2 Kings 6:8
in 2 Kings 6Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now the king of Syria was warring against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
KJV
Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
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This verse in 2 Kings 6
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
took counsel with his servants
on 2 Kings 6:8-10
The king of Syria plans his raids in secret councils, and each time the man of God sends word to the king of Israel of the place to avoid. The title man of God, used of Elisha here and repeatedly through the chapter's first half, is the same office worn by the prophet of 1 Kings 13 and by Elijah before him, a man whose access runs past locked bedchambers and closed camps. The king of Israel is saved not once nor twice, the text's own count of a pattern that will soon draw Syria's suspicion.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then the king of Syria warred against Israel,....
The work of God's prophets is to give us warning; if, being warned, we do not save ourselves, it is our own fault, and our blood will be upon our own head. The king of Israel would regard the warnings Elisha gave him of his danger by the Syrians, but not the warnings he gave him of his danger by his sins.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The king of Syria warred against Israel - This was probably the same Ben-hadad who is mentioned 2Ki 6:
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The king of Syria - Probably the great Benhadad (see 2Ki 6:24).
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמֶ֣לֶךְ | umelekh | and [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲרָ֔ם | ʾaram | Aram | H758 → | 143 times |
| הָיָ֥ה | hayah | he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| נִלְחָ֖ם | nilcham | fighting | H3898 → | 177 times |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | beyisrael | against Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיִּוָּעַץ֙ | vaiyivaatz | and he consulted | H3289 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | <to> | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עֲבָדָ֣יו | ʾavadav | servants his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| לֵאמֹ֗ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | [will be] to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מְק֛וֹם | mekom | a place of | H4725 → | 401 times |
| פְּלֹנִ֥י | peloni | a certain one | H6423 → | |
| אַלְמֹנִ֖י | ʾalmoni | a certain one | H492 → | |
| תַּחֲנֹתִֽי׃ | tachanoti | encampments my | H8466 → |
וּמֶ֣לֶךְand [the] king of
umelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲרָ֔םAram
ʾaramH758 →143 times
הָיָ֥הhe was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
נִלְחָ֖םfighting
nilchamH3898 →177 times
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לagainst Israel
beyisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיִּוָּעַץ֙and he consulted
vaiyivaatzH3289 →
אֶל־<to>
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עֲבָדָ֣יוservants his
ʾavadavH5650 →799 times
לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אֶל־[will be] to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מְק֛וֹםa place of
mekomH4725 →401 times
פְּלֹנִ֥יa certain one
peloniH6423 →
אַלְמֹנִ֖יa certain one
ʾalmoniH492 →
תַּחֲנֹתִֽי׃encampments my
tachanotiH8466 →
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
Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
it leads to
- Acts 5:39
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”
- Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.
- Jeremiah 9:23
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
- Isaiah 14:27
The LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is outstretched, so who can turn it back?
- 1 Corinthians 3:19–20
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
- Acts 5:39
Through
1 Kings 22:31Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
it leads to
- 1 Kings 20:24
So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.
- 1 Kings 20:24
Through
Proverbs 20:18Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.
it leads to
- Proverbs 24:6
Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
- Luke 14:31
Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
- Proverbs 24:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
