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Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Literal Standard Version

2 Kings 6:18

And they come down to it, and Elisha prays to YHWH and says, "Please strike this nation with blindness"; and He strikes them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blindness;   Dothan;   Elisha;   Israel;   Joram;   Miracles;   Prayer;   Samaria;   Scofield Reference Index - Bible Prayers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Blindness;   Elisha;   God;   God's;   Health-Disease;   Judgments, God's;   Miracles;   Prayer;   Smitten of God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Syria;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Disease;   War, Holy War;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Blindness;   Dothan;   Hagar;   Pentateuch;   Prayer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Crimes and Punishments;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dothan;   Jehoram;   Medicine;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Samaria;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Elisha;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Eli'sha;   Medicine;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Blindness;   Jehoash;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Blindness;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When the Arameans came against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Please strike this nation with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, according to Elisha’s word.
Hebrew Names Version
When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, Please smite this people with blindness. He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
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.
New Century Version
As the enemy came down toward Elisha, he prayed to the Lord , "Make these people blind." So he made the Aramean army blind, as Elisha had asked.
New English Translation
As they approached him, Elisha prayed to the Lord , "Strike these people with blindness." The Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha requested.
Amplified Bible
When the Arameans came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, "Please strike this people (nation) with blindness." And God struck them with blindness, in accordance with Elisha's request.
New American Standard Bible
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, "Please strike this people with blindness." So He struck them with blindness in accordance with the word of Elisha.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So they came downe to him, but Elisha prayed vnto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindnesse. And he smote them with blindnes, according to the worde of Elisha.
Legacy Standard Bible
And they came down to him, and Elisha prayed to Yahweh and said, "Strike this people with blindness, I pray." So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
Contemporary English Version
As the Syrian army came closer, Elisha prayed, " Lord , make those soldiers blind!" And the Lord blinded them with a bright light.
Complete Jewish Bible
When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Adonai , "Please strike these people blind"; and he struck them blind, as Elisha had asked.
Darby Translation
And they came down to him; and Elisha prayed to Jehovah and said, Smite this nation, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
Easy-to-Read Version
These horses and chariots of fire came down to Elisha. He prayed to the Lord and said, "I pray that you will cause these people to become blind." So God did what Elisha asked. He caused the Aramean army to become blind.
George Lamsa Translation
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, Smite this people with dimness of vision. And he smote them with dimness according to the word of Elisha.
Good News Translation
When the Syrians attacked, Elisha prayed, "O Lord , strike these men blind!" The Lord answered his prayer and struck them blind.
Lexham English Bible
They came down to him, and Elisha prayed to Yahweh and said, "Please strike this people with blindness," so he struck them with blindness as Elisha had spoken.
Literal Translation
And they came down to it, and Elisha prayed to Jehovah and said, I beg You, strike this nation with blindness. And He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And wha they came downe vnto him, Eliseus made his prayer, & sayde: LORDE smyte this people wt blyndnes. And he smote the with blyndnes acordinge to the worde of Eliseus.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
Now when the Aramaeans came down to Elisha, he made a prayer to the Lord saying, Lord, make this people blind. And he made them blind at Elisha's request.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when they came downe to him, Elisa prayed vnto the Lord, and sayde: Smyte this people I pray thee with blindnesse. And he smote them with blindnesse, according to the worde of Elisa.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
And when they came downe to him, Elisha prayed vnto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindnesse. And hee smote them with blindnesse, according to the word of Elisha.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they came down to him; and he prayed to the Lord, and said, Smite, I pray thee, this people with blindness. And he smote them with blindness, according to the word of Elisaie.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli the enemyes camen doun to hym; forsothe Elisee preiede to the Lord, and seide, Y biseche, smyte thou this folc with blyndenesse. And the Lord smoot hem, that thei sien not, bi the word of Elisee.
Young's Literal Translation
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.
Update Bible Version
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, Smite this people, I pray you, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
World English Bible
When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, Please smite this people with blindness. He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
New King James Version
So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, "Strike this people, I pray, with blindness." And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
New Living Translation
As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, "O Lord , please make them blind." So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.
New Life Bible
When the Syrians came against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, saying, "Make these people blind, I pray." So the Lord made them blind, as Elisha had said.
New Revised Standard
When the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord , and said, "Strike this people, please, with blindness." So he struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto Yahweh, and said - Smite, I beseech thee, this people, with sudden blindness. And he smote them with sudden blindness, according to the word of Elisha.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the enemies came down to him: but Eliseus prayed to the Lord, saying: Strike, I beseech thee, this people with blindness: and the Lord struck them with blindness, according to the word of Eliseus.
Revised Standard Version
And when the Syrians came down against him, Eli'sha prayed to the LORD, and said, "Strike this people, I pray thee, with blindness." So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Eli'sha.
THE MESSAGE
When the Arameans attacked, Elisha prayed to God , "Strike these people blind!" And God struck them blind, just as Elisha said.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, "Strike this people with blindness, I pray." So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

