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Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Kings 6:17

Open his eyes that he may see - Elisha’s servant lacked the faith of his master. Elisha therefore prays that he may be given a vision of the spiritual world, and see, as if with the bodily eye, the angelic host (marginal references) which he himself knows to be present. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Kings 6:17

2 Kings 6:17. Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes The eyes of his body were open, and with them he saw the danger; Lord, said the prophet, open the eyes of his faith, and the eyes of his mind, that with them he may see the protection we are under, may see the invisible guard of heavenly beings which encompass and defend us. Angels, whether they be purely spiritual, or clothed with some material vehicle, it is allowed, cannot be seen by mortal eyes: and, therefore, as the prophet himself would... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 6:8-33

Miracles of warning to Israel (6:8-8:15)The remaining stories of Elisha concentrate on his dealings with the rulers of Israel and Syria. God was going to use Syria to punish Israel for its sin during the period of the Omri dynasty, but first he had various lessons to teach the two nations.On one occasion when Israel and Syria were fighting each other, Elisha repeatedly warned the Israelite king of Syrian ambushes (8-10). The Syrian king was furious when he learnt why his ambushes failed, and... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 2 Kings 6:17

open his eyes. Elisha's thirteenth miracle. See note on 2 Kings 2:15 . see . . . saw = see . . . saw clearly. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 2 Kings 6:17

2 Kings 6:17. The Lord opened the eyes of the young man, &c.— It is probable that this young man had been but a little while with his master; no longer than since Gehazi's dismission; and therefore, perhaps, had not seen any great experiments of his power to work miracles; or if he had, the great and imminent danger he thought his master in, might well be supposed to raise his fear, and shake his faith; and therefore some miracle was necessary for the removal of the one, and the... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 2 Kings 6:17

17. Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see—The invisible guard of angels that encompass and defend us ( :-). The opening of the eyes, which Elisha prayed for, were those of the Spirit, not of the body—the eye of faith sees the reality of the divine presence and protection where all is vacancy or darkness to the ordinary eye. The horses and chariots were symbols of the divine power (see on 2 Kings 2:12); and their fiery nature denoted their supernatural... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 2 Kings 6:8-23

God’s ability to defend and deliver His people from her enemies 6:8-23The king of Aram was probably Ben-Hadad II, though the writer did not mention him by name (2 Kings 6:8). Perhaps since he only identified Elisha and Yahweh by name, he wished to focus attention on them as the main characters in this drama. Dothan stood about 12 miles north of Samaria (2 Kings 6:13). Compare Genesis 37:17-28 where another hostile foreign foe, the Ishmaelites, surrounded another prophet, Joseph, at Dothan. Here... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 6:1-33

Elisha and the Siege of Samaria1. The place where we dwell] The mention of the Jordan (2 Kings 6:2) suggests that these sons of the prophets dwelt near Jericho: cp. 2 Kings 2:5. Probably Elisha did not permanently abide with them, but visited them occasionally for supervision and instruction. 6. The iron did swim] The prophet’s powers were exerted to help one who was honest enough to be the more concerned for his loss because the axe was not his own.8. The king of Syria] perhaps the Benhadad of... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - 2 Kings 6:17

(17) And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw.—Just as the Lord had opened Elisha’s own eyes to see the like vision of unearthly glory when his master was taken away (2 Kings 2:10; 2 Kings 2:12). (Comp. also Numbers 22:31.)The mountain.—On which Dothan stood.Horses and chariots of fire.—Literally, horses and chariots, to wit, fire. Fire was the well-known symbol of Jehovah’s visible presence and protective or destroying might, from the days of the patriarchs onwards (Genesis... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - 2 Kings 6:1-33

The Invisible Realities of the Eternal World 2 Kings 6:16 The invisible realities at times are very real to some and very unreal to others. This incident is an excellent example of it. Danger menaces two men. Death itself seems in the cup for both. But one is a citizen only of the seen and temporal, while the other's spirit soars up to God and believes in God, and is as certain of the existence of God as that he is alive. Consider the fruits of this belief in the existence of the eternal... read more

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