2 Kings 6:20
“And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God restores sight to show mercy: these enemies now see themselves surrounded not by vengeance but by the possibility of grace.
Context
Elisha prayed the reverse of his earlier prayer. Now their eyes opened, and they saw where they truly were: in the heart of Samaria, in the king's power, and yet alive.
What Does 2 Kings 6:20 Mean?
The second opening of eyes is as divine as the first. The blindness is lifted, and the soldiers discover the terrible truth: they are in the city they sought to capture, surrounded by the army they came to fight, and alive. They have been brought not to their destruction but to their judgment. Yet judgment here is mercy. They see clearly now, and what they see is not their death but an opportunity. The king of Israel, through Elisha, will choose to feed them rather than slay them. This reversal—from enemies about to be executed to guests about to be fed—happens not through their strength or cunning but through the grace of a prophet.
This is the Incarnation in miniature. We are brought, by grace, to see ourselves truly: lost, confused, enemies of God. But when our eyes open, we do not see execution; we see the cross, where Christ chooses to feed us, to clothe us, to adopt us. The blindness lifts, and we are no longer in the country of illusion but in the very capital of the Kingdom. We are surrounded by the King's power, and yet He sets bread before us. This is the shock and the sweetness of the Gospel.
In the Original Language
pqach (פָּקַח), 'open' -- to open the eyes, to make visible, cognate with the idea of sudden clarity or revelation
Application
When God opens your eyes to your own blindness—your sin, your pride, your error—do not despair. The opening is already an act of mercy. You are being brought into His presence not for annihilation but for transformation. Look around and see: you are in the midst of grace.