2 Kings 6:17

17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please ¹open 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 ²horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

2 Kings 6:17 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 6:17

And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes,
that he may see
Not the eyes of his body, which were not shut nor blinded, but the eyes of his mind; or, in other words, grant him a vision, represented in so strong a light, as to remove his fears:

and the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw;
he had a vision of angels:

and, behold, the mountain;
on which the city was built, or one near it:

was full of horses and chariots of fire;
angels in this form, as in ( 2 Kings 2:11 ) , and these were

round about Elisha;
being round about the city where he was; or rather so in the vision it was represented to the young man, he saw his master surrounded with horses and chariots of fire, in the utmost safety.

2 Kings 6:17 In-Context

15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do? ”

16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. ”

17 Then 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.

18 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.

19 And 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.

Cross References

• 1. 6:17 ver. 20
• 2. 6:17 ch. 2:11; [Ps. 34:7; 68:17]; See Zech. 1:8-10; 6:1-7