2 Kings 6:8-9

Elisha Defeats an Army

6:8 Now the king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his advisers, who said, “Invade¹ at such and such² a place.” 6:9 But the prophet sent this message to the king of Israel, “Make sure you don’t pass through this place because Syria is invading there.”

2 Kings 6:23-24

6:23 So he threw a big banquet³ for them and they ate and drank. Then he sent them back⁴ to their master. After that no Syrian raiding parties again invaded the land of Israel.

The Lord Saves Samaria

6:24 Later King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled his entire army and attacked⁵ and besieged Samaria.⁶

2 Kings 7:15-16

7:15 So they tracked them⁷ as far as the Jordan. The road was filled with clothes and equipment that the Syrians had discarded in their haste.⁸ The scouts⁹ went back and told the king. 7:16 Then the people went out and looted the Syrian camp. A seah¹⁰ of finely milled flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, just as the Lord had said they would.¹¹

2 Kings 8:7

Elisha Meets with Hazael

8:7 Elisha traveled to Damascus while King Ben Hadad of Syria was sick. The king¹² was told, “The prophet¹³ has come here.”

2 Kings 8:28

8:28 He joined Ahab’s son Joram in a battle against King Hazael of Syria at Ramoth Gilead in which the Syrians defeated Joram.

2 Kings 12:17

12:17 At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked¹⁴ Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem.¹⁵

2 Kings 13:3-5

13:3 The Lord was furious with¹⁶ Israel and handed them over to¹⁷ King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael’s son Ben Hadad for many years.¹⁸

13:4 Jehoahaz asked for the Lord’s mercy¹⁹ and the Lord responded favorably,²⁰ for he saw that Israel was oppressed by the king of Syria.²¹ 13:5 The Lord provided a deliverer²² for Israel and they were freed from Syria’s power.²³ The Israelites once more lived in security.²⁴

2 Kings 15:37

15:37 In those days the Lord prompted King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah to attack Judah.²⁵

2 Kings 16:5

16:5 At that time King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel attacked Jerusalem.²⁶ They besieged Ahaz,²⁷ but were unable to conquer him.²⁸

¹tc The verb form used here is difficult to analyze. On the basis of the form נְחִתִּים (nÿkhitim) in v. 9 from the root נָחַת (nakhat), it is probably best to emend the verb to תִּנְחְתוּ (tinkhÿtu; a Qal imperfect form from the same root). The verb נָחַת in at least two other instances carries the nuance “go down, descend” in a military context. For a defense of this view, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 72.

²sn The advisers would have mentioned a specific location, but the details are not significant to the narrator’s purpose, so he simply paraphrases here.

³tn Or “held a great feast.”

⁴tn Heb “they went back.”

⁵tn Heb “went up.”

⁶map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.

⁷tn Heb “went after.”

⁸tn Heb “and look, all the road was full of clothes and equipment that Syria had thrown away in their haste.”

⁹tn Or “messengers.”

⁹sn A seah was a dry measure equivalent to about 7 quarts.

¹⁰tn Heb “according to the word of the Lord.”

¹¹tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹²tn Heb “man of God” (also a second time in this verse and in v. 11).

¹³tn Heb “went up and fought against.”

¹⁴tn Heb “Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem.”

¹⁵tn Heb “and the anger of the Lord burned against.”

¹⁶tn Heb “he gave them into the hand of.”

¹⁷tn Heb “all the days.”

¹⁷tn Heb “appeased the face of the Lord.”

¹⁸tn Heb “and the Lord heard.”

¹⁹tn Heb “for he saw the oppression of Israel, for the king of Syria oppressed them.”

¹⁹sn The identity of this unnamed “deliverer” is debated. For options see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 143.

²⁰tn Heb “and they went from under the hand of Syria.”

²¹tn Heb “and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as before.”

²¹tn Heb “the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin…and Pekahiah….”

²³tn Heb “went up to Jerusalem for battle.”

²⁴tn That is, Jerusalem, Ahaz’s capital city.

²⁵tn Heb “they were unable to fight.” The object must be supplied from the preceding sentence. Elsewhere when the Niphal infinitive of לָחָם (lakham) follows the verb יָכֹל (yakhol), the infinitive appears to have the force of “prevail against.” See Num 22:11; 1 Sam 17:9; and the parallel passage in Isa 7:1.