2 Kings 6 Study Notes: The Floating Axe Head and Samaria’s Siege
Elisha makes a lost iron axe head float, then warns Israel’s king of Aramean ambushes. When an Aramean army surrounds him at Dothan, God shows his servant fiery chariots, blinds the enemy, and Elisha leads them to Samaria to be fed. Later a siege brings terrible famine, and the king vows to kill Elisha.
General
When Aram’s king demanded to know who was siding with Israel, what did a servant of his tell him (2 Kings 6:11-12)?
Answer: A prophet in Israel revealed even his private words
Aram’s king grew furious and assumed that someone among his own men was a traitor working for Israel (6:11). A servant told him no one was betraying him. Instead, Elisha, Israel’s prophet, was telling Israel’s king even what Aram’s king said in the privacy of his bedroom (6:12). The servant recognized that the source was a prophet who knew things no spy could know. Nothing is hidden from God: the psalmist says the LORD knows every word before it is even spoken (Psalm 139:4), and the LORD reveals His plans to His prophets (Amos 3:7).
- 2 Kings 6:11-12 (BSB)“For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel?” But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.””The king of Aram suspects a traitor, and a servant names Elisha as the source of Israel’s knowledge.
- Psalm 139:4 (BSB)“Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.”The LORD knows every word before it is spoken, the knowledge displayed through Elisha here.
- Amos 3:7 (BSB)“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.”God reveals His plans to the prophets, which is why Elisha knows the king’s secret words.
Theological
What explanation does an Aramean servant give his enraged king for the repeated leaks (2 Kings 6:11-12)?
Answer: A prophet in Israel revealed even his private words
Enraged, Aram’s king suspects a traitor within his own court (6:11). His servant answers that there is no traitor: Elisha, Israel’s prophet, makes known to Israel’s king even the words spoken in the Aramean king’s bedchamber (6:12). Even a pagan servant recognizes that the leak is prophetic, not political. The scene displays God’s exhaustive knowledge, which reaches every word before it is spoken (Psalm 139:4), and His practice of revealing His purposes to the prophets (Amos 3:7).
- 2 Kings 6:11-12 (BSB)“For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel?” But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.””The king of Aram suspects a traitor, and a servant names Elisha as the source of Israel’s knowledge.
- Psalm 139:4 (BSB)“Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.”The LORD knows every word before it is spoken, the knowledge displayed through Elisha here.
- Amos 3:7 (BSB)“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.”God reveals His plans to the prophets, which is why Elisha knows the king’s secret words.
General
True or False: When Aram’s king learned that Elisha was in Dothan, he sent only a small band of men to seize him quietly (2 Kings 6:13-14).
Answer: False
This is false. After learning Elisha’s location, Aram’s king dispatched a large force, including horses and chariots, which came by night and encircled the city (6:13-14). A whole army was sent against one prophet, which shows how seriously the king took Elisha’s knowledge. Yet no earthly force could overcome the LORD’s servant. The psalmist could say that even with an army camped around him, his heart would not fear (Psalm 27:3), and Hezekiah later told Judah not to fear a vast army because a greater One was with them (2 Chronicles 32:7-8).
- 2 Kings 6:13-14 (BSB)“So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,” the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.”Learning that Elisha is in Dothan, the king of Aram sends a great army to surround the city by night.
- Psalm 27:3 (BSB)“Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust.”The psalmist refuses to fear even when an army encamps around him, the situation at Dothan.
- 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (BSB)““Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”Hezekiah likewise tells Judah not to fear a vast army, because a greater One is with them.
Theological
True or False: Upon hearing Elisha was in Dothan, Aram’s king dispatched only a small squad to arrest him quietly (2 Kings 6:13-14).
Answer: False
This is false. Aram’s king sends a large force, including horses and chariots, which encircle Dothan by night (6:13-14). The disproportion of an entire army sent to capture one prophet sets up the contrast of the following verses between visible force and the LORD’s unseen protection. The psalmist’s refusal to fear an encamped army (Psalm 27:3) and Hezekiah’s later confidence that a greater One was with Judah than with Assyria (2 Chronicles 32:7-8) frame the scene.
- 2 Kings 6:13-14 (BSB)“So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,” the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.”Learning that Elisha is in Dothan, the king of Aram sends a great army to surround the city by night.
