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mannafest.faith

2 Kings 6:19

in 2 Kings 6

And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them to Samaria.

KJV

And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

This verse in 2 Kings 6

Commentary

9 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

This was humane advice; it was contrary to the usage of war to put war captives to death in cold blood, even when taken by the point of the sword, much more those whom the miraculous power and providence of God had unexpectedly placed at his disposal.

This site's exposition

Smite this people, I pray thee

on 2 Kings 6:18-20

Elisha prays a second time, now for blindness rather than sight, and the army that came to take one prophet is led wherever he chooses to lead it. He tells the blinded Syrians this is neither the way nor the city, technically true and aimed at his own purpose, and marches the whole host into Samaria before praying a third time to open their eyes. The men who came by night to surround Dothan wake to find themselves standing disarmed in the middle of the enemy capital.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers4 voices

A commentator

Ambrose of Milan

On the Duties of the Clergy 1.29.140 · Written before 397.

proposed

If, then, justice is binding, even in war, how much more ought we to observe it in time of peace. Such favor the prophet showed to those who came to seize him. We read that the king of Syria had sent his army to lie in wait for him, for he had learned that it was Elisha who had made known to all his plans and consultations. And Gehazi, the prophet's servant, seeing the army, began to fear that his life was in danger. But the prophet said to him, "Do not fear, for they who are with us are more than they who are with them." And when the prophet asked that the eyes of his servant might be opened, they were opened. Then Gehazi saw the whole mountain full of horse and chariots round about Elisha. As they came down to him the prophet says, "Strike, O God, the army of Syria with blindness." And this prayer being granted, he says to the Syrians, "Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." Then they saw Elisha, whom they were endeavoring to lay hold of, and seeing him they could not hold him fast. It is clear from this that faith and justice should be observed even in war; and that it could not but be a disgraceful thing if faith were violated.

A commentator

Ephrem the Syrian

ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 6:18 · Written before 373.

proposed

Elisha prayed before the Lord and said, "strike this people with blindness." And he struck them with blindness according to the words of Elisha. Ben-hadad, king of the Arameans, sent a large army to surround the city of Dothan and ordered them to arrest Elisha, …

A commentator

Ambrose of Milan

ON THE DEATH OF THEODOSIUS 10 · Written before 397.

proposed

Elsewhere, also, that is, in the books of Kings we read that Elisha was in Samaria, and suddenly an army of Syrians surrounded and set on him. Gehazi saw them and said to his master, "O master, what shall we do?" And Elisha the prophet said, "Do not fear, for there are more with us than with them." And he prayed that the Lord would open the eyes of Gehazi. And his eyes were opened, and he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots around Elisha. And Elisha prayed that God would strike them with blindness.

A commentator

Ambrose of Milan

On the Duties of the Clergy 3.1.5 · Written before 397.

proposed

But, as many delight in warfare, which is the most glorious, to bring a battle to an end by the strength of a great army or by merits before God alone? Elisha rested in one place while the king of Syria waged a great war against the people of our ancestors, and was adding to its terrors by various treacherous plans and was endeavoring to catch them in an ambush. But the prophet found out all their preparations, and being by the grace of God present everywhere in mental vigor, he told the thoughts of their enemies to his countrymen and warned them of what places to beware. And when this was known to the king of Syria, he sent an army and shut in the prophet. Elisha prayed and caused all of them to be struck with blindness and made those who had come to besiege him enter Samaria as captives.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), promising that he would show them the man whom they sought, and he did so. He did not lie to them when he told them, This is not the way, nor is this the city where Elisha is; for he had now come out of the city; and if they would see him, they must go to another city to which he would direct them.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

2 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And Elisha said unto them, this is not the way, neither is this the city,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

I will bring you to the man whom ye seek - And he did so; he was their guide to Samaria, and showed himself to them fully in that city.

The words behind it

20 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH5595305 times

  • אֲלֵהֶ֜םto them

    ʾalehemH4135510 times

  • אֱלִישָׁ֗עElisha

    ʾelisha'H47758 times

  • לֹ֣אnot

    lo'H38085168 times

  • זֶ֣הthis

    zehH20881180 times

  • הַדֶּרֶךְ֮[is] the way

    haderekhH1870707 times

  • וְלֹ֣אand not

    velo'H38085168 times

  • זֹ֣הthis

    zohH2090

  • הָעִיר֒[is] the city

    hairH58921090 times

  • לְכ֣וּcome

    lekhuH19801546 times

  • אַחֲרַ֔יafter me

    ʾacharaiH310715 times

  • וְאוֹלִ֣יכָהso let me lead

    veolikhahH19801546 times

  • אֶתְכֶ֔ם<obj.> you

    ʾetkhemH85310935 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H4135510 times

  • הָאִ֖ישׁthe man

    haishH3761663 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֣רwhom

    ʾasherH8345497 times

  • תְּבַקֵּשׁ֑וּןyou seek !

    tevakeshunH1245225 times

  • וַיֹּ֥לֶךְand he led

    vaiyolekhH19801546 times

  • אוֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them

    ʾotamH85310935 times

  • שֹׁמְרֽוֹנָה׃Samaria towards

    shomeronahH8111109 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Matthew 16:24

    Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 10:38

      and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Luke 14:27

      And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.

    • 1 Peter 4:1–2

      Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with sin.

    • Luke 9:23–27

      Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

  • Through

    Luke 9:23

    Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

    it leads to

    • Luke 14:26–27

      “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Matthew 10:38–39

      and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

    • Romans 8:13

      For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

    • Mark 8:34–38

      Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Kings

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 1.29.140; Ambrose of Milan, ON THE DEATH OF THEODOSIUS 10; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.1.5; Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 6:18; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.