2 Kings 6:9

Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful not to pass by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The man of God sends a warning to the king of Israel immediately after the Aramean king privately announces his ambush location. The message arrives at the moment the Aramean forces are preparing to move against that specific site.

The words — The Hebrew imperative הִשָּׁמֵר (hi.Sha.mer) literally commands "take care" or "be vigilant." The noun phrase אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים ('ish ha.'E.lo.Him) identifies the sender as a divinely authorized messenger rather than a military commander.

The thread — This mechanism of prophetic intelligence for royal strategy recurs in Amos 3:7, 1 Kings 20:13, and 1 Kings 20:28. These passages consistently show God disclosing military or political movements to His prophets for the benefit of Israel's leadership.

Why it lands — The text states that the king of Israel must heed a specific geographic warning to avoid enemy positioning. It requires the reader to accept that survival in conflict depends on immediate obedience to a precise divine instruction.

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

וַיִּשְׁלַ֞חva/i.yish.Lachand/ he sent אִ֣ישׁ'ish[the] man of הָאֱלֹהִ֗יםha./'E.lo.Him<the>/ God אֶל־'el-to מֶ֤לֶךְMe.lekh[the] king of יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsrael לֵאמֹ֔רle./Mor<to>/ saying הִשָּׁ֕מֶרhi.Sha.mertake care מֵעֲבֹ֖רme./'a.Vorfrom/ passing by הַמָּק֣וֹםha./ma.Komthe/ place הַזֶּ֑הha./Zeh<the>/ this כִּֽי־ki-for שָׁ֖םshamthere אֲרָ֥ם'a.RamAram נְחִתִּֽים׃ne.chi.Tim[is] descending

King James Version

And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

Cross-references

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.
1 Kings 20:13 Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’”
1 Kings 20:28 Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans have said that the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
2 Kings 3:17 For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’
2 Kings 4:27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”
2 Kings 6:12 But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
Revelation 1:1 This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,