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2 Kings 6:23

Mercy and compassionPeaceForgiving othersConflict and reconciliation

21 And 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.”

So 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.

24 Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria.

25 So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver.

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Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
So 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.
KJV
And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
WEB
He prepared a great feast for them. After they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of Israel.
ASV
And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
DARBY
And he prepared a great repast for them, and they ate and drank; and he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
BLB
And he prepared for them a great feast, and they ate and drank, and he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands from Aram added not again to come into the land of Israel.
ÅB
Da lot han stelle til et måltid for dem, og de spiste og deretter lot han dem fare, vendte tilbake til sin herre. Siden kom det ikke mere syriske herjeflokker inn i Israels land.
OTB
Så forberedte han et stort måltid for dem; og da de hadde spist og drukket, sendte han dem bort, og de vendte tilbake til sin herre. Og de herjende bandene av arameere kom ikke igjen inn i Israels land.
B1930
Da lot han stelle til et måltid for dem, og de åt og derefter lot han dem fare, vendte tilbake til sin herre. Siden kom det ikke mere syriske herjeflokker inn i Israels land.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 2 Kings 5:2

    At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife.

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  • 2 Kings 24:2

    And the LORD sent Chaldean, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim in order to destroy Judah, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servants the prophets.

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  • Luke 6:35

    But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

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  • 2 Kings 6:8–9

    Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”

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  • Luke 10:29–37

    But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

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  • Matthew 5:47

    And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?

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  • Proverbs 25:21–22

    If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

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  • 2 Chronicles 28:15

    Then the men who were designated by name arose, took charge of the captives, and provided from the plunder clothing for the naked. They clothed them, gave them sandals and food and drink, anointed their wounds, and put all the feeble on donkeys. So they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

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