2 Kings 6:12
in 2 Kings 6But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And one of his servants said, Nay, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
KJV
And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
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This verse in 2 Kings 6
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
In thy bedchamber - literally, “in the secret place of thy bedchamber,” i. e.,” in the greatest possible secrecy.” The seclusion of the harem must be taken into account for the full appreciation of the force of the phrase. Probably the Syrian lord who answered Benhadad had received his intelligence from some of the Israelites.
This site's exposition
the king of Aram became enraged
on 2 Kings 6:11-12
The king of Aram suspects a traitor and demands to know “which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel”. A servant names the source: Elisha “tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom”. No human informant is blamed after that.
This site's exposition
in your bedroom
Albert Barnes gives the Hebrew literally as the secret place of your bedchamber, the most private room of a king with a harem. Barnes thought the officer had his information from Israelites. Matthew Henry hears an Aramean confessing that nothing is hidden from the God of Israel.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Here a confession of the boundless knowledge, as before of the boundless power, of Israel's God, is extorted from Syrians. Nothing done, said, thought, by any person, in any place, at any time, is out of the reach of God's cognizance. 13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him.
And one of his servants said, none, my lord, O king,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the king of Syria warred against Israel--This seems to have been a sort of guerrilla warfare, carried on by predatory inroads on different parts of the country. Elisha apprised King Jehoram of the secret purpose of the enemy; so, by adopting precautionary measures, he was always enabled to anticipate and defeat their attacks.
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How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Where he is. Where he is. 6 See Shir Hashirim:7 for a similar expression. 7 According to Malbim, this was not a hostile act. The king sent his men to invite Elisha to his court in the hope of winning him over.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַחַ֣ד | ʾachad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| מֵֽעֲבָדָ֔יו | meavadav | from servants his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| ל֖וֹא | lo' | no | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֣י | ʾadoni | O lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֱלִישָׁ֤ע | ʾelisha' | Elisha | H477 → | 58 times |
| הַנָּבִיא֙ | hanavi' | the prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | beyisrael | [is] in Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| יַגִּיד֙ | yagid | he tells | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לְמֶ֣לֶךְ | lemelekh | to [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַ֨דְּבָרִ֔ים | hadevarim | the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תְּדַבֵּ֖ר | tedaber | you speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| בַּחֲדַ֥ר | bachadar | in [the] chamber of | H2315 → | 38 times |
| מִשְׁכָּבֶֽךָ׃ | mishkavekha | lying down your | H4904 → |
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אַחַ֣דone
ʾachadH259 →971 times
מֵֽעֲבָדָ֔יוfrom servants his
meavadavH5650 →799 times
ל֖וֹאno
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אֲדֹנִ֣יO lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אֱלִישָׁ֤עElisha
ʾelisha'H477 →58 times
הַנָּבִיא֙the prophet
hanavi'H5030 →314 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל[is] in Israel
beyisraelH3478 →2507 times
יַגִּיד֙he tells
yagidH5046 →370 times
לְמֶ֣לֶךְto [the] king of
lemelekhH4428 →2525 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַ֨דְּבָרִ֔יםthe words
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תְּדַבֵּ֖רyou speak
tedaberH1696 →1141 times
בַּחֲדַ֥רin [the] chamber of
bachadarH2315 →38 times
מִשְׁכָּבֶֽךָ׃lying down your
mishkavekhaH4904 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Amos 3:7Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.
it leads to
- John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have…
- Genesis 18:17
And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
- Psalms 25:14
The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.
- Revelation 1:1
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,
- Daniel 9:22–27
He instructed me and spoke with me, saying: “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.
- John 15:15
Through
Ecclesiastes 10:20Do not curse the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich even in your bedroom, for a bird of the air may carry your words, and a winged creature may report your…
it leads to
- Acts 23:5
“Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
- Luke 12:2–3
There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.
- Exodus 22:28
You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
- Acts 23:5
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.