The Meaning of 2 Kings 6:17 Explained

2 Kings 6:17

KJV: And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

YLT: And Elisha prayeth, and saith, 'Jehovah, open, I pray Thee, his eyes, and he doth see;' and Jehovah openeth the eyes of the young man, and he seeth, and lo, the hill is full of horses and chariots of fire, round about Elisha.

Darby: And Elisha prayed and said, Jehovah, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

ASV: And Elisha prayed, and said, Jehovah, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Elisha  prayed,  and said,  LORD,  I pray thee, open  his eyes,  that he may see.  And the LORD  opened  the eyes  of the young man;  and he saw:  and, behold, the mountain  [was] full  of horses  and chariots  of fire  round about  Elisha. 

What does 2 Kings 6:17 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 6:14-23 - Opened Eyes
This is an acted parable of extreme beauty and suggestiveness. First, the stroke of trouble-swift, unlooked for, and apparently insurmountable; then the vivid contrast between the despair of the man of this world and the undaunted faith of him to whom the unseen is as real as the visible, because he possesses the second-sight of faith. Faith visualizes the unseen and eternal. A good man's intercession will still obtain spiritual vision for those who are spiritually blind. For many whom we love we may breathe Elisha's prayer, 2 Kings 6:17. Notice that the last sentence of 2 Kings 6:19 in the r.v. begins with and. The objective of the Syrian army was the king of Israel, and Elisha led them to him.
The lesson of this narrative is the proximity of God's guardian hosts. They are a cordon of protection to His children. The mountain is full of them. Elisha had seen them convoy his master home; he never expected that he would have the honor of their care. We do not need more help than is already within reach, but we do need grace to see the things that are freely given to us of God, John 4:10. [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 6:17 mean?

And prayed Elisha and said Yahweh open I pray - his eyes that he may see And opened Yahweh the eyes of the young man and he saw and behold the mountain [was] full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֤ל אֱלִישָׁע֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר יְהוָ֕ה פְּקַח־ נָ֥א אֶת־ עֵינָ֖יו וְיִרְאֶ֑ה וַיִּפְקַ֤ח יְהוָה֙ עֵינֵ֣י הַנַּ֔עַר וַיַּ֗רְא וְהִנֵּ֨ה הָהָ֜ר מָלֵ֨א סוּסִ֥ים וְרֶ֛כֶב אֵ֖שׁ סְבִיבֹ֥ת אֱלִישָֽׁע

וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֤ל  And  prayed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
אֱלִישָׁע֙  Elisha 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִישָׁע  
Sense: the great prophet who succeeded Elijah.
וַיֹּאמַ֔ר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֕ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
פְּקַח־  open 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: פָּקַח  
Sense: to open (the eyes).
נָ֥א  I  pray 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֵינָ֖יו  his  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וְיִרְאֶ֑ה  that  he  may  see 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וַיִּפְקַ֤ח  And  opened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּקַח  
Sense: to open (the eyes).
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עֵינֵ֣י  the  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
הַנַּ֔עַר  of  the  young  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
וַיַּ֗רְא  and  he  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וְהִנֵּ֨ה  and  behold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
הָהָ֜ר  the  mountain  [was] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
מָלֵ֨א  full 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
סוּסִ֥ים  of  horses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
וְרֶ֛כֶב  and  chariots 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
אֵ֖שׁ  of  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
סְבִיבֹ֥ת  all  around 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
אֱלִישָֽׁע  Elisha 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִישָׁע  
Sense: the great prophet who succeeded Elijah.