- Psalm 27:3 (BSB)“Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust.”The psalmist refuses to fear even when an army encamps around him, the situation at Dothan.
- 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (BSB)““Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”Hezekiah likewise tells Judah not to fear a vast army, because a greater One is with them.
General
When a borrowed iron axe head dropped into the Jordan, what did Elisha do (2 Kings 6:5-7)?
Answer: He threw a stick where it sank, and the iron floated up
The company of prophets (men who gathered around Elisha to learn from him) needed a larger place to live, so they went to the Jordan River to cut logs, and Elisha joined them at their request (6:1-4). When one man’s iron axe head flew off into the water, he cried out in distress, because the tool was not his own; he had borrowed it (6:5). Elisha asked where it had gone in, cut a piece of wood, tossed it in at that spot, and the iron rose so the man could pick it up (6:6-7). Iron does not float, so this was a miracle, a sign of the LORD’s power at work through His prophet. It also shows God’s care for an ordinary man’s small but real trouble. Under the law, a man who borrowed an animal that was injured or died had to make full payment for it (Exodus 22:14), and the psalmist calls the one who borrows and does not repay wicked (Psalm 37:21). Jesus taught that not even a sparrow falls apart from the Father’s will (Matthew 10:29-31).
- 2 Kings 6:5-7 (BSB)“As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!” “Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float. “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.”A borrowed axe head is lost in the Jordan, and Elisha makes the iron float.
- Exodus 22:14 (BSB)“If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not present, he must make full restitution.”The law required a borrower to make full restitution for a borrowed animal that was injured or died.
- Psalm 37:21 (BSB)“The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.”The wicked borrow and do not repay, so a borrower had reason to care about returning what he took.
- Matthew 10:29-31 (BSB)“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”The Father’s care reaches even the smallest details of life, as in this rescue of a lost tool.
Theological
How does Elisha recover the axe head lost in the Jordan (2 Kings 6:5-7)?
Answer: He threw a stick where it sank, and the iron floated up
While the prophets cut timber at the Jordan, a borrowed iron axe head falls into the water, and its user cries out to Elisha (6:5). Elisha casts a cut piece of wood where it went in, and the iron rises to the surface to be recovered (6:6-7). The miracle is small in scale but real, displaying the LORD’s power through His prophet and His attention to the ordinary needs of His servants. The man’s distress reflects the law’s duty of restitution for a borrowed animal that was harmed or died (Exodus 22:14) and the psalmist’s verdict that the wicked borrow without repaying (Psalm 37:21), while Jesus’ teaching on the sparrows (Matthew 10:29-31) shows that no detail of His people’s lives lies outside the Father’s care.
- 2 Kings 6:5-7 (BSB)“As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!” “Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float. “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.”A borrowed axe head is lost in the Jordan, and Elisha makes the iron float.
- Exodus 22:14 (BSB)“If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not present, he must make full restitution.”The law required a borrower to make full restitution for a borrowed animal that was injured or died.
- Psalm 37:21 (BSB)“The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.”The wicked borrow and do not repay, so a borrower had reason to care about returning what he took.
- Matthew 10:29-31 (BSB)“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”The Father’s care reaches even the smallest details of life, as in this rescue of a lost tool.
General
What happened to the Aramean soldiers after Elisha prayed that they be struck with blindness (2 Kings 6:18-20)?
Answer: He guided them into Samaria, where their sight returned
When the Aramean troops advanced, Elisha prayed that the LORD would strike them with blindness, and the LORD did as Elisha asked (6:18). Elisha then told the soldiers they had the wrong road and the wrong city, and offered to lead them to the man they were looking for. He brought them to Samaria, the capital city of Israel (6:19). There Elisha prayed again, the LORD restored their sight, and they found themselves inside Israel’s capital (6:20). The army sent to capture Elisha had been captured by him without a battle. God answered both of Elisha’s prayers, first to blind and then to give sight, showing that He rules over what people see. The LORD gives sight and takes it away (Exodus 4:11), and He thwarts the schemes of the nations (Psalm 33:10).
- 2 Kings 6:18-20 (BSB)“As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria. When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.”The Arameans are struck blind, led to Samaria, and then given back their sight.
