King of Aram in 2 Kings 6-7
The king of Aram, often identified as Ben-Hadad II or III, plays a significant role in 2 Kings 6–7, leading military campaigns against Israel. The narrative in 2 Kings 6 opens with the king of Aram actively at war with Israel, consulting with his servants about strategic locations for his camp [1]. This ongoing conflict between Israel and the Arameans was a recurring theme, with Aramean raiders frequently making incursions into the northern kingdom [6].
In 2 Kings 6, the Aramean king's plans are repeatedly thwarted because the prophet Elisha reveals them to the king of Israel. This leads the Aramean king to believe there is a spy among his servants. When informed that Elisha is the source of the intelligence, the king dispatches a large army to Dothan to capture the prophet [4]. However, Elisha causes the Aramean soldiers to be struck with blindness and leads them into Samaria, the capital of Israel. Despite having the Aramean army at his mercy, Elisha instructs the king of Israel to feed them and send them home, rather than kill them. This act of mercy leads to a temporary cessation of Aramean raids into Israelite territory [4].
Following this, the king of Aram, identified as Ben-Hadad, besieges Samaria, leading to a severe famine within the city (2 Kings 6:24-25). The siege continues into 2 Kings 7, where the Aramean army's sudden and inexplicable flight is described. The text states that "the Lord had caused the army of Aram to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army" (2 Kings 7:6, NIV). Rashi, a medieval Jewish commentator, interprets this to mean that it seemed to them as though they were hearing these sounds, implying a divinely induced panic [2]. The Arameans, believing that the king of Israel had hired the kings of the Hittites and Egypt to attack them, abandoned their camp, leaving behind their tents, horses, donkeys, and provisions (2 Kings 7:6-7).
The king of Israel, Jehoram, initially suspects this sudden retreat is a stratagem by the Syrians to lure them out of the city [5]. However, scouts confirm the Aramean army's hasty flight, finding the road strewn with discarded garments and equipment (2 Kings 7:12-15). This event brings an end to the famine in Samaria and marks a significant defeat for the Aramean forces. The identity of the "king of Aram" is consistently maintained throughout these chapters, with Rashi explicitly identifying the "master" mentioned in 2 Kings 5:4 as the king of Aram [3]. The broader context of 2 Kings frequently depicts the Arameans as a persistent military threat to Israel [6].
Sources
- II Kings “II Kings 6:8 (BSB) — 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.””
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) on 2 Kings 7:6: Had caused the camp of Arom to hear. It seemed to them as though they were hearing.”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) on 2 Kings 5:4: And told his master. The king of Arom.”
- 2 Kings (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 6 (introduction): The sons of the prophets wish to enlarge their dwelling-place, and go to the banks of Jordan to cut down wood, when one of them drops his axe into the water, which Elisha causes to swim, Kg2 6:1-7. Elisha, understanding all the secret designs of the king of Syria against Israel, informs the king of Israel of them, Kg2 6:8-10. The king of Syria, finding that Elisha had thus penetrated his secrets and frustrated his attempts, sends a great host to Dothan, to take the prophet; the Lord strikes them with blindness; and Elisha leads the whole host to Samaria”
- 2 Kings (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Kings 7:12: the king . . . said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done--Similar stratagems have been so often resorted to in the ancient and modern wars of the East that there is no wonder Jehoram's suspicions were awakened. But the scouts, whom he despatched, soon found unmistakable signs of the panic that had struck the enemy and led to a most precipitate flight.”
- 2 Kings (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Kings 5:2: 5:2-3 During Joram’s reign, strained relations between Israel and the Arameans led to incursions by Aramean raiders into the northern kingdom (see 6:8, 24).”