The big picture
2 Kings 6 opens in verse 1 with “And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 17 with “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD , I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the…”, and closes in verse 33 with “And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he…” Repeated or prominent terms include king, Elisha, LORD, Israel, place. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
2 Kings · King James Version · 332 Kings 6:1-7
1–7: The sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where…
2 Kings 6:1–7 opens with “And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is…” and reaches “Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Elisha’s servant seeing the mountain full of heavenly horses and chariots, followed by the blinded Aramean force led into Samaria, with particular weight carried by place, beam, dwell.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.” Naming Elisha keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
2 Kings 6:1-7
King James Version1And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
2Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
3And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.
4So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
5But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
6And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
7Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
2 Kings 6:8-14
8–14: The king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his…
2 Kings 6:8–14 opens with “Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In…” and reaches “Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Elisha’s servant seeing the mountain full of heavenly horses and chariots, followed by the blinded Aramean force led into Samaria, with particular weight carried by king, Israel, place.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the…” Naming Beware keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
2 Kings 6:8-14
King James Version8Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
9And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
10And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
12And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
13And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
2 Kings 6:15-21
15–21: When the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth…
2 Kings 6:15–21 opens with “And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host…” and reaches “And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Elisha’s servant seeing the mountain full of heavenly horses and chariots, followed by the blinded Aramean force led into Samaria, with particular weight carried by Elisha, LORD, eyes.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” Naming Fear keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
2 Kings 6:15-21
King James Version15And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD , I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
18And 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.
19And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.
20And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD , open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
2 Kings 6:22-28
22–28: He answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom…
2 Kings 6:22–28 opens with “And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken…” and reaches “And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Elisha’s servant seeing the mountain full of heavenly horses and chariots, followed by the blinded Aramean force led into Samaria, with particular weight carried by king, help, besieged.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 3 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their…” Naming Israel and Syria keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
2 Kings 6:22-28
King James Version22And 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.
23And 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.
24And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
26And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
27And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
28And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.
2 Kings 6:29-33
29–33: So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next…
2 Kings 6:29–33 opens with “So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we…” and reaches “And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Elisha’s servant seeing the mountain full of heavenly horses and chariots, followed by the blinded Aramean force led into Samaria, with particular weight carried by messenger, door, elders.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
2 Kings 6:29-33
King James Version29So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
30And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
32But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?
33And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD ; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?
Details worth noticing
The opening image
2 Kings 6:1 begins with “And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.”
Where the chapter turns
2 Kings 6:15 forms a natural hinge: “And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant…”
The final note
2 Kings 6:33 leaves the reader with “And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD ; what should I wait for the…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words king, Elisha, LORD, Israel, place, Samaria help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What repeated description explains the judgment?
The earth is corrupt and filled with violence, especially in verses 11-13.
What does obedience look like here?
Detailed preparation, gathering provisions and constructing what God commands.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.