Commentators debate whether Elisha lied to the Syrian army. Most conclude he spoke a clever, ambiguous truth. Scholars like Spurgeon and Gill point out that Dothan was not Elisha's permanent home city (Samaria was), and he did, in fact, lead them to "the man whom ye seek"—himself. His words were technically true, designed to disarm and redirect his enemies without resorting to a direct falsehood.