English Standard Version
2 Kings 6:18
18And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, "Please strike this people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.
2 Kings 6:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
- New International Version (NIV)As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
- New Living Translation (NLT)As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please make them blind.” So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.
Context of 2 Kings 6:18
16He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 17Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see." So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, "Please strike this people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19And Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." And he led them to Samaria. 20As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, "O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
Read all of 2 Kings 62 Kings 6:18 word by word
וַיֵּרְדוּ֮ אֵלָיו֒ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֨ל אֱלִישָׁ֤ע אֶל־יְהוָה֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר הַךְ־נָ֥א אֶת־הַגּוֹי־הַזֶּ֖ה בַּסַּנְוֵרִ֑ים וַיַּכֵּ֥ם בַּסַּנְוֵרִ֖ים כִּדְבַ֥ר אֱלִישָֽׁע׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And when they came downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- to him, Elishaאֱלִישָׁע'ĕlîyshâ‛ · ElishaH477
- prayedפָּלַלpâlal · to prayH6419
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- this peopleגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- I pray thee, with blindnessסַנְוֵרִיםsanvêr · blindnessH5575
- according to the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
Cross-references for 2 Kings 6:18
- Genesis 19:11And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.
- Deuteronomy 28:28The Lord will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind,
- Job 5:14They meet with darkness in the daytime and grope at noonday as in the night.
- Zechariah 12:4On that day, declares the Lord, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.
- John 9:39Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind."
- John 12:40"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them."
- Acts 13:11And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
- Romans 11:7What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
Commentaries on 2 Kings 6:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Smite this people - with blindness - Confound their sight so that they may not know what they see, and so mistake one place for another.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18They came down to him - The Syrians, who had been encamped on rising ground opposite the hill of Dothan, now descended and drew near to the city. The blindness with which they were smitten was not real - blindness actual loss of sight - but a state of illusion in which a man sees things otherwise than as they are (compare 2 Kings 6:20).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. 1818. Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness--not a total and material blindness, for then they could not have followed him, but a mental hallucination (see Ge 19:11) so that they did not perceive or recognize him to be the object of their search.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 6:18
In the dictionaries
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
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Commentaries