Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 6
Samaria was the capital city of northern and central Israel. It was a strong city, with walls – like the walls of a castle – for its defence. Israel’s best soldiers guarded it.
Elisha led the group of soldiers from Aram inside the walls of Samaria. So, Israel’s best soldiers now surrounded them. The soldiers from Aram could not see, because Elisha had prayed for them to be blind (6:18). Now, however, there was no danger from them – so Elisha prayed for them to see again. The power for a person to see is especially the gift of God (Isaiah 42:6-7) as he created both the light (Genesis 1:3) and the eye (Psalm 94:9).
It was never God’s plan that these soldiers should suffer the permanent loss of their sight. God’s immediate purpose was to protect Elisha. However, God’s greater purpose was to work in people’s lives in nations outside of Israel’s borders.
If Israel’s people had been obeying God, then God would have used them to declare his message to people in other nations (Isaiah 42:6-7). However, most of them were not serving the true God at this time. Still, God cared about the people in foreign nations (Jonah 4:11) - even Israel’s enemies, including Aram. So, he showed these soldiers from Aram, in this astonishing manner, that Israel’s God is the true God. He had previously cured Naaman, the leader of Aram’s army (2 Kings chapter 5).
A few years later, God sent Elisha to Damascus, the capital of Aram (8:7). Elisha went there to appoint a new king, but perhaps also to teach the people in Aram about God.
Next part: Joram urges Elisha to let him kill the soldiers from Aram (2 Kings 6:21-22)
Please use the links at the top of the page to find our other articles in this series. You can download all our articles if you go to the download page for our free 1000+ page course book.
© 2025, Keith Simons.