2 Kings 6:18-23
A Feast for the Captives
Read the passage
18As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.
19And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria.
20When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.
21And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
22“Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”
23So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
As the Arameans come down toward Elisha, he prays that the LORD will strike them with blindness. He then tells them they are not on the road they seek and leads them into Samaria. The men follow the prophet without recognizing where they are being taken.
Once they reach Samaria, Elisha prays for their eyes to be opened. They discover that they are in Samaria. The king of Israel asks Elisha twice whether he should kill them.
Elisha tells the king not to kill them. He asks him to set food and water before the men, then send them back to their master. The king prepares a great feast, and after the Arameans eat and drink, he sends them away.
The result is striking: the bands of Aram stop raiding Israel for a time. The account does not make the enemy harmless, but it shows a different use of power. The king has an opportunity to answer violence with violence and is directed toward restraint and hospitality instead.
Questions
1 What does Elisha pray for the Arameans?
AnswerHe prays that the LORD will strike them with blindness so they cannot recognize where they are going.
2 Where does Elisha lead the blinded men?
AnswerHe leads them into Samaria without their recognizing their location, placing the Aramean force inside Israel's capital.
3 What does Elisha tell Israel's king to do?
AnswerHe tells the king to provide food and water, then send the men back to their master.
4 What could mercy look like when someone who treated us badly is now in need?
AnswerWe can give appropriate help without using their need to humiliate them. Elisha directs the king to feed the men who came to capture him. Their helplessness is an opportunity for kindness, not revenge.
What This Means for Us
Elisha refuses to let a moment of advantage become an excuse for slaughter. The king is told to feed people who came to harm Israel and then release them.
This does not erase the need for protection or wise boundaries. It does challenge the instinct to treat every defeated opponent as someone we are entitled to destroy. Where you have power, use it to interrupt harm rather than to satisfy revenge.
Prayer
God of mercy, restrain our desire for revenge when we have the advantage. Give us wisdom to protect people without cruelty, courage to interrupt cycles of harm, and generosity that does not depend on an enemy deserving it. Amen.
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