2 Kings 6:23

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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The king of Israel, following Elisha’s directive, hosts captured Aramean raiders and releases them after a meal, immediately before Ben-hadad later mobilizes his full army against Samaria.

The words — The Hebrew כֵּרָה (kērāh, “feast”) modified by גְדוֹלָה (gĕdōlāh, “great”) stresses the scale of the provision, while וַ/יְשַׁלְּחֵ֔ם (wayyĕšallĕḥêm, “and he sent them away”) records the deliberate discharge of the captives.

The thread — This temporary cessation of raids follows the king’s earlier war posture noted in 2 Kings 6:8 and precedes the renewed siege in 2 Kings 6:24, while the broader pattern of Aramean and allied raiders striking Israel appears in 2 Kings 5:2 and 2 Kings 24:2.

Why it lands — The text records a calculated act of mercy that halts enemy incursions, requiring a reader to observe how political strategy and prophetic instruction intersect without securing permanent security.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּכְרֶ֨הva/i.yikh.Rehand/ he gave a feastלָהֶ֜םla./Hemfor/ themכֵּרָ֣הke.Raha feast גְדוֹלָ֗הge.do.Lahgreat וַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙va/i.yo.khe.Luand/ they ate וַיִּשְׁתּ֔וּva/i.yish.Tuand/ they drank וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֔םva/y.sha.le.Che/mand/ he let go/ them וַיֵּלְכ֖וּva/i.ye.le.Khuand/ they went אֶל־'el-to אֲדֹֽנֵיהֶ֑ם'a.do.nei./Hemmaster<s>/ their וְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ not יָ֤סְפוּYa.se.futhey repeated עוֹד֙'Odagain גְּדוּדֵ֣יge.du.Dei[the] marauding bands of אֲרָ֔ם'a.RamAram לָב֖וֹאla./Vo'to/ come בְּאֶ֥רֶץbe./'E.retzin/ [the] land of יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פYis.ra.'ElIsrael

King James Version

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.

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.
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.
2 Kings 6:8 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.”
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.
Luke 10:29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
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.
Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
Matthew 5:47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?
1 Samuel 24:17 and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.