2 Kings 6:8

“Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, etc.] Proclaimed war against him; on what account, or how long it was after Naaman his general came with a letter of recommendation from him to the king of Israel, and had his cure, is not said: and took counsel with his servants; his privy counsellors, or the general officers of his army: saying, in such and such a place shall be my camp; in some covered hidden place, as the Targum; where he would lie encamped waiting in ambush, to fall upon the king of Israel unawares, as he and his forces should pass that way; the place, no doubt, was named by the king of Syria, though not recorded by the historian; or, as the words may be rendered, the place…”

“DISCLOSES THE KING OF SYRIA'S COUNSEL. (Kg2 6:8-17) the king of Syria warred against Israel--This seems to have been a sort of guerrilla warfare, carried on by predatory inroads on different parts of the country. Elisha apprised King Jehoram of the secret purpose of the enemy; so, by adopting precautionary measures, he was always enabled to anticipate and defeat their attacks. The frequency of his disappointments having led the Syrian king to suspect some of his servants of carrying on a treacherous correspondence with the enemy, he was informed about Elisha, whose apprehension he forthwith determined to effect. This resolution was, of course, grounded on the belief that however great the…”

“The king of Syria - Probably the great Benhadad (see 2 Kings 6:24). return to 'Top of Page'”

“6:8-10 Elisha’s ability to know the Aramean king’s raiding strategies allowed him to warn Joram of danger. Apparently, the healing of Naaman (5:1-19) had improved relations between Elisha and Joram (see 3:13-14).”

“the king: Kg2 6:24; Kg1 20:1, Kg1 20:34, Kg1 22:31 took: Kg1 20:23; Job 5:12, Job 5:13; Pro 20:18, Pro 21:30; Isa 7:5-7, Isa 8:10 camp: or, encamping 4 Kings (2 Kings) 6:9”

“Elisha's Action in the War with the Syrians. - Kg2 6:8-10. In a war which the Syrians carried on against the Israelitish king Joram (not Jehoahaz, as Ewald, Gesch. iii. p. 557, erroneously supposes), by sending flying parties into the land of Israel (cf. Kg2 6:23), Elisha repeatedly informed king Joram of the place where the Syrians had determined to encamp, and thereby frustrated the plans of the enemy. תּחנתי...אל־מקום: "at the place of so and so shall my camp be." אלמני פּלני as in Sa1 21:3 (see at Rut 4:1). תּחנות, the encamping or the place of encampment (cf. Ewald, 161, a.), is quite appropriate, so that there is no need either for the alteration into תּחבאוּ, "ye shall hide…”