2 Kings 6:18 (YLT)

Passage

And they come down unto it, and Elisha prayeth unto Jehovah, and saith, `Smite, I pray Thee, this nation with blindness;' and He smiteth them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

Nearby Context

2 Kings 6:16 And he saith, `Fear not, for more <FI>are<Fi> they who <FI>are<Fi> with us than they who <FI>are<Fi> with them.'

2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayeth, and saith, `Jehovah, open, I pray Thee, his eyes, and he doth see;' and Jehovah openeth the eyes of the young man, and he seeth, and lo, the hill is full of horses and chariots of fire, round about Elisha.

2 Kings 6:18 And they come down unto it, and Elisha prayeth unto Jehovah, and saith, `Smite, I pray Thee, this nation with blindness;' and He smiteth them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

2 Kings 6:19 And Elisha saith unto them, `This <FI>is<Fi> not the way, nor <FI>is<Fi> this the city; come after me, and I lead you unto the man whom ye seek;' and he leadeth them to Samaria.

2 Kings 6:20 And it cometh to pass, at their coming in to Samaria, that Elisha saith, `Jehovah, open the eyes of these, and they see;' and Jehovah openeth their eyes, and they see, and lo, in the midst of Samaria!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "come", "down", "elisha", "prayeth", "jehovah", "saith", and "smite". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "come" 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 prayeth and saith Jehovah open..." into verse 19's "And Elisha saith unto them This FI...", so "come" 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 "come" and "down" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.