Contextual Overview

13And he says, "Go and see where he [is], and I send and take him"; and it is declared to him, saying, "Behold—in Dothan." 14And he sends horses and chariot, and a heavy force there, and they come in by night, and go around against the city. 15And the servant of the man of God rises early, and goes out, and behold, a force is surrounding the city, and horse and chariot, and his young man says to him, "Aah! My lord, how do we do?" 16And he says, "Do not fear, for more [are] they who [are] with us than they who [are] with them." 17And Elisha prays and says, "YHWH, please open his eyes, and he sees"; and YHWH opens the eyes of the young man, and he sees, and behold, the hill is full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha. 18And they come down to it, and Elisha prays to YHWH and says, "Please strike this nation with blindness"; and He strikes them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.19And Elisha says to them, "This [is] not the way, nor [is] this the city; come after me, and I lead you to the man whom you seek"; and he leads them to Samaria. 20And it comes to pass, at their coming to Samaria, that Elisha says, "YHWH, open the eyes of these, and they see"; and YHWH opens their eyes, and they see, and behold, [they are] in the midst of Samaria! 21And the king of Israel says to Elisha at his seeing them, "My father, do I strike, do I strike?" 22And he says, "You do not strike; are you striking those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, and they eat, and drink, and go to their lord."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Smite this people: Confound their sight, so that they may not know what they see; and so mistake one place for another. The word sanverim, rendered blindness, occurs only here and in Genesis 19:11 - see note. Deuteronomy 28:28, Job 5:14, Zechariah 12:4, John 9:39, John 12:40, Acts 13:11, Romans 11:7

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 13:4 - his hand 2 Kings 3:23 - This is blood 2 Kings 4:33 - prayed 2 Kings 6:17 - open his eyes Job 38:15 - from Jeremiah 36:26 - but Hosea 9:8 - with Luke 24:16 - General John 8:59 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 6:9
These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah [is] a righteous man; he has been perfect among his generations; Noah has habitually walked with God.
Genesis 6:16
you make a window for the Ark, and you finish it to a cubit from above; and you put the opening of the Ark in its side; you make it [with] lower, second, and third [stories].
Genesis 7:1
And YHWH says to Noah, "Come, you and all your house, into the Ark, for I have seen you [are] righteous before Me in this generation;
Genesis 7:7
And Noah goes—and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him—into the Ark, out of the presence of the waters of the flood;
Genesis 7:13
On this very same day Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, went into the Ark—
Genesis 17:4
"I—behold, My covenant [is] with you, and you have become father of a multitude of nations;
Genesis 17:7
And I have established My covenant between Me and you, and your seed after you, throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant, to become God to you, and to your seed after you;
Genesis 17:21
and My covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah does bear to you at this appointed time in the next year";
Isaiah 26:20
Come, My people, enter into your inner chambers, || And shut your doors behind you, || Hide yourself shortly [for] a moment until the indignation passes over.
Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, having been divinely warned concerning the things not yet seen, having feared, prepared an ark to the salvation of his house, through which he condemned the world, and he became heir of the righteousness according to faith.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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" g; 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.

g בסנורים "in caecitatibus", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They came down to him - The Syrians, who had been encamped on rising ground opposite the hill of Dothan, now descended and drew near to the city.

The blindness with which they were smitten was not real - blindness actual loss of sight - but a state of illusion in which a man sees things otherwise than as they are (compare 2 Kings 6:20).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 6:18. Smite this people - with blindness — Confound their sight so that they may not know what they see, and so mistake one place for another.


 
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