2 Kings 6:18 (ASV)

Passage

And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto Jehovah, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

Nearby Context

2 Kings 6:16 And he answered, Fear not; for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.

2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Jehovah, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

2 Kings 6:18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto Jehovah, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

2 Kings 6:19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them to Samaria.

2 Kings 6:20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Jehovah, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And Jehovah opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "came", "down", "elisha", "prayed", "jehovah", "said", "smite", and "people". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "came" and "down", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "And Elisha prayed and said Jehovah I..." into verse 19's "And Elisha said unto them This is...", so "came" and "down" belong inside that flow. In 2 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "came" and "down" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.