- Exodus 4:11 (BSB)“And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?”The LORD declares that He is the one who gives sight or makes blind, as He does here.
- Psalm 33:10 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.”The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations, turning Aram’s capture mission into its own capture.
Theological
How does Elisha deal with the Aramean force once the LORD strikes it with blindness (2 Kings 6:18-20)?
Answer: He guided them into Samaria, where their sight returned
Elisha prays, and the LORD strikes the Arameans blind, just as he asked (6:18). Elisha tells them they are on the wrong road and at the wrong city and leads them to Samaria (6:19), where, at his second prayer, the LORD restores their sight, and they discover themselves inside Israel’s capital (6:20). The prayer for the servant’s opened eyes and the prayer for the enemy’s closed eyes form a deliberate pairing: the LORD sovereignly grants and withholds sight. He alone gives sight or blindness (Exodus 4:11), and He frustrates the designs of the nations (Psalm 33:10).
- 2 Kings 6:18-20 (BSB)“As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria. When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.”The Arameans are struck blind, led to Samaria, and then given back their sight.
- Exodus 4:11 (BSB)“And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?”The LORD declares that He is the one who gives sight or makes blind, as He does here.
- Psalm 33:10 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.”The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations, turning Aram’s capture mission into its own capture.
General
When the messenger reached Elisha’s house, what conclusion about the disaster was spoken (2 Kings 6:33)?
Answer: The disaster came from the LORD, so why keep waiting on Him
As the messenger arrived, the words spoken were that the disaster had come from the LORD, so why keep waiting on the LORD (6:33). The verse gives the words to the king, who was following close behind his messenger (6:32). The first half was true: the LORD ruled over the siege. The Bible plainly teaches that when disaster strikes a city, the LORD has brought it (Amos 3:6). God is sovereign (in full control) over calamity, yet people remain responsible for their sin, and God is never the author of evil. The mistake was the conclusion: giving up on the LORD instead of turning to Him. Scripture says the LORD is kind toward those who wait on Him and that waiting quietly for His rescue is good (Lamentations 3:25-26). In the next chapter, Elisha announces that rescue will come the very next day.
- 2 Kings 6:33 (BSB)“While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?””The disaster is said to be from the LORD, with the question why wait for Him any longer.
- Amos 3:6 (BSB)“If a ram’s horn sounds in a city, do the people not tremble? If calamity comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?”Calamity in a city comes from the LORD, as the king rightly acknowledges.
- Isaiah 45:7 (BSB)“I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.”The LORD declares that He brings both prosperity and calamity.
- Lamentations 3:25-26 (BSB)“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, the opposite of the king’s conclusion.
Theological
What conclusion about the siege is voiced when the messenger arrives in 2 Kings 6:33?
Answer: The disaster came from the LORD, so why keep waiting on Him
As the messenger arrives, the words spoken, which the verse gives to the king following close behind (6:32), confess that the disaster has come from the LORD and conclude that waiting for Him any longer is pointless (6:33). His premise is sound: the LORD is sovereign over disaster in a city (Amos 3:6; Isaiah 45:7), and human beings remain fully responsible for the sin that brought it, while God is never the author of evil. His conclusion is unbelief. The right response to God’s hand in calamity is to wait on Him, since the LORD is kind toward those who wait on Him (Lamentations 3:25-26). The very next verse brings the word of deliverance.
- 2 Kings 6:33 (BSB)“While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?””The disaster is said to be from the LORD, with the question why wait for Him any longer.
- Amos 3:6 (BSB)“If a ram’s horn sounds in a city, do the people not tremble? If calamity comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?”Calamity in a city comes from the LORD, as the king rightly acknowledges.
- Isaiah 45:7 (BSB)“I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.”The LORD declares that He brings both prosperity and calamity.
- Lamentations 3:25-26 (BSB)“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, the opposite of the king’s conclusion.
General
During the war with Aram, how did Israel’s king keep avoiding the Arameans’ traps (2 Kings 6:8-10)?
