When Scripture tells us, “Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’” (v.15), it sets the scene for a moment of alarm for Elisha’s servant. This passage locates the prophet Elisha in the city of Dothan, roughly twelve miles north of Samaria, in the northern kingdom of Israel. The man of God mentioned here is Elisha, who ministered during the mid-9th century BC (circa 850-800 BC). Hearing that the king of Aram was after him, Elisha’s servant awakens to discover a formidable enemy force entirely surrounding the city with their war horses and powerful chariots. The servant’s terrified question, “What shall we do?” (v.15), reflects a natural human response to overwhelming circumstances.
At this point in history, Israel frequently clashed with Aram (modern-day Syria), resulting in many hostile encounters 2 Kings 6:8-14). Elisha had been warning the king of Israel about Aram’s battle plans, thwarting the Arameans time and again. In response, the king of Aram sent an army to seize Elisha at Dothan. When the attendant of the man of God investigated and found the city besieged, the threat seemed utterly unmanageable. The question “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (v.15) underscores the servant’s profound anxiety. But unbeknownst to him, the LORD’s protection far surpassed any earthly force, prefiguring the New Testament principle that “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31).
Elisha’s name means “God is salvation,” and his prophetic ministry followed that of Elijah. His faith in God’s power, nurtured by witnessing Elijah’s miracles, shines through in this story. Instead of panicking with his servant, Elisha confidently leans on God’s unseen army. In the verses that follow, Elisha prays for his servant’s eyes to be opened, and the servant sees a mountain full of divine horses and chariots of fire, revealing that God’s presence vastly outweighs any human threat.
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2 Kings 6:15 meaning
When Scripture tells us, “Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’” (v.15), it sets the scene for a moment of alarm for Elisha’s servant. This passage locates the prophet Elisha in the city of Dothan, roughly twelve miles north of Samaria, in the northern kingdom of Israel. The man of God mentioned here is Elisha, who ministered during the mid-9th century BC (circa 850-800 BC). Hearing that the king of Aram was after him, Elisha’s servant awakens to discover a formidable enemy force entirely surrounding the city with their war horses and powerful chariots. The servant’s terrified question, “What shall we do?” (v.15), reflects a natural human response to overwhelming circumstances.
At this point in history, Israel frequently clashed with Aram (modern-day Syria), resulting in many hostile encounters 2 Kings 6:8-14). Elisha had been warning the king of Israel about Aram’s battle plans, thwarting the Arameans time and again. In response, the king of Aram sent an army to seize Elisha at Dothan. When the attendant of the man of God investigated and found the city besieged, the threat seemed utterly unmanageable. The question “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (v.15) underscores the servant’s profound anxiety. But unbeknownst to him, the LORD’s protection far surpassed any earthly force, prefiguring the New Testament principle that “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31).
Elisha’s name means “God is salvation,” and his prophetic ministry followed that of Elijah. His faith in God’s power, nurtured by witnessing Elijah’s miracles, shines through in this story. Instead of panicking with his servant, Elisha confidently leans on God’s unseen army. In the verses that follow, Elisha prays for his servant’s eyes to be opened, and the servant sees a mountain full of divine horses and chariots of fire, revealing that God’s presence vastly outweighs any human threat.