2 Kings 6:15
in 2 Kings 6When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host with horses and chariots was round about the city. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
KJV
And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
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This verse in 2 Kings 6
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This was a new servant, who had only been with him since Gehazi's dismissal and consequently had little or no experience of his master's powers. His faith was easily shaken by so unexpected an alarm.
This site's exposition
how shall we do
on 2 Kings 6:15-17
Elisha's servant wakes to an army surrounding the city and asks the question fear always asks first. Elisha answers with the ratio that matters, they that be with us are more than they that be with them, and then prays not for deliverance but for sight, Lord, open his eyes. What the servant sees is a mountain full of horses and chariots of fire, the words that named Elijah's own departure at 2:11, their only other occurrence in Scripture, the unseen army standing guard the whole time the servant could see only the siege.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He ran straight to Elisha, to bring him an account of it: " Alas, master! " (said he) " what shall we do? We are undone, it is to no purpose to think either of fighting or flying, but we must unavoidably fall into their hands." Had he but studied David's Psalms, which were then extant, he might have learnt not to be afraid of 10,000 of people ( Ps. iii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth,....
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַ֠יַּשְׁכֵּם | vaiyashkem | and he rose early | H7925 → | 65 times |
| מְשָׁרֵ֨ת | mesharet | [the] servant of | H8334 → | 97 times |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִים֮ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לָקוּם֒ | lakum | to arise | H6965 → | 628 times |
| וַיֵּצֵ֕א | vaiyetze' | and he went out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| וְהִנֵּה־ | vehineh- | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| חַ֛יִל | chayil | an army | H2428 → | 246 times |
| סוֹבֵ֥ב | sovev | [was] surrounding | H5437 → | 161 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעִ֖יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וְס֣וּס | vesus | and horse[s] | H5483 → | 140 times |
| וָרָ֑כֶב | varakhev | and chariotry | H7393 → | 119 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| נַעֲר֥וֹ | naaro | servant his | H5288 → | 239 times |
| אֵלָ֛יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲהָ֥הּ | ʾahah | alas! | H162 → | 15 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֖י | ʾadoni | O lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| אֵיכָ֥ה | ʾeikhah | how? | H349 → | 82 times |
| נַֽעֲשֶֽׂה׃ | naaseh | will we do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
וַ֠יַּשְׁכֵּםand he rose early
vaiyashkemH7925 →65 times
מְשָׁרֵ֨ת[the] servant of
mesharetH8334 →97 times
אִ֥ישׁ[the] man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֮<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
לָקוּם֒to arise
lakumH6965 →628 times
וַיֵּצֵ֕אand he went out
vaiyetze'H3318 →1067 times
וְהִנֵּה־and there!
vehineh-H2009 →843 times
חַ֛יִלan army
chayilH2428 →246 times
סוֹבֵ֥ב[was] surrounding
sovevH5437 →161 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעִ֖ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
וְס֣וּסand horse[s]
vesusH5483 →140 times
וָרָ֑כֶבand chariotry
varakhevH7393 →119 times
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
נַעֲר֥וֹservant his
naaroH5288 →239 times
אֵלָ֛יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
אֲהָ֥הּalas!
ʾahahH162 →15 times
אֲדֹנִ֖יO lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
אֵיכָ֥הhow?
ʾeikhahH349 →82 times
נַֽעֲשֶֽׂה׃will we do
naasehH6213 →2628 times
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
2 Chronicles 20:12Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast army that comes against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
it leads to
- Psalms 121:1–2
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
- Psalms 25:15
My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the mesh.
- Psalms 141:8
But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless.
- Psalms 123:1–2
I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven.
- Deuteronomy 32:36
For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free.
- Psalms 121:1–2
Through
Matthew 8:26“You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:10–14
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- Psalms 65:7
You stilled the roaring of the seas, the pounding of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.
- Psalms 107:28–30
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.
- Isaiah 41:10–14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 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.