The Meaning of 2 Kings 6:13 Explained

2 Kings 6:13

KJV: And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

YLT: And he saith, 'Go ye and see where he is, and I send and take him;' and it is declared to him, saying, 'Lo -- in Dothan.'

Darby: And he said, Go and see where he is, and I will send and fetch him. And it was told him saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

ASV: And he said, Go and see where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said,  Go  and spy  where  he [is], that I may send  and fetch  him. And it was told  him, saying,  Behold, [he is] in Dothan. 

What does 2 Kings 6:13 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 6:1-13 - The Servant Of The Lord Of Battles
To us, the first of these miracles may appear somewhat trivial, but we must remember the value of an iron axe-head at that time, the inconvenience and delay caused to the builders, and the slur accruing to religion if it were irreparably lost. The story shows how keen was the sympathy of the great prophet for a poor man overtaken by an ordinary trouble, and how ready Elisha was to seek the help of God to redress the mischief. See John 2:1-14. It is right to go to God about matters of this kind, as well as greater issues. What wonders faith can do! Hearts may be as heavy as lead at the bottom of the stream, but when a splinter of the Cross of Calvary is inserted, they rise to the surface and swim.
The king believed that Elisha could wield superhuman power and knowledge, yet he thought to secure him with chariots and horses. He acknowledged that Elisha was a servant of the Most High God, yet he expected to take him captive, by sending a mighty host! To such folly men descend when they begin to fight against the Most High! [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 6

1  Elisha, allowing the young prophets to enlarge dwellings, floats an axhead
8  He discloses the king of Syria's counsel
13  The army which was sent to Dothan to apprehend Elisha, is blinded
19  Being brought into Samaria, they are dismissed in peace
24  The famine in Samaria causes women to eat their own children
30  The king sends to slay Elisha

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 6:13 mean?

So he said go and see where he [is] that I may send and get him and it was told him saying surely [he is] in Dothan
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לְכ֤וּ וּרְאוּ֙ אֵיכֹ֣ה ה֔וּא וְאֶשְׁלַ֖ח וְאֶקָּחֵ֑הוּ וַיֻּגַּד־ ל֥וֹ לֵאמֹ֖ר הִנֵּ֥ה בְדֹתָֽן

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  So  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְכ֤וּ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וּרְאוּ֙  and  see 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֵיכֹ֣ה  where 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: אֵיכֹה  
Sense: where!.
ה֔וּא  he  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וְאֶשְׁלַ֖ח  that  I  may  send 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
וְאֶקָּחֵ֑הוּ  and  get  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וַיֻּגַּד־  and  it  was  told 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hofal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לֵאמֹ֖ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּ֥ה  surely 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
בְדֹתָֽן  [he  is]  in  Dothan 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דֹּתָן  
Sense: a place in northern Palestine, 2 miles north of Samaria, the home of Elisha.