2 Kings 6:23

2 Kings 6:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
• New International Version (NIV)So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel.

Context of 2 Kings 6:23

21When the king of Israel (Jehoram) saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” 22Elisha answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those you have taken captive with your sword and bow? Serve them bread and water, so that they may eat and drink, and go back to their master [King Ben-hadad].” So the king prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Aram did not come into the land of Israel again. 24But it came about after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram (Syria) gathered his whole army together and went up and besieged Samaria. 25Now there was a great famine in Samaria; and they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.

2 Kings 6:23 word by word

וַיִּכְרֶ֨ה לָהֶ֜ם כֵּרָ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֗ה וַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ וַיִּשְׁתּ֔וּ וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אֶל־אֲדֹֽנֵיהֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יָ֤סְפוּ עוֹד֙ גְּדוּדֵ֣י אֲרָ֔ם לָב֖וֹא בְּאֶ֥רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he preparedכָּרָהkârâh · give a feastH3739
• greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• provisionכֵּרָהkêrâh · feastH3740
• for them: and when they had eatenאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• and drunkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• he sent them awayשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• and they wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• to their masterאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• So the bandsגְּדוּדgedûd · bandH1416
• of Syriaאֲרָם'ărâm · SyriaH758
• cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• no moreיָסַףyâsaph · to add: againH3254
• into the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478

Cross-references for 2 Kings 6:23

• 1 Samuel 24:17He said to David, “You are more righteous and upright [in God’s eyes] than I; for you have done good to me, but I have done evil to you.
• 2 Chronicles 28:15Then the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they clothed all those who were naked; they clothed them and gave them sandals, and fed them and gave them [something to] drink, anointed them [with oil, as was a host’s duty], and led all the feeble ones on donkeys, and they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palm Trees, to their brothers (fellow descendants of Israel, i.e. Jacob). Then they returned to Samaria.
• Proverbs 25:21If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
• Matthew 5:47And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God’s blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that?
• Luke 6:35But love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; for your reward will be great (rich, abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High; because He Himself is kind and gracious and good to the ungrateful and the wicked.
• Luke 10:29But he, wishing to justify and vindicate himself, asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
• 2 Kings 6:8Now the king of Aram (Syria) was making war against Israel, and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp shall be in such and such a place.”
• 2 Kings 5:2The Arameans (Syrians) had gone out in bands [as raiders] and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife [as a servant].
• 2 Kings 24:2The Lord sent marauding bands of Chaldeans, Arameans (Syrians), Moabites, and Ammonites against Jehoiakim. And He sent them against Judah to destroy it, in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke through His servants the prophets.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 6:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23He prepared great provision for them - These, on the return to their master, could tell him strange things about the power of the God of Israel, and the magnanimity of its king. So the bands of Syria came no more - Marauding parties were no more permitted by the Syrian king to make inroads upon Israel. And it is very likely that for some considerable time after this, there was no war between these two nations. What is mentioned in the next verse was more…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Jehoram did not merely follow the letter of the prophet‘s direction, but understood its spirit and acted accordingly. The plundering bands which had been in the habit of ravaging the territory 2 Kings 5:2 ceased their incursions in consequence either of the miracle, or of the kind treatment which Elisha had recommended.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-23Verses 13-23 What Elisha said to his servant is spoken to all the faithful servants of God, when without are fightings, and within are fears. Fear not, with that fear which has torment and amazement; for they that are with us, to protect us, are more than they that are against us, to destroy us. The eyes of his body were open, and with them he saw the danger. Lord, open the eyes of our faith, that with them we may see thy protecting hand. The clearer…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23great feast: The Israelites treated the Arameans kindly, so the Arameans stopped raiding Israel. However, this peace was only temporary.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2319-23. This is not the way, neither is this the city--This statement is so far true that, as he had now left the place of his residence, they would not have got him by that road. But the ambiguity of his language was purposely framed to deceive them; and yet the deception must be viewed in the light of a stratagem, which has always been deemed lawful in war. he led them to Samaria--When they were arrived in the midst of the capital, their eyes, at…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 6:23

• Blindness
• Good for Evil
• Israel
• Joram
• Samaria

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Syria
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Syria, Ashur
• Band
• Feast
• Jehoram
• Send
• Benhadad

Commentaries on 2 Kings 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings