2 Kings 3:13

13 Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do I have to do with you? ¹Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." And the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab."

Read Chapter Compare

PREVIOUS 2 Kings 3:12 NEXT 2 Kings 3:14

2 Kings 3:13 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 3:13

And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, what have I to do
with thee?
&c.] An idolater; I can hold no discourse nor have any conversation with thee, nor give thee any advice or assistance:

get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy
mother;
the prophets of Baal, and of the groves:

and the king of Israel said unto him, nay;
meaning, he would not apply to them, who he was sensible could give him no relief, only to the Lord God, from whom this affliction was, and therefore begs he would pray to him to have mercy on them; so the Targum,

``I beseech thee remember not the sins of that wickedness, pray for mercy for us:''

for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them
into the hand of Moab;
signifying, that he should not perish alone, but the other two kings with him, who had no connection with the prophets of his father and mother in their idolatry, and therefore hoped for their sakes mercy would be shown.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

2 Kings 3:13 In-Context

11 But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?" And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah."

12 Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the LORD is with him." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

13 Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." And the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab."

14 Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you.

15 "But now bring me a minstrel." And it came about, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

Cross References 1

1. 1 Kings 18:19; 1 Kings 22:6-11, 22-25

2 Kings 3:13

Share

Settings

2 Kings 3:13 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 3:13 In-Context

Cross References 1