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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - 2 King 6:21 - 6:21
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Elisha forbade king Joram to slay the enemy that he had brought to him, because he had not taken them prisoners in war, and recommended him to treat them hospitably and then let them return to their lord. The object of the miracle would have been frustrated if the Syrians had been slain. For the intention was to show the Syrians that they had to do with a prophet of the true God, against whom no human power could be of any avail, that they might learn to fear the almighty God. Even when regarded from a political point of view, the prophet's advice was more likely to ensure peace than the king's proposal, as the result of 2Ki 6:23 clearly shows. The Syrians did not venture any more to invade the land of Israel with flying parties, from fear of the obvious protection of Israel by its God; though this did not preclude a regular war, like that related in the following account. For אָבִי see the Comm. on 2Ki 5:13. וגו שָׁבִיתָ הַאֲשֶׁר: “art thou accustomed to slay that which thou hast taken captive with sword and bow?” i.e., since thou dost not even slay those whom thou hast made prisoners in open battle, how wouldst thou venture to put these to death? כֵּרָה לָהֶם יִכְרֶה, he prepared them a meal. כָּרָה is a denom. from כֵּרָה, a meal, so called from the union of several persons, like coena from κοινή (vid., Dietr. on Ges. Lex. s. v. כרה).