The Aramaean king, exasperated that all his military secrets were being communicated to the king of Israel by Elisha (who knew them by divine knowledge), sent a great army by night to capture the prophet at Dothan. When Elisha's servant rose early in the morning, he saw the city surrounded by an army with horses and chariots and was terrified: 'Alas, my master! What shall we do?'
Elisha answered: 'Do not fear; those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' Elisha prayed: 'O LORD, I pray you, open his eyes that he may see.' 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. As the Aramaean army came down to him, Elisha asked the LORD to strike them with blindness. He led them, blind, all the way to Samaria, then asked the LORD to open their eyes — they found themselves in the Israelite capital, in the king's hand. The episode is the canonical image of the invisible heavenly host that surrounds the people of God in every age.