2 Kings 6:5

5 And it befelled, that when a man of them had cut down [a] matter, or (a piece of) wood, the iron of the ax felled into the water; and he cried [out], and said, Alas! alas! alas! my lord, and I had taken this same thing by borrowing (for I have borrowed this thing from someone!).

2 Kings 6:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 6:5

But as one was felling a beam
Cutting down a tree, or a branch of it:

the axe head fell into the water:
into the waters of Jordan; or "the iron" ^F4, the iron part of it, with which the wood was cut; that flew off from the helve into the water:

and he cried, and said, alas, master! for it was borrowed:
it grieved him to lose his axe, because he could do no more work, and the more because it was not his own, but he had borrowed it of his neighbour; and still more, because, as it seems, he was poor, and not able to pay for it, which, being of an honest disposition, gave him distress.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F4 (lzrbh) "ferrum", Pagninus, Montanus

2 Kings 6:5 In-Context

3 And one of them said, Therefore and thou come with thy servants. (And) He answered, I shall come.

4 And he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they hewed trees (they cut down some wood).

5 And it befelled, that when a man of them had cut down [a] matter, or (a piece of) wood, the iron of the ax felled into the water; and he cried [out], and said, Alas! alas! alas! my lord, and I had taken this same thing by borrowing (for I have borrowed this thing from someone!).

6 Soothly the man of God said, Where felled it? And he showed to him the place. Therefore he cutted down a tree, and sent it thither where the iron was; and the iron floated (And so he cut off a stick, and sent it down to where the piece of iron was; and the iron floated up).

7 And Elisha said, Take thou (it). Which held forth the hand, and took it (And he put forth his hand, and took it).