2 Kings 6:22
in 2 Kings 6“Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
KJV
And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
⋯
This verse in 2 Kings 6
Commentary
11 notes on this verseWhom thou hast taken captive - Those who in open battle either lay down their arms, or are surrounded, and have their retreat cut off, are entitled to their lives, much more those who are thus providentially put into thy hand, without having been in actual hostility against thee. Give them meat and drink, and send them home to their master, and let them thus know that thou fearest him not, and art incapable of doing an ungenerous or unmanly action.
This site's exposition
My father, shall I smite them
on 2 Kings 6:21-23
The king of Israel, calling Elisha father as Elisha once called Elijah father at his departure, asks leave to kill a captured army inside his own capital. Elisha refuses on the ground of plain military custom rather than sentiment, wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow, men taken by no weapon of the king's own. He orders a feast instead of an execution, and the text records the result in one line, the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel, mercy accomplishing what the earlier warnings only interrupted.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
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.
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, …
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.
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.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Set bread - Give them meat and drink, which may refresh and strengthen them for their journey. This was an action of singular piety and charity, in doing good to their enemies, which was much to the honour of the true religion; and of no less prudence, that hereby the hearts of the Syrians might be mollified towards the Israelites.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And he answered, thou shalt not smite them,....
Had they been his prisoners, taken captive by his sword and bow, when they asked quarter it would have been barbarous to deny, and, when he had given it to them, it would have been perfidious to do them any hurt, and against the laws of arms to kill men in cool blood.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Wouldest thou smite ... - It is doubtful whether this sentence is really interrogative. Others translate - “Smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword,” etc. A contrast is intended between ordinary captives - those made with the sword and bow - and these particular prisoners who have been given into the king’s hand by God. The former, Jehoram is told, he may slay, if he pleases Deu 20:13, the latter, he is informed, he must not slay (compare the marginal reference).
The words behind it
18 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 |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַכֶּ֔ה | takeh | you must strike [them] down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| הַאֲשֶׁ֥ר | haasher | ¿ [those] whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁבִ֛יתָ | shavita | you have taken captive | H7617 → | |
| בְּחַרְבְּךָ֥ | becharbekha | by sword your | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וּֽבְקַשְׁתְּךָ֖ | uvekashtecha | and by bow your | H7198 → | 76 times |
| אַתָּ֣ה | ʾatah | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| מַכֶּ֑ה | makeh | about to strike down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| שִׂים֩ | sim | put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| לֶ֨חֶם | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וָמַ֜יִם | vamayim | and water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם | lifneihem | <to> before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וְיֹֽאכְלוּ֙ | veyokhelu | so they may eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| וְיִשְׁתּ֔וּ | veyishtu | and they may drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| וְיֵלְכ֖וּ | veyelekhu | and they may go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲדֹנֵיהֶֽם׃ | ʾadoneihem | master<s> their | H113 → | 333 times |
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תַכֶּ֔הyou must strike [them] down
takehH5221 →499 times
הַאֲשֶׁ֥ר¿ [those] whom
haasherH834 →5497 times
שָׁבִ֛יתָyou have taken captive
shavitaH7617 →
בְּחַרְבְּךָ֥by sword your
becharbekhaH2719 →413 times
וּֽבְקַשְׁתְּךָ֖and by bow your
uvekashtechaH7198 →76 times
אַתָּ֣ה[are] you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
מַכֶּ֑הabout to strike down
makehH5221 →499 times
שִׂים֩put
simH7760 →584 times
לֶ֨חֶםfood
lechemH3899 →298 times
וָמַ֜יִםand water
vamayimH4325 →581 times
לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם<to> before them
lifneihemH6440 →2123 times
וְיֹֽאכְלוּ֙so they may eat
veyokheluH398 →810 times
וְיִשְׁתּ֔וּand they may drink
veyishtuH8354 →217 times
וְיֵלְכ֖וּand they may go
veyelekhuH1980 →1546 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֲדֹנֵיהֶֽם׃master<s> their
ʾadoneihemH113 →333 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
Hosea 2:18On that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that crawl on the ground. And I will abolish…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 34:25
I will make with them a covenant of peace and rid the land of wild animals, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest.
- Ezekiel 39:9–10
Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out, kindle fires, and burn up the weapons—the bucklers and shields, the bows and arrows, the clubs and spears. For seven years they…
- Psalms 46:9
He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.
- Isaiah 11:6–9
The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them.
- Isaiah 65:25
The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the food of the serpent will be dust. They will neither harm nor destroy on all…
- Ezekiel 34:25
Through
Genesis 48:22And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”
it leads to
- John 4:5
So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
- Joshua 24:32
And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father,…
- 1 Chronicles 5:2
And though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.
- John 4:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 1.29.140; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.1.5; Ambrose of Milan, ON THE DEATH OF THEODOSIUS 10; 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 (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.