Answer: Elisha told him where the Arameans planned to camp
Aram’s king (Aram was a nation northeast of Israel, with its capital at Damascus) was at war with Israel and planned where to set up his camp to catch the Israelites (6:8). Each time, Elisha warned Israel’s king to avoid that spot, and Israel’s king sent a message to the spot Elisha named and stayed on guard (6:9-10). This happened again and again. The LORD revealed to His prophet the hidden plans of an enemy king, and used that knowledge to protect Israel. Scripture says the Lord GOD makes His purposes known to the prophets who serve Him (Amos 3:7), and that the LORD brings the schemes of nations to nothing (Psalm 33:10).
- 2 Kings 6:8-10 (BSB)“Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful not to pass by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.” So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.”Elisha repeatedly warns the king of Israel where the Arameans will be.
- Amos 3:7 (BSB)“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.”The Lord reveals His plans to His servants the prophets, as He does to Elisha here.
- Psalm 33:10 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.”The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations, as He frustrates Aram’s ambushes.
Theological
How does Israel’s king repeatedly escape the Aramean ambushes (2 Kings 6:8-10)?
Answer: Elisha told him where the Arameans planned to camp
Aram’s king plans the placement of his camp to ambush Israel (6:8), but Elisha repeatedly sends word to Israel’s king, who sends word to that location and stays on guard, so the plan fails again and again (6:9-10). The LORD discloses the counsel of a foreign king to His prophet and so protects His people, in keeping with Amos 3:7, where the Lord reveals His plan to the prophets, and with Psalm 33:10, where He brings the schemes of nations to nothing. The episode underscores that no human strategy is hidden from God.
- 2 Kings 6:8-10 (BSB)“Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful not to pass by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.” So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.”Elisha repeatedly warns the king of Israel where the Arameans will be.
- Amos 3:7 (BSB)“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.”The Lord reveals His plans to His servants the prophets, as He does to Elisha here.
- Psalm 33:10 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.”The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations, as He frustrates Aram’s ambushes.
General
When Israel’s king asked whether to kill the captured Arameans, what did Elisha tell him to do (2 Kings 6:21-23)?
Answer: Give them food and drink, then send them back home
Israel’s king asked Elisha twice, calling him my father, whether he should kill the captives (6:21). Elisha said no, and answered with a question: would the king put to death men he had taken prisoner with his own weapons in battle? These men had not been taken by the king’s weapons at all. Instead, he was to give them a meal and water, then let them go back to their master (6:22). The king served them a large banquet and let them go, and the Aramean raiding bands stopped coming into Israel (6:23). Mercy to these enemies was followed by an end to the raids. The book of Proverbs teaches feeding a hungry enemy (Proverbs 25:21-22), Paul quotes that proverb and urges believers to conquer evil by doing good (Romans 12:20-21), and Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies (Luke 6:27).
- 2 Kings 6:21-23 (BSB)“And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” “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.” 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.”Elisha tells the king to feed the captives and send them home, and the raids stop.
- Proverbs 25:21-22 (BSB)“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.”Wisdom teaches feeding a hungry enemy, the very thing Elisha commands.
- Romans 12:20-21 (BSB)“On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”Paul quotes that proverb and calls believers to overcome evil with good.
- Luke 6:27 (BSB)“But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies and do good to those who hate them.
Theological
What does Elisha instruct Israel’s king to do with the captured Arameans, and what follows (2 Kings 6:21-23)?
Answer: Give them food and drink, then send them back home
Israel’s king asks whether to strike the captives (6:21). Elisha forbids it, answering with a pointed question about whether the king would strike down men he had taken prisoner with his own weapons, though no weapon of his had captured these, and directs him to feed them and send them back to their master (6:22). The king holds a great feast, releases them, and the Aramean raiding bands cease to enter Israel (6:23). The episode anticipates the wisdom of feeding one’s enemy (Proverbs 25:21-22), which Paul applies in calling believers to conquer evil by doing good (Romans 12:20-21), in line with Jesus’ command to love enemies (Luke 6:27).
- 2 Kings 6:21-23 (BSB)“And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” “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.” 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.”Elisha tells the king to feed the captives and send them home, and the raids stop.
- Proverbs 25:21-22 (BSB)“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.”Wisdom teaches feeding a hungry enemy, the very thing Elisha commands.
- Romans 12:20-21 (BSB)“On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”Paul quotes that proverb and calls believers to overcome evil with good.
- Luke 6:27 (BSB)“But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies and do good to those who hate them.
