2 Kings 6:8-12

I. ELISHA'S PATRIOTIC MIRACLES 6:8-23

Elisha was involved in the crisis which his nation faced at the hands of the Arameans. On various occasions Elisha rendered valuable aid to his king by revealing the military plans of Benhadad (2 Kings 6:8-12). On one occasion he captured single-handedly a whole troop of Aramean soldiers and brought them to the capital (2 Kings 6:13-23).

A. ELISHA REVEALS THE PLANS OF THE ENEMY 6:8-12

TRANSLATION

(8) Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel, and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place will be my encampment. (9) But the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware of passing by this place, for there the Arameans are hiding. (10) And the king of Israel sent unto the place of which the man of God told him and warned him, and there he was delivered not once or twice. (11) And the heart of the king of Aram was stirred up[538] concerning this matter, and he called unto his servants, and said unto them, Will you not tell me who among us is for the king of Israel? (12) And one of his servants said, No, my lord, O king, but Elisha the prophet who is in Israel declares to the king of Israel the matters of which you speak in the secret place of your bedchamber.

[538] Lit., in a whirl, like a whirlwind.

COMMENTS

Not too long after the captain of the host of Aram found cleansing in the land of Israel (2 Kings 5), Benhadad again resumed hostilities with his neighbor to the south. The king would plan his military strategy with his top advisers (2 Kings 6:8), but in every case his plans were betrayed to the king of Israel by the man of God Elisha (2 Kings 6:9). Elisha had a strong personal dislike for Jehoram the son of Ahab, but he did not allow these personal feelings to interfere with his patriotism. The king of Israel would send out scouts to the spots designated by Elisha to see whether or not the Arameans were occupying the region. In each case he found Elisha's warning true, and so he simply avoided that area and the ambush which Benhadad had planned for him. Thus by the supernaturally clairvoyant powers of Elisha, the hostile plans of the Arameans were foiled, not once or twice, but several times (2 Kings 6:10).

The king of Aram became greatly concerned at the repeated failure of his best laid plans, and concluded that such consistent lack of success could not be mere chance. Benhadad suspected that one of his top officials was guilty of treasonous information leaks. The king summoned his staff and implored them to point out the culprit (2 Kings 6:11). One of those being interrogatedperhaps Naaman himselfsuggested that no one in the king's council was revealing military secrets to the enemy; rather it was the Israelite prophet who through supernatural insight knew all that transpired in the Aramean court, and even in the private bedchamber of the king himself (2 Kings 6:12). Just how the Aramean officer knew for a fact that it was Elisha who was tipping off the Israelite king is not stated. Perhaps this fact was more or less common knowledge in Israel, and the Aramean had learned this through intelligence agencies in Israel. On the other hand, perhaps this official was merely surmising that a man who could heal the dreaded leprosy would have no difficulty reading the secret thoughts of a man. In either case, the Aramean servant was correct in his analysis of the situation, that Elisha was responsible.