And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

2 KINGS 6:22KJV
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2 Kings 6:22 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 6:22 mean?

2 Kings 6:22 shows Elisha telling the king of Israel not to kill the captured Aramean soldiers, but instead to feed them and send them back to their master. The verse highlights mercy toward enemies, even when they are at your mercy, by offering them food and water instead of violence.

Elisha is speaking to the king of Israel after God has miraculously delivered a group of enemy soldiers into Israel’s hands. The king wants to kill the captives, but Elisha insists that since they were not taken by force in battle (with sword or bow), they should be treated with unexpected kindness. This action stands out in the story as a moment of restraint and generosity in the face of hostility.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 6:22

  • "smite" (נָכָה, nakah): This word means to strike or kill. Elisha’s use of it stresses the king’s urge for violence, which he firmly rejects in favor of mercy.
  • "captive" (שָׁבָה, shavah): This word refers to prisoners of war. Elisha points out that these men are not typical captives taken by battle, so the usual rules of war do not apply.
  • "bread" (לֶחֶם, lechem) and "water" (מַיִם, mayim): These basic provisions symbolize hospitality and life. Elisha’s instruction to provide them shows a deliberate choice to treat enemies with dignity.

Why 2 Kings 6:22 matters

  • The verse corrects the idea that victory always means destruction; it shows that mercy can be a powerful response, even in wartime.
  • Elisha’s command sets a surprising example of kindness, which stands out in the context of ancient warfare and helps explain the prophet’s influence.
  • This moment connects to the larger theme in 2 Kings of God’s power working through unexpected means, including compassion rather than violence.

Where else these words appear

“captive” Hebrew H7617 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
  • 1 Kings 8:47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
  • 2 Chronicles 28:17 For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.

“bow” Hebrew H7198 · used in 74 verses

  • Genesis 9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
  • 2 Chronicles 18:33 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
  • Isaiah 66:19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.