Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Kings 6:22

"And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master." — 2 Kings 6:22 (ASV)

You shall not.—Or, you must not.

Would you smite ... your bow? —The Hebrew order is, “An quos ceperis gladío et arcu percussuruses?” . Elisha says, “These men are virtually prisoners of war, and therefore are not to be slain in cold blood.”

The Septuagint, Targum, Syriac, and Vulgate ignore the interrogative particle. The Targum and Syriac render, “Lo those whom you have taken captive with your sword, etc., you do (or may) kill” . The Vulgate, “neque enim cepisti eos, ut percutias,” and the Arabic, “Did you take them captive with your sword, etc., that you should slay them?” come to the same thing.

These renderings are interesting, as they make Elisha deny the king’s right of disposal of these prisoners of Jehovah. The purpose of the miracle would have been frustrated by killing the Syrians. That purpose was to force their king and them to acknowledge the might of the true God.