2 Kings 6:23

Verse

So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.

American Standard Version (1901)

And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

Bible in Basic English

So he made ready a great feast for them, and when they had had food and drink, he sent them away and they went back to their master. And no more bands of Aramaeans came into the land of Israel.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And a great provision of meats was set before them, and they ate and drank, and he let them go, and they went away to their master, and the robbers of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

Free Bible Version

So the king had a great feast prepared for them, and once they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them back to their master. The Aramean raiders did not enter the land of Israel again.

Geneva Bible 1599

And he made great preparation for them: and when they had eaten and drunken, he sent them away: and they went to their master. So ye bands of Aram came no more into the land of Israel.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

Translation for Translators

So the king of Israel did that. He told his servants to provide a big feast for them. And when they had eaten and drunk plenty, he sent them away. They returned to the king of Syria and told him what had happened. So for a while after that, soldiers from Syria stopped raiding/attacking towns in Israel.

Unlocked Literal Bible

So the king prepared much food for them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went back to their master. Those bands of Aramean soldiers did not return for a long time into the land of Israel.

Noah Webster Bible

And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drank, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

World English Bible

He prepared a great feast for them. After they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of Israel.

Young's Literal Translation

And he prepareth for them great provision, and they eat and drink, and he sendeth them away, and they go unto their lord: and troops of Aram have not added any more to come in to the land of Israel.

Context

Elisha Captures the Blinded Arameans

²²“Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”²³So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.

Summary

In this verse, we see Elisha demonstrating compassion and mercy towards the Aramean soldiers who were sent to capture him. Instead of seeking revenge or harm, Elisha instructs the king of Israel to prepare a feast for them. This act of kindness and generosity not only surprises the soldiers but also serves as a powerful example of overcoming evil with good. Elisha's actions reflect the teachings of love and forgiveness found throughout the Bible, showing that responding to enemies with kindness can lead to reconciliation and peace.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

He 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 than a year afterwards.

John Gill Bible Commentary

And there was a great famine in Samaria,.... No care, perhaps, having been taken to lay up stores against a siege: and, behold, they besieged it until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver; shekels, as the Targum explains the word in the next clause, which amounted to about nine or ten pounds of our money; a great price for the head of such a creature, by law unclean, its flesh disagreeable, and of that but very little, as is on an head: and the fourth part of a cab of doves' dung for five pieces of silver; some of the Jewish writers say (h), this was bought for fuel, which was scarce: Josephus says (i), for salt, and so Procopious Gazaeus, and Theodoret; others, for dunging the lands, which is the use of it in Persia (k) for melons; neither of which are probable; most certainly it was for food; but as doves' dung must be not only disagreeable, but scarce affording any nourishment, something else must be meant; some have thought that the grains found in their crops, or in their excrements, undigested, and picked out, are meant; and others, their crops or craws themselves, or entrails; but Bochart (l) is of opinion, that a sort of pulse is meant, as lentiles or vetches, much the same with the kali or parched corn used in Israel, see Sa1 17:17 and a recent traveller (m) observes, that the leblebby of the Arabs is very probably the kali, or parched pulse, of the Scriptures, and has been taken for the pigeons' dung mentioned at the siege of Samaria; and indeed as the "cicer" (a sort of peas or pulse) is pointed at one end, and acquires an ash colour by parching, the first of which circumstances answers to the figure, the other to the usual colour of pigeons' dung, the supposition is by no means to be disregarded: a "cab" was a measure with the Jews, which held the quantity of twenty four egg shells; according to Godwin (n), it answered to our quart, so that a fourth part was half a pint; and half a pint of these lentiles, or vetches, or parched pulse, was sold for eleven or twelve shillings. (h) R. Jonah in Ben Melech, Kimchi & Abarbinel in loc. (i) Antiqu. l. 9. c. 4. sect. 4. (k) Universal History, vol. 5. p. 90. (l) Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 1. c. 7. col. 44, &c. (m) Shaw's Travels, p. 140. (n) Moses & Aaron, B. 6. c. 9.

2 Kings 6:23

Elisha Captures the Blinded Arameans

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

American Standard Version (1901)

And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

Bible in Basic English

So he made ready a great feast for them, and when they had had food and drink, he sent them away and they went back to their master. And no more bands of Aramaeans came into the land of Israel.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And a great provision of meats was set before them, and they ate and drank, and he let them go, and they went away to their master, and the robbers of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

Free Bible Version

So the king had a great feast prepared for them, and once they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them back to their master. The Aramean raiders did not enter the land of Israel again.

Geneva Bible 1599

And he made great preparation for them: and when they had eaten and drunken, he sent them away: and they went to their master. So ye bands of Aram came no more into the land of Israel.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

Noah Webster Bible

And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drank, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

World English Bible

He prepared a great feast for them. After they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of Israel.

Young's Literal Translation

And he prepareth for them great provision, and they eat and drink, and he sendeth them away, and they go unto their lord: and troops of Aram have not added any more to come in to the land of Israel.

Adam Clarke
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

2 Kings 6:23

Verse

Context

Elisha Captures the Blinded Arameans

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

2 Kings 6:23

Elisha Captures the Blinded Arameans

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes