2 Kings 6:31

31 And the king said, God do to me these things, and add these things too, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, shall stand on him today (shall remain on him this day).

2 Kings 6:31 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 6:31

Then he said, God do so and more also to me
He swore and made dreadful imprecations:

if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day;
imputing the sore famine to him, because he had foretold it, and did not pray for the removal of it, as he might; and perhaps had advised and encouraged the king to hold out the siege, which had brought them to this extremity, and therefore was enraged at him.

2 Kings 6:31 In-Context

29 Therefore we seethed my son, and ate him. And I said to her in the tother day, Give thy son, that we eat him; and she hid her son. (And so we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her the next day, Give thy son to us now, so that we can eat him; but she hid her son.)
30 And when the king had heard this, he rent his clothes, and passed by the wall; and all the people saw the hair-shirt, with which the king was clothed at the flesh within; (And when the king had heard this, he tore his clothes, and passed forth by the wall; and all the people saw the hair-shirt, or the sackcloth, with which the king was clothed upon his flesh;)
31 And the king said, God do to me these things, and add these things too, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, shall stand on him today (shall remain on him this day).
32 Soothly Elisha sat in his house, and (the) eld men sat with him; then the king before-sent a man to Elisha, and before that that messenger came, Elisha said to the eld men, Whether ye know, that the son of (a) man-queller [hath] sent hither, that mine head be girded off? Therefore see ye, when the messenger cometh, shut ye the door, and suffer ye not him to enter; for lo! the sound of the feet of his lord is behind him. (And Elisha sat in his house, and the old men, or the elders, sat with him; then the king sent out a man from before himself to Elisha, but before that the messenger came, Elisha said to the old men, or the elders, Do ye not know, that this son of a man-killer hath sent a man here, to gird off my head? And so see ye, when the messenger cometh, that ye shut the door, and do not allow him to enter; for lo! the sound of the feet of his lord is behind him.)
33 And yet while he spake to them, the messenger that came to him appeared; and (then also) the king (who) said, Lo! so great evil is of the Lord; soothly what more shall I abide of the Lord? (And yet while he spoke to them, the messenger who came to him appeared; and then also the king, who said, Lo! this great evil is from the Lord; how more longer shall I have to wait for the Lord?)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.