God's ability to defend and deliver His people from her enemies 6:8-23

The king of Aram was probably Ben-Hadad II though the writer did not mention him by name (v. 8). Perhaps since he only identified Elisha and Yahweh by name, he wished to focus attention on them as the main characters in this drama. Dothan was about 12 miles north of Samaria (v. 13).⁴⁰Here is another vain attempt by a king to silence prophecy (cf. 1 Kings 17:1-24; 18:1-15; 19:1-18; 2 Kings 1:1-15). The Aramean king tried again to surprise the Israelites (v. 14) after having failed many times in his previous attempts to do so (vv. 8-12). This shows that he did not really believe Elisha could predict his movements. The events that followed proved him wrong.

The Arameans surrounded Dothan (v. 15; cf. v. 13). Elisha realized that God's angelic army was in control (v. 17; cf. 2:11; Ps. 34:7). His protégé, whoever he may have been, needed to learn to see with the eyes of faith as Elisha could (v. 17). Elisha led the temporarily blinded Aramean army into Samaria because Dothan was not the city where God wanted them (v. 19).

King Jehoram referred to Elisha as his father (v. 21) because he realized this great victory had come from Elisha who was superior to him for accomplishing it. It was not God's purpose to kill the Arameans but to deliver the Israelites and to teach them a spiritual lesson (v. 22). In the ancient Near East eating together under one's roof constituted making a covenant of peace.⁴¹Social custom now bound the Arameans not to attack the friend who had spared their lives and had extended the honor of hospitality. Consequently the Arameans did not invade Israel for some time (v. 23; cf. vv. 8-10; v. 24). Perhaps we should understand verse 23 to mean that the Arameans never again sent small companies of troops against Israel.⁴²

What the Israelite army could not have accomplished without much fighting and loss of life God did peacefully through one man. This should have been a clear lesson to everyone in Israel that Yahweh was her strong deliverer as well as her sovereign. God did not provide this victory because of the Israelites' obedience but to teach them lessons.