2 Kings 6:22

2 Kings 6:22 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)“Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)He answered, "You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.”

Context of 2 Kings 6:22

20After they had gone into the city of Samaria, Elisha prayed again, ‘Lord, please open the eyes of these men so that they can see again.’ The Lord opened their eyes. Now they could see that they were in the middle of Samaria! 21When the king of Israel saw the Syrian army in his city, he asked Elisha, ‘My master, what should I do? Should I kill them?’ Elisha answered, ‘You must not kill them. That would not be right. You did not win a fight against them with your weapons. Give them some food and water. Then they can eat and drink before they go back to their master.’ 23So the king of Israel made a big feast for them. They had a lot of food and drink. Then he sent them back to their master, the king of Syria. After this happened, no more groups of Syrian soldiers came to attack Israel. 24But later, King Ben-Hadad of Syria sent his whole army to attack Samaria. His soldiers made their camp all around the city.

2 Kings 6:22 word by word

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א תַכֶּ֔ה הַאֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁבִ֛יתָ בְּחַרְבְּךָ֥ וּֽבְקַשְׁתְּךָ֖ אַתָּ֣ה מַכֶּ֑ה שִׂים֩ לֶ֨חֶם וָמַ֜יִם לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם וְיֹֽאכְלוּ֙ וְיִשְׁתּ֔וּ וְיֵלְכ֖וּ אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he answeredאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Thou shalt not smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• those whom thou hast taken captiveשָׁבָהshâbâh · to take captiveH7617
• with thy swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• and with thy bowקֶ֫שֶׁתqesheth · bowH7198
• setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• and waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• them, that they may eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• and drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• and goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• to their masterאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113

Cross-references for 2 Kings 6:22

• Deuteronomy 20:11If they agree, they will open the city's gates to let you go in. Then all the people in the city will become your slaves, to do hard work for you.
• 2 Chronicles 28:8The Israelites took hold of 200,000 wives, sons and daughters of Judah's soldiers. They took them as their prisoners, even though they were their relatives. They also carried away to Samaria a lot of valuable things.
• Genesis 48:22I give to you more than I give to your brothers. I give to you the good part of the land that I took from the Amorites. I fought against them with my weapons to take that land.’
• Joshua 24:12I sent great fear on your enemies as you moved into the land. I chased them all away, as well as the two kings of the Amorites. You did not win because of your strong weapons, but because of me.
• Psalms 44:6I do not trust in my bow and arrows. It is not my sword that has helped me to win the fight.
• Hosea 1:7But I will continue to love the people of Judah. I will save them from the power of their enemies. I will not use weapons to do this in a battle. I will not use an army, or horses, or chariots. Instead, it will be the power of the Lord their God that saves them.’
• Hosea 2:18At that time, I will make a promise that nothing will hurt my people. I will make an agreement with the wild animals, with the birds in the fields and with the animals that move along the ground. I will remove from their land all the weapons that soldiers use to fight wars. I will destroy their swords and their bows and arrows. I will allow my people to live safely in peace.
• Proverbs 25:21If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat. If he is thirsty, give him some water to drink.
• Matthew 5:44What I tell you is this: You should love the people who want to hurt you. If people want to give you pain, pray for them. Pray that God would help them.
• Romans 12:20But the Bible also says this: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. If you help your enemy, he will become ashamed. He will be sorry because of what he did to you.’

Commentaries on 2 Kings 6:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Whom 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.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22Wouldest 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 Deuteronomy 20:13, the latter, he is informed, he must not slay…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
• 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 6:22

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

In the dictionaries

• Band
• Send
• Benhadad
• Captive
• Elisha
• Enemy
• Jehoahaz
• Jehoash; Joash
• Jehoram; Joram
• Kings, Books of

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