, (וַיַּעַל, wa-ya'al)

  • "went up": (עָלָה, alah) To ascend, go up. Samaria was built on a strategically defensible hill. Military advances towards a fortified city often involved "going up." This verb also conveys the hostile intent of an advancing army.

• and besieged Samaria. (וַיָּצַר עַל-שֹׁמְרוֹן, wa-yatsar al-Shomron)

  • "besieged": (צָרַר, tsarar) The verb implies encompassing, confining, or causing distress. It depicts the act of surrounding a city to cut off its supplies and communications, often leading to extreme famine, illness, and eventual surrender or assault. It's a dire and desperate situation.
  • Samaria: (שֹׁמְרוֹן, Shomron) The capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, established by King Omri (1 Kgs 16:24). It was well-fortified, chosen for its strategic location, yet vulnerable to prolonged siege, which would devastate the heart of Israel. Its pagan worship (e.g., of Baal and Asherah under Jezebel) often brought divine judgment.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria... and besieged Samaria.": This phrasing creates a dramatic contrast with the preceding passage. Despite the extraordinary display of Yahweh's power and mercy through Elisha (leading to the Syrian army being fed and released in 6:23), the king of Aram immediately initiates an even more aggressive and destructive military action. This demonstrates Ben-hadad's unrepentant hostility and foreshadows the profound crisis for Israel. It also underlines the human tendency to persist in conflict even in the face of miraculous interventions or acts of goodwill, often reflecting hardened hearts against God's implicit invitation to peace.

2 Kings 6 24 Bonus section

• The rapid shift from clemency to intensified aggression in this passage underscores a recurring biblical theme: mercy shown to the unrepentant does not automatically lead to peace or conversion. It can sometimes even provoke greater resistance, mirroring how divine grace, when rejected, often leads to hardened hearts.
• This siege highlights the political and spiritual state of Israel at the time. Despite Elisha's continued ministry and demonstrations of God's power, the nation of Israel often continued in its idolatrous practices. The severe siege can be viewed, from a theological perspective, as a form of divine discipline, designed to humble the people and turn them back to the Lord.
• Ancient sieges were notoriously protracted and brutal. The mention of "all his army" is significant, implying a large, professional force prepared for a long and costly campaign. The suffering described in the following verses (e.g., 2 Kgs 6:25, donkey's head for 80 shekels) demonstrates the extreme consequences of such a siege.
• Ben-hadad's unwavering hostility against Israel illustrates the biblical pattern of external enemies being used, knowingly or unknowingly, as instruments in God's broader redemptive plan, whether for judgment or for revealing His power in deliverance.

2 Kings 6 24 Commentary

2 Kings 6:24 dramatically shifts the narrative from miraculous rescue and an act of unexpected clemency to the initiation of a major, devastating conflict. The prior kindness shown to the Aramean army (6:23) failed to deter Ben-hadad's ultimate goal of subjugating Israel. This illustrates that human acts of goodwill, however divinely prompted, do not necessarily remove hardened animosity. Ben-hadad's "gathering all his army" signals a determined and overwhelming assault, reflecting the complete and strategic nature of this new aggression. The immediate focus on Samaria, the capital, highlights the existential threat to the northern kingdom. The term "besieged" conveys the grim reality of ancient warfare, where cities were completely encircled, supplies cut off, and inhabitants faced extreme starvation and disease. This severe trial sets the stage for Yahweh to once again display His power and faithfulness, not just in rescue but in providing supernatural abundance in the face of human desperation. It prepares the reader for a demonstration of God's sovereignty over kings and armies, showing that His people's ultimate security lies in His divine intervention, even when seemingly overwhelming forces gather against them. This passage serves as a vivid reminder that trials and adversity are often part of God's plan, either for chastisement or to glorify His name through deliverance.