2 Kings 6:18

“And when they came down to him, etc.] The Syrian army, from the hill on which they were first seen, who came down from thence to the bottom of the hill on which the city stood; and whither Elisha came out, in order both to meet them, and proceed on his journey to Samaria: Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness; or “blindnesses” f81; with great blindness, such as the men of Sodom were smitten with; the same word is here used as of them, (<011911>Genesis 19:11) and he smote them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha; not in such manner that they could discern no object, for then they could not have followed Elisha; but their sight was so…”

“HIS ARMY SMITTEN WITH BLINDNESS. (Kg2 6:18-23) Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness--not a total and material blindness, for then they could not have followed him, but a mental hallucination (see Gen 19:11) so that they did not perceive or recognize him to be the object of their search.”

“They came down to him - The Syrians, who had been encamped on rising ground opposite the hill of Dothan, now descended and drew near to the city. The blindness with which they were smitten was not real - blindness actual loss of sight - but a state of illusion in which a man sees things otherwise than as they are (compare 2 Kings 6:20). return to 'Top of Page'”

“Smite this people: Confound their sight, so that they may not know what they see; and so mistake one place for another. The word sanverim, rendered blindness, occurs only here and in Gen 19:11 (see note). Deu 28:28; Job 5:14; Zac 12:4; Joh 9:39, Joh 12:40; Act 13:11; Rom 11:7 4 Kings (2 Kings) 6:19”

“When the enemy came down to Elisha, he prayed to the Lord that He would smite them with blindness; and when this took place according to his word, he said to them, This is not the way and this is not the city; follow me, and I will lead you to the man whom ye are seeking; and led them to Samaria, which was about four hours' distance from Dothan, where their eyes were opened at Elisha's prayer, so that they saw where they had been led. אליו ויּרדוּ cannot be understood as referring to Elisha and his servant, who went down to the Syrian army, as J. H. Mich., Budd., F. v. Meyer, and Thenius, who wants to alter אליו into אליהם, suppose, but must refer to the Syrians, who went down to the…”