2 Kings 6:18

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.

And when they came down {H3381} to him, Elisha {H477} prayed {H6419} unto the LORD {H3068}, and said {H559}, Smite {H5221} this people {H1471}, I pray thee, with blindness {H5575}. And he smote {H5221} them with blindness {H5575} according to the word {H1697} of Elisha {H477}.

When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to ADONAI, "Please strike these people blind"; and he struck them blind, as Elisha had asked.

As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, โ€œPlease strike these people with blindness.โ€ So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto Jehovah, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

Commentary

Context of 2 Kings 6:18

This verse is part of a dramatic narrative in 2 Kings Chapter 6, highlighting the prophet Elisha's role as a powerful instrument of God's will against the Aramean (Syrian) army. The Aramean king was frustrated because Elisha repeatedly revealed his battle plans to the king of Israel. Discovering Elisha's location in Dothan, the Aramean king sent a large army to capture him. The preceding verses describe Elisha's servant's fear when he saw the vast enemy forces, and Elisha's prayer for the servant's eyes to be opened to see the chariots of fire protecting them. Here, as the Aramean soldiers close in, Elisha prays again, but this time for the enemy's sight to be affected.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Intervention and Protection: The passage powerfully demonstrates God's active involvement in human affairs, specifically in protecting His prophet. Elisha's prayer is immediately answered, showcasing God's readiness to intervene on behalf of His people.
  • Spiritual vs. Physical Sight: This incident provides a striking contrast to the opening of the servant's eyes in 2 Kings 6:17. While the servant's spiritual eyes were opened to see God's invisible army, the physical eyes of the Aramean soldiers were "smitten with blindness," making them unable to perceive their surroundings accurately.
  • Elisha's Authority and God's Power: Elisha acts with divine authority, confidently praying for a miraculous intervention. This highlights God's power working through His chosen servant, not for destruction but for strategic advantage.
  • Mercy and Strategy: The blindness inflicted here is not intended for immediate slaughter but as a tactical maneuver. It's a temporary, bewildering affliction that allows Elisha to lead the enemy into a vulnerable position, demonstrating God's strategic wisdom and His willingness to use non-lethal means to achieve His purposes.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word used for "blindness" here is sanwerim (ืกึทื ึฐื•ึตืจึดื™ื). This term does not necessarily imply total, permanent physical blindness, but rather a bewildering, dazzling, or disorienting blindness, a kind of mental delusion or inability to see things as they truly are. It's the same word used in Genesis 19:11 when the men of Sodom were struck with blindness at Lot's door. This specific nuance explains how Elisha could then lead them to Samaria, as they were disoriented rather than completely incapacitated.

Practical Application

For believers today, 2 Kings 6:18 offers several lessons:

  1. Trust in God's Unseen Protection: Even when surrounded by overwhelming challenges or perceived threats, God is at work, often in ways we cannot see or understand. We are called to trust in His invisible hand of protection.
  2. The Power of Prayer: Elisha's direct and answered prayer underscores the efficacy of praying to the Lord in times of need. God hears and responds, sometimes with miraculous interventions.
  3. God's Creative Solutions: God is not limited to conventional methods. He can use extraordinary means, like bewildering blindness, to achieve His purposes and deliver His people. This encourages us to look beyond our human understanding of how problems can be solved.
  4. Spiritual Discernment: Just as the Arameans were blinded to their physical surroundings, we can be spiritually blinded to God's truth or purposes. We should regularly pray for spiritual discernment and clarity, much like Elisha prayed for his servant's eyes to be opened.
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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Acts 13:11

    And now, behold, the hand of the Lord [is] upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

  • John 12:40

    He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [their] eyes, nor understand with [their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

  • Genesis 19:11

    And they smote the men that [were] at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

  • John 9:39

    ยถ And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

  • Zechariah 12:4

    In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.

  • Romans 11:7

    What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

  • Job 5:14

    They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.