TRV
Translation
King James Version
Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then he said, "May God do terrible things to me, and worse ones too, if the head of Elisha the son of Shafat remains on his body by day's end."
Berean Standard Bible
He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”
American Standard Version
Then he said, God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
World English Bible Messianic
Then he said, “God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stay on him this day.”
Geneva Bible (1599)
And he saide, God doe so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the sonne of Shaphat shall stande on him this day.
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, `Thus doth God do to me, and thus He doth add--if it remain--the head of Elisha son of Shaphat--upon him this day.'
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In the KJVVerse 9,706 of 31,102
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Commentary on 2 Kings 6 verses 24–33
24 ¶ And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
26 And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
27 And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
28 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.
29 So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31 Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
32 But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?
33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?
This last paragraph of this chapter should, of right, have been the first of the next chapter, for it begins a new story, which is there continued and concluded. Here is,
I. The siege which the king of Syria laid to Samaria and the great distress which the city was reduced to thereby. The Syrians had soon forgotten the kindnesses they had lately received in Samaria, and very ungratefully, for aught that appears without any provocation, sought the destruction of it, Kg2 6:24. There are base spirits that can never feel obliged. The country, we may suppose, was plundered and laid waste when this capital city was brought to the last extremity, Kg2 6:25. The dearth which had of late been in the land was probably the occasion of the emptiness of their stores, or the siege was so sudden that they had not time to lay in provisions; so that, while the sword devoured without, the famine within was more grievous (Lam 4:9): for, it should seem, the Syrians designed not to storm the city, but to starve it. So great was the scarcity that an ass's head