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.
2 KINGS 6:18KJVWhat does 2 Kings 6:18 mean?
2 Kings 6:18 describes how, as enemy soldiers approached Elisha, he prayed to the LORD and asked God to strike them with blindness. God answered Elisha’s prayer and caused the soldiers to become blind, just as Elisha had requested.
In this scene, Elisha is facing a group of Aramean soldiers sent to capture him. Instead of running or fighting, Elisha turns to prayer and asks God to intervene in a specific way. The blindness here is often understood as a confusion or inability to see things as they are, which prevents the soldiers from carrying out their mission and shows God’s power to protect Elisha.
The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 6:18
- "Blindness" (סַּנְוֵרִים, sanwerim): This word is rare in the Hebrew Bible and often refers to a kind of confusion or dazed inability to perceive, rather than total physical blindness. It suggests the soldiers were unable to recognize or understand their surroundings.
- "Smite" / "smote" (נָכָה, nakah): This verb means to strike or afflict. Here, it emphasizes that the blindness was a direct act from God in response to Elisha’s prayer, not a natural occurrence.
- "People" (גּוֹי, goy): This word usually means "nation" or "people group," highlighting that the group affected was a military force, not just a few individuals.
Why 2 Kings 6:18 matters
- This verse clears up the idea that Elisha relied on God’s intervention rather than his own strength or cleverness when threatened.
- The use of a rare word for "blindness" points to a supernatural confusion, not just loss of sight, which helps explain how the soldiers could later be led away by Elisha.
- The verse connects to the larger story of God protecting His people and His prophets in unexpected ways, showing that God’s power can overturn military threats without violence.