Kings II 3:13

13 And David said, With a good will I will make with thee a covenant: only I demand one condition of thee, saying, Thou shalt not see my face, unless thou bring Melchol the daughter of Saul, when thou comest to see my face.

Kings II 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.

Kings II 3:13 In-Context

11 And Jebosthe could not any longer answer Abenner a word, because he feared him.
12 And Abenner sent messengers to David to Thaelam where he was, immediately, saying, Make thy covenant with me, and, behold, my hand with thee to bring back to thee all the house of Israel.
13 And David said, With a good will I will make with thee a covenant: only I demand one condition of thee, saying, Thou shalt not see my face, unless thou bring Melchol the daughter of Saul, when thou comest to see my face.
14 And David sent messengers to Jebosthe the son of Saul, saying, Restore me my wife Melchol, whom I took for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
15 And Jebosthe sent, and took her from her husband, from Phaltiel the son of Selle.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.