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, “Invade ¹  at such and such ²  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 banquet ³  for them and they ate and drank. Then he sent them back ⁴  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 attacked ⁵  and besieged Samaria. ⁶ 

2 Kings 7:15-16

7:15 So they tracked them ⁷  as far as the Jordan. The road was filled with clothes and equipment that the Syrians had discarded in their haste. ⁸  The scouts ⁹  went back and told the king. 7:16 Then the people went out and looted the Syrian camp. A seah ¹⁰  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 king ¹²  was told, “The prophet ¹³  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 attacked ¹⁴  Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem. ¹⁵ 

2 Kings 13:3-5

13:3 The Lord was furious with ¹⁶  Israel and handed them over to ¹⁷  King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael’s son Ben Hadad for many years. ¹⁸ 

13:4 Jehoahaz asked for the Lord’s mercy ¹⁹  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 deliverer ²²  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 

[6:8]  ¹ tc 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.

[6:8]  ² sn The advisers would have mentioned a specific location, but the details are not significant to the narrator’s purpose, so he simply paraphrases here.

[6:23]  ³ tn Or “held a great feast.”

[6:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “they went back.”

[6:24]  ⁵ tn Heb “went up.”

[6:24]  ⁶ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[7:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “went after.”

[7:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “and look, all the road was full of clothes and equipment that Syria had thrown away in their haste.”

[7:15]  ⁹ tn Or “messengers.”

[7:16]  ⁹ sn A seah was a dry measure equivalent to about 7 quarts.

[7:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “according to the word of the Lord.”

[8:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:7]  ¹² tn Heb “man of God” (also a second time in this verse and in v. 11).

[12:17]  ¹³ tn Heb “went up and fought against.”

[12:17]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem.”

[13:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and the anger of the Lord burned against.”

[13:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “he gave them into the hand of.”

[13:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “all the days.”

[13:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “appeased the face of the Lord.”

[13:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and the Lord heard.”

[13:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “for he saw the oppression of Israel, for the king of Syria oppressed them.”

[13:5]  ¹⁹ sn The identity of this unnamed “deliverer” is debated. For options see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 143.

[13:5]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and they went from under the hand of Syria.”

[13:5]  ²¹ tn Heb “and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as before.”

[15:37]  ²¹ tn Heb “the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin…and Pekahiah….”

[16:5]  ²³ tn Heb “went up to Jerusalem for battle.”

[16:5]  ²⁴ tn That is, Jerusalem, Ahaz’s capital city.

[16:5]  ²⁵ tn 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.