2 Kings 6: The floating iron, the blinded Syrian army, and the siege of Samaria
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What happens?
The sons of the prophets go with Elisha to the Jordan to build a bigger place to live; when a borrowed iron ax head falls into the water, Elisha throws in a stick and makes the iron float. Elisha keeps warning the king of Israel where the king of Syria will camp, so the king of Syria sends a great army to Dothan to seize him. Elisha's servant is afraid, Elisha prays, and Yahweh opens the young man's eyes to see the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire; then Yahweh strikes the Syrians with blindness at Elisha's word, Elisha leads them into Samaria, and instead of killing them the king of Israel gives them a great feast and sends them home. Later Ben Hadad besieges Samaria, and the famine grows so great that a woman cries to the king that she and another woman boiled and ate her son, and the other woman has hidden hers. The king tears his clothes, showing sackcloth underneath, swears to have Elisha's head, and sends a man to him.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words in this chapter. The sons of the prophets speak with Elisha in verses 1 to 3, and the man who loses the iron cries out in verse 5. The king of Syria speaks in verses 8, 11 and 13, and one of his servants in verse 12. Elisha speaks in verses 6, 7, 9, 16, 19, 22 and 32, and his servant in verse 15. Elisha prays to Yahweh in verses 17, 18 and 20: these are his own prayers, and that Yahweh did as he asked is told in the narrator's words. The king of Israel speaks in verses 21, 27, 28 and 31, and the woman in verses 26, 28 and 29. In verse 33 the text does not name who speaks (see the note there). God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we live and meet with you is too small for us.
In plain English: The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we live with you (literally: sit before you) is too small for us.
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2Please let us go to the Jordan, and each man take a beam from there, and let’s make us a place there, where we may live.” He answered, “Go!”
In plain English: Please let us go to the Jordan, and let each of us take a beam from there, and let us make a place there to live." He said, "Go."
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3One said, “Please be pleased to go with your servants.” He answered, “I will go.”
In plain English: One of them said, "Please be willing to go with your servants." He answered, "I will go."
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4So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.
In plain English: So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.
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5But as one was cutting down a tree, the ax head fell into the water. Then he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.”
In plain English: As one of them was felling a beam, the iron (this Bible: the ax head) fell into the water. He cried out, "Oh no (this Bible: alas), my master! It was borrowed (literally: asked for)."
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6The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.
In plain English: The man of God said, "Where did it fall?" He showed him the place. Elisha cut off a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.
The Hebrew word: "Float" is tsuph, which the dictionary gives as "to overflow". It is in only 3 verses of the Bible. In it is the water of the Red Sea that Yahweh made "to overflow" the army of Egypt. The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "the iron came to the surface".
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7He said, “Take it.” So he put out his hand and took it.
In plain English: He said, "Pick it up." So the man reached out his hand and took it.
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8Now the king of Syria was at war against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
In plain English: Now the king of Syria was at war with Israel. He took counsel with his servants and said, "My camp will be in such and such a place."
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9The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.”
In plain English: The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Be careful not to pass this place, because the Syrians are going down there."
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10The king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once or twice.
In plain English: The king of Israel sent to the place the man of God had told him about and warned him of, and he kept guard there (this Bible: saved himself there), not just once or twice.
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11The king of Syria’s heart was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, “Won’t you show me which of us is for the king of Israel?”
In plain English: The heart of the king of Syria was enraged (or: tossed about; this Bible: very troubled) about this. He called his servants and said to them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?"
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12One of his servants said, “No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
In plain English: One of his servants said, "No, my lord the king. It is Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel. He tells the king of Israel the words you speak in your bedroom."
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13He said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” He was told, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
In plain English: He said, "Go and find out where he is, so that I can send and seize him." He was told, "Look, he is in Dothan."
Good to know: Dothan is the place where Joseph found his brothers in .
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14Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night and surrounded the city.
In plain English: So he sent horses, chariots and a great army there. They came by night and surrounded the city.
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15When the servant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
In plain English: The servant of the man of God got up early and went out, and there was an army with horses and chariots all around the city. His servant said to him, "Oh no (this Bible: alas), my master! What shall we do?"
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16He answered, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
In plain English: He answered, "Do not be afraid, because those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
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17Elisha prayed, and said, “Yahweh, please open his eyes, that he may see.” Yahweh opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.
In plain English: Elisha prayed and said, "Yahweh, please open his eyes, so that he may see." Yahweh opened the young man's eyes, and he saw: the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Good to know: In , "a chariot of fire and horses of fire" separated Elijah and Elisha when Elijah went up by a whirlwind. Here the text says the horses and chariots of fire were there around Elisha, and the young man saw them when Yahweh opened his eyes.
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18When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elisha’s word.
