2 Kings 6:14

_THEREFORE SENT HE THITHER HORSES, AND CHARIOTS, AND A GREAT HOST: AND THEY CAME BY NIGHT, AND COMPASSED THE CITY ABOUT._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

13-23 What Elisha said to his servant is spoken to all the faithful servants of God, when without are fightings, and within are fears. Fear not, with that fear which has torment and amazement; for they that are with us, to protect us, are more than they that are against us, to destroy us. The eyes of his body were open, and with them he saw the danger. Lord, open the eyes of our faith, that with them we may see thy protecting hand. The clearer sight we have of the sovereignty and power of Heaven, the less we shall fear the troubles of earth. Satan, the god of this world, blinds men's eyes, and so deludes them unto their own ruin; but when God enlightens their eyes, they see themselves in the midst of their enemies, captives to Satan, and in danger of hell, though, before, they thought their condition good. When Elisha had the Syrians at his mercy, he made it appear that he was influence...

Verse 2 Kings 6:14. _HE SENT THITHER HORSES_] It is strange he did not think that he who could penetrate his secrets with respect to the Israelitish army, could inform himself of all his machinations against his own life....

EXPOSITION VERSE 1-7:20 FURTHER MIRACLES WROUGHT BY ELISHA. The historian relates first a (comparatively) private miracle wrought by Elisha in the vicinity of Jericho, for the benefit of one of the "sons of the prophets" (2 Kings 7:1). He then tells us briefly of a series of public miracles which brought Elisha into much note and prominence. War, it appears, had again broken out in a pronounced form between Israel and Syria, Syria being the aggressor. The Syrian monarch prepared traps for his adversary, encamping in places where he hoped to take him at a disadvantage. But Elisha frustrated these plans, by addressing warnings to the King of Israel, and pointing out to him the various positions occupied ...

THEREFORE SENT HE THITHER HORSES AND CHARIOTS, AND A GREAT HOST,.... To terrify the inhabitants from attempting to defend the prophet, but deliver him up at once: AND THEY CAME BY NIGHT; that they might come upon them unawares, and their design not be discovered, so as to have timely help from Samaria, which was not far off: AND COMPASSED THE CITY ABOUT; that the prophet might not make his escape out of it....

2 Kings 6:1. _And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us._ It seems to have been a habit of the prophets to gather about them companies of young men whom they instructed in the holy Scripture and in the truths of revelation. Many of these young men became prophets themselves and were the instructors of the people. Elisha, then, was the President of a College for young men who were being trained for the sacred ministry of God. They had grown so numerous that they were cramped in their lodging and they said, «The place is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us fit place there, where we may dwell.» They were ready to work to build their own lodging; they do not appear to have gone into debt for it, and to have saddled themselves and the institutio

5. ELISHA AND THE SYRIANS CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The lost axe-head recovered (2 Kings 6:1)_ 2. Elisha makes known Ben-hadad's plans (2 Kings 6:8) 3. Elisha's arrest planned (2 Kings 6:13) 4. The blinded Syrians led to Samaria (2 Kings 6:18) 5. Samaria besieged (2 Kings 6:24) 6. The king's wrath against Elisha (2 Kings 6:31) It has been truly said that the miracle of the swimming axe-head reveals the condescension of

AN AXEHEAD SWIMS. ELISHA AND THE SYRIANS AT DOTHAN. In several minor miracles Elisha is always represented as working them not by his word, but by some expedient. Thus he heals the miscarrying waters by salt, and the pot by meal, and recovers the axehead by casting a stick into the water. The prophet appears in the second narrative as the moving spirit in the Syrian war. Whenever the king of Syria devised an ambush (2 Kings 6:8, with a slight alteration of reading), Elisha revealed the secret. Elisha was at Dothan (2 Kings 6:13), a city standing on a hill about 10 miles N. of Samaria, on the caravan road from Egypt to Damascus (Genesis 37:17, p. 30). Elisha was defended, as we are finely told, by horses and chariots of f

_a great host_ Greatness is comparative. Here was a company such as could be led by Elisha to Samaria, and fed easily when they reached that city. But no doubt they were formidable when employed for the capture of a single man of peace like Elisha, and they had taken up their position by night. _compassed the city about_ i.e. beset all the gates, so that none could escape without their knowledge....

B. ELISHA CAPTURES A TROOP OF SOLDIERS 6:13-23 TRANSLATION (13) And he said, Go and observe where he is, that I may send, and take him. And someone told him, Behold, in Dothan. (14) And he sent there horses, chariots, and a strong force; and they came by night and surrounded the city. (IS) And the minister of the man of God had risen early to go out, and behold a host surrounding the city with horse and chariot. And his servant said unto him, Alas my master! How shall we do? (16) And he said, Do not fear, for more numerous are those with us than those with them. (17) And Elisha prayed, and said, O LORD open, I pray you, his eyes that he might see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw, and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha. (18) And they went down unto them.[539] And Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite, I pray you,...