General
During Ben-hadad’s siege of Samaria, how did the king first answer a woman who cried to him for help (2 Kings 6:24-27)?
Answer: He said that if the LORD did not help her, he had nothing
Later, Aram’s king Ben-hadad marched out with his whole army and besieged Samaria (surrounded it and cut off its supplies). The famine grew so severe that even worthless scraps sold for huge sums of silver (6:24-25). As the king walked along the city wall, a woman called out to him for help. He answered that if the LORD would not help her, he had nothing to give her, no grain from any threshing floor and no wine from any press (6:26-27). The king was right that he could not save, but his reply gave her no hope, and his later words show he had given up waiting on the LORD (6:33). Scripture warns against trusting in princes who cannot save (Psalm 146:3). Long before, the law had warned that if Israel turned from the LORD, enemies would besiege its cities and bread would be cut off (Deuteronomy 28:52; Leviticus 26:26).
- 2 Kings 6:26-27 (BSB)“As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!” He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?””A woman cries to the king for help, and he answers that he cannot help if the LORD does not.
- Psalm 146:3 (BSB)“Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.”Rulers cannot save, as the king himself admits.
- Deuteronomy 28:52 (BSB)“They will besiege all the cities throughout your land, until the high and fortified walls in which you trust have fallen. They will besiege all your cities throughout the land that the LORD your God has given you.”The covenant warned that enemies would besiege Israel’s cities if the people turned from the LORD.
- Leviticus 26:26 (BSB)“When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in a single oven and dole out your bread by weight, so that you will eat but not be satisfied.”The law also warned that God would cut off the supply of bread, as happens in Samaria.
Theological
What is the king’s first reply to the woman who appeals to him on the wall during the siege (2 Kings 6:24-27)?
Answer: He said that if the LORD did not help her, he had nothing
Ben-hadad’s full army besieges Samaria, producing a famine so severe that worthless items fetch great prices (6:24-25). When a woman appeals to the king on the wall, he replies that unless the LORD helps her, he has no source of help, neither threshing floor nor winepress (6:26-27). The reply concedes the truth that deliverance belongs to the LORD and not to princes (Psalm 146:3), but it offers no hope, and it leads not to prayer but to the despair voiced in 6:33. The siege and famine echo the covenant warnings that disobedience would bring besieged cities and broken bread supply (Deuteronomy 28:52; Leviticus 26:26).
- 2 Kings 6:26-27 (BSB)“As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!” He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?””A woman cries to the king for help, and he answers that he cannot help if the LORD does not.
- Psalm 146:3 (BSB)“Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.”Rulers cannot save, as the king himself admits.
- Deuteronomy 28:52 (BSB)“They will besiege all the cities throughout your land, until the high and fortified walls in which you trust have fallen. They will besiege all your cities throughout the land that the LORD your God has given you.”The covenant warned that enemies would besiege Israel’s cities if the people turned from the LORD.
- Leviticus 26:26 (BSB)“When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in a single oven and dole out your bread by weight, so that you will eat but not be satisfied.”The law also warned that God would cut off the supply of bread, as happens in Samaria.
General
Whom did Israel’s king blame for the famine, and what did he swear to do (2 Kings 6:31-32)?
Answer: He blamed Elisha and swore he would be beheaded that day
Instead of turning to the LORD, the king turned on the LORD’s prophet. He swore an oath that Elisha would lose his head before the day was over (6:31). The text does not say why he blamed Elisha. Elisha was at home with the elders (leaders of the people), and before the king’s messenger arrived, he told them that this murderer had sent a man to behead him. He told them to shut the door and hold the messenger back, since the king himself was coming right behind (6:32). The LORD again showed Elisha what was coming. Turning on God’s messenger rather than heeding God was a pattern in Israel: Ahab had called Elijah the one who troubled Israel (1 Kings 18:17-18), and Jesus mourned that Jerusalem killed the prophets sent to it (Matthew 23:37).
- 2 Kings 6:31-32 (BSB)“He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!” Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?””The king swears to behead Elisha, who foresees the messenger’s coming and has the door shut.
- 1 Kings 18:17-18 (BSB)“When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.”Ahab blamed Elijah for Israel’s trouble, though the cause was the king’s own sin.
