2 Kings 6:18 (WEB)

Passage

When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elishah’s word.

Nearby Context

2 Kings 6:16 He answered, “Don’t be afraid; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

2 Kings 6:17 Elisha prayed, and said, “Yahweh, please open his eyes, that he may see.” Yahweh opened the young man’s eyes; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.

2 Kings 6:18 When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elishah’s word.

2 Kings 6:19 Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” He led them to Samaria.

2 Kings 6:20 When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “Yahweh, open these men’s eyes, that they may see.” Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the middle of Samaria.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "came", "down", "elisha", "prayed", "yahweh", "said", "please", and "strike". 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 "Elisha prayed and said Yahweh please open..." into verse 19's "Elisha said to them This is not...", 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.