In plain English: When they came down toward him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh and said, "Please strike this people (or: this nation) with blindness." He struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked (literally: according to Elisha's word).
The Hebrew word: "Blindness" is sanverim, which the dictionary gives as "blindness". It is in only 2 verses of the Bible: here and , where the men at the door of Lot's house were struck with blindness and wore themselves out trying to find the door. The text does not say more about what kind of blindness it was.
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19Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” He led them to Samaria.
In plain English: 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 you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria.
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20When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “Yahweh, open these men’s eyes, that they may see.” Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the middle of Samaria.
In plain English: When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, "Yahweh, open these men's eyes, so that they may see." Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw: they were in the middle of Samaria.
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21The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?”
In plain English: When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?"
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22He answered, “You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, then go to their master.”
In plain English: He answered, "Do not strike them down. Would you strike down those you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set bread and water before them, so that they may eat and drink, and go to their master."
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23He prepared a great feast for them. After they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of Israel.
In plain English: So he prepared a great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the raiding bands of Syria did not come into the land of Israel again.
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24After this, Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.
In plain English: After this, Ben Hadad king of Syria gathered his whole army, went up, and besieged Samaria.
Good to know: The dictionary gives Ben Hadad as "the name of several Syrian kings". also tells of "Ben Hadad the king of Syria" gathering his army and besieging Samaria. The text does not say whether this is the same king.
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25There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
In plain English: There was a great famine in Samaria. They besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a quarter of a kab of dove's dung (or: of a cheap vegetable; see the note) for five pieces of silver.
The Hebrew words: "Dove's dung" is written in the Hebrew text as charei yonim, which the dictionary gives as "excrements of doves {or a vegetable}". The reading noted in the margin of the Hebrew text is one word, divyonim, which the dictionary gives as "probably some cheap vegetable, perhaps a bulbous root". "Kab" is qav, which the dictionary gives as a "vessel used as a (dry) measure"; it is in only this verse of the Bible.
What changes: Read as "dove's dung", people were paying silver for droppings. Read as a cheap vegetable or root, they were paying silver for the poorest kind of food. Either way, the verse shows how great the famine was.
Good to know: These are the text's own numbers. The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "fifty pieces of silver" for the donkey's head, and "dove's dung".
26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”
In plain English: As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, "Help (literally: save), my lord the king!"
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27He said, “If Yahweh doesn’t help you, where could I get help for you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”
In plain English: He said, "If Yahweh does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?"
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28Then the king asked her, “What is your problem?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’
In plain English: Then the king asked her, "What is the matter with you?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son, so that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'
Good to know: The text tells this plainly and does not comment on it. Other verses also speak of people eating their own children: "You will eat the flesh of your sons" (), and "the flesh of your sons and of your daughters ... in the siege" (). speaks of women who "boiled their own children". The text here does not point to these verses.
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29So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him;’ and she has hidden her son.”
In plain English: So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give your son, so that we may eat him,' but she has hidden her son."
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30When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. Now he was passing by on the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his body.
In plain English: When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his clothes. He was passing by on the wall, and the people looked, and there was sackcloth underneath, on his body.
The Hebrew word: "Sackcloth" is saq, which the dictionary gives as "coarse loose cloth or sacking (used in mourning and for bagging)". The text says the people saw it on his body under his clothes. It does not say how long he had worn it.
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31Then he said, “God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat stays on him today.”
In plain English: Then he said, "May God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat stays on him today."
Good to know: This is an oath: the king calls on God to act against him, and more, if Elisha's head stays on him (see the note on ). Jezebel swears the same kind of oath against Elijah in . The text does not say why the king blames Elisha.
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32But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”
In plain English: Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a man ahead of him. But before the messenger reached him, Elisha said to the elders, "Do you see how this son of a murderer (or: this murderer) has sent someone to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?"
The Hebrew words: "Son of a murderer" is ben ha-meratseach, "son of the murderer". "Murderer" is from ratsach, which the dictionary gives as "to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murder". The dictionary gives ben, "son", as used "in the widest sense", also for a "quality or condition".
What changes: Read as "son of a murderer", Elisha calls the king's father a murderer. Read as "this murderer", Elisha calls the king himself one. Either way, Elisha says the king has sent a man to take off his head.
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33While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?”
In plain English: While he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. Then he said (the text does not name him; see the note), "Look, this trouble (this Bible: evil) is from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?"
Good to know: The Hebrew says only "he said", just after the messenger comes down to Elisha. The text does not name who says "this trouble is from Yahweh": it may be the messenger, or the king, whose feet Elisha hears behind him in verse 32. In the officer "on whose hand the king leaned" answers the man of God. "Evil" is ra'ah, which the dictionary gives as "bad or ... evil (natural or moral)": here, the trouble of the siege.
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