- Matthew 23:37 (BSB)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!”Jesus laments that Jerusalem killed the prophets God sent to it.
Theological
What does the king vow in response to the famine, and how does Elisha anticipate it (2 Kings 6:31-32)?
Answer: He blamed Elisha and swore he would be beheaded that day
Rather than humbling himself before the LORD, the king swears an oath that Elisha will be beheaded that day (6:31); the text does not explain why he holds the prophet responsible. Elisha, sitting with the elders, knows beforehand that the king, whom he calls a murderer, has sent a man to take his head, and has the door shut against the messenger because the king follows close behind (6:32). The pattern of turning on God’s prophet in a time of trouble runs from Ahab’s charge that Elijah was Israel’s troubler (1 Kings 18:17-18) to Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, which killed the prophets (Matthew 23:37).
- 2 Kings 6:31-32 (BSB)“He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!” Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?””The king swears to behead Elisha, who foresees the messenger’s coming and has the door shut.
- 1 Kings 18:17-18 (BSB)“When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.”Ahab blamed Elijah for Israel’s trouble, though the cause was the king’s own sin.
- Matthew 23:37 (BSB)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!”Jesus laments that Jerusalem killed the prophets God sent to it.
General
When his servant saw the army around the city and panicked, what did Elisha tell him (2 Kings 6:15-16)?
Answer: Fear not, for our side outnumbers their side
Early in the morning, Elisha’s servant went out, saw the horses and chariots surrounding the city, and asked his master what they should do (6:15). Elisha told him not to be afraid, because those on their side were more than those on the enemy’s side (6:16). From a human point of view this made no sense, with an enemy army around the city. But Elisha was speaking of the LORD’s unseen forces, which the next verse reveals. Hezekiah said much the same to Judah, that a greater One was with them than with the king of Assyria (2 Chronicles 32:7-8), and the Bible teaches that the angel of the LORD surrounds and guards the people who revere Him (Psalm 34:7). Paul asks who could ever stand against God’s people when God is on their side (Romans 8:31).
- 2 Kings 6:15-16 (BSB)“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, behold, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?” “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.””Elisha’s servant sees the army and panics; Elisha tells him not to fear.
- 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (BSB)““Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”Hezekiah uses the same reasoning, that a greater One is with God’s people than with their enemy.
- Psalm 34:7 (BSB)“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.”The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, the reality behind Elisha’s words.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Paul states the same confidence: if God is for His people, no one can stand against them.
Theological
What is Elisha’s answer to his servant’s alarm at the encircling army (2 Kings 6:15-16)?
Answer: Fear not, for our side outnumbers their side
Seeing the city surrounded, the servant asks what they are to do (6:15). Elisha tells him not to fear, because those with them outnumber those with the Arameans (6:16). Elisha’s confidence rests on the LORD’s unseen hosts, revealed in the next verse. God’s protection of His servants is a settled truth throughout Scripture: a greater One is with His people than with their enemies (2 Chronicles 32:7-8), the angel of the LORD guards all who revere Him (Psalm 34:7), and if God is for His people, no opponent can prevail (Romans 8:31).
- 2 Kings 6:15-16 (BSB)“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, behold, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?” “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.””Elisha’s servant sees the army and panics; Elisha tells him not to fear.
- 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (BSB)““Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”Hezekiah uses the same reasoning, that a greater One is with God’s people than with their enemy.
- Psalm 34:7 (BSB)“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.”The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, the reality behind Elisha’s words.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Paul states the same confidence: if God is for His people, no one can stand against them.
General
After hearing the woman’s account of what the famine had driven people to, what did the people see as the king tore his clothes (2 Kings 6:28-30)?
Answer: Sackcloth worn underneath, right against his skin
The woman told the king that the famine had driven two mothers to a horrifying act involving one woman’s son (6:28-29). On hearing this, the king tore his clothes, a sign of grief and horror. As he continued along the wall, onlookers could see that he was wearing sackcloth (rough cloth worn in mourning or humbling oneself) beneath his robes against his body (6:30). The siege itself was among the curses the law had warned would come if Israel disobeyed the LORD (Deuteronomy 28:15, 28:52). The prophet Joel later called God’s people to tear their hearts, not just their clothes, and come back to the LORD (Joel 2:13). The king’s next words show that his outward mourning did not lead him to turn to the LORD.
