2 Kings 6:18

18 And they come down unto it, and Elisha prayeth unto Jehovah, and saith, `Smite, I pray Thee, this nation with blindness;' and He smiteth them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

2 Kings 6:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 6:18

And when they came down to him
The Syrian army, from the hill on which they were first seen, who came down from thence to the bottom of the hill on which the city stood; and whither Elisha came out, in order both to meet them, and proceed on his journey to Samaria:

Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, smite this people, I pray thee,
with blindness;
or "blindnesses" ^F7; with great blindness, such as the men of Sodom were smitten with; the same word is here used as of them, ( Genesis 19:11 )

and he smote them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha;
not in such manner that they could discern no object, for then they could not have followed Elisha; but their sight was so altered, that they knew not the objects they saw; they appeared quite otherwise to them than they were; they saw the city, but knew it not to be the same, and Elisha, but knew him not to be the man of God, though they might have some in the host that knew him personally.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 (Myrwnob) "in caecitatibus", Pagninus, Montanus

2 Kings 6:18 In-Context

16 And he saith, `Fear not, for more [are] they who [are] with us than they who [are] with them.'

17 And Elisha prayeth, and saith, `Jehovah, open, I pray Thee, his eyes, and he doth see;' and Jehovah openeth the eyes of the young man, and he seeth, and lo, the hill is full of horses and chariots of fire, round about Elisha.

18 And they come down unto it, and Elisha prayeth unto Jehovah, and saith, `Smite, I pray Thee, this nation with blindness;' and He smiteth them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

19 And Elisha saith unto them, `This [is] not the way, nor [is] this the city; come after me, and I lead you unto the man whom ye seek;' and he leadeth them to Samaria.

20 And it cometh to pass, at their coming in to Samaria, that Elisha saith, `Jehovah, open the eyes of these, and they see;' and Jehovah openeth their eyes, and they see, and lo, in the midst of Samaria!