- 2 Kings 6:30 (BSB)“When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.”Hearing the woman, the king tears his clothes, and the people see sackcloth beneath them.
- Deuteronomy 28:15 (BSB)“If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:”The covenant warned that curses would overtake Israel if the people disobeyed the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 28:52 (BSB)“They will besiege all the cities throughout your land, until the high and fortified walls in which you trust have fallen. They will besiege all your cities throughout the land that the LORD your God has given you.”Among those curses was siege of Israel’s cities, the situation in Samaria.
- Joel 2:13 (BSB)“So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.”God calls His people to tear their hearts and return to Him, not only to tear their garments.
Theological
What is disclosed when the king tears his clothes on hearing the woman’s case (2 Kings 6:28-30)?
Answer: Sackcloth worn underneath, right against his skin
The woman’s complaint reveals that the famine has driven two mothers to a horrifying act involving one woman’s son (6:28-29). The siege is among the covenant curses promised for a disobedient Israel (Deuteronomy 28:15, 28:52). The king tears his garments, and the people see sackcloth beneath them against his skin (6:30). The sackcloth is an outward sign of mourning, yet his next act is to vow death against the prophet rather than to seek the LORD. Joel’s summons to tear the heart and not merely the garment (Joel 2:13) names the difference.
- 2 Kings 6:30 (BSB)“When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.”Hearing the woman, the king tears his clothes, and the people see sackcloth beneath them.
- Deuteronomy 28:15 (BSB)“If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:”The covenant warned that curses would overtake Israel if the people disobeyed the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 28:52 (BSB)“They will besiege all the cities throughout your land, until the high and fortified walls in which you trust have fallen. They will besiege all your cities throughout the land that the LORD your God has given you.”Among those curses was siege of Israel’s cities, the situation in Samaria.
- Joel 2:13 (BSB)“So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.”God calls His people to tear their hearts and return to Him, not only to tear their garments.
General
After Elisha prayed for his servant, what did the young man see (2 Kings 6:17)?
Answer: Fiery horses and chariots covering the hills around Elisha
Elisha prayed that the LORD would open his servant’s eyes so he could see, and the LORD did. The young man saw the hillsides filled with fiery horses and chariots surrounding Elisha (6:17). The heavenly army had been there all along; the servant simply could not see it until God opened his eyes. This is a picture of God’s unseen protection of His people. The angel of the LORD guards and rescues all who revere Him (Psalm 34:7), and the New Testament describes angels as servants sent to help the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14). Earlier, a chariot and horses of fire had appeared when Elijah was taken up (2 Kings 2:11).
- 2 Kings 6:17 (BSB)“Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”The LORD opens the servant’s eyes to see the fiery army around Elisha.
- Psalm 34:7 (BSB)“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.”The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, which the servant sees with his own eyes.
- Hebrews 1:14 (BSB)“Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”Angels are sent to serve those who will inherit salvation, the ministry pictured on the hills of Dothan.
- 2 Kings 2:11 (BSB)“As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.”A chariot and horses of fire appeared earlier when Elijah was taken up, the same heavenly imagery.
Theological
What does the servant see once the LORD answers Elisha’s prayer to open his eyes (2 Kings 6:17)?
Answer: Fiery horses and chariots covering the hills around Elisha
In answer to Elisha’s prayer, the LORD opens the servant’s eyes, and he sees the hills filled with fiery horses and chariots around Elisha (6:17). The heavenly host was already present; what changed was the servant’s sight, granted by God. The scene is a confident witness to the LORD’s unseen guardianship of His servants: the angel of the LORD guards all who revere Him (Psalm 34:7), and angels are spirits sent out to help the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14). The fiery chariots recall Elijah’s departure (2 Kings 2:11).
- 2 Kings 6:17 (BSB)“Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”The LORD opens the servant’s eyes to see the fiery army around Elisha.
- Psalm 34:7 (BSB)“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.”The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, which the servant sees with his own eyes.
- Hebrews 1:14 (BSB)“Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”Angels are sent to serve those who will inherit salvation, the ministry pictured on the hills of Dothan.
- 2 Kings 2:11 (BSB)“As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.”A chariot and horses of fire appeared earlier when Elijah was taken up, the same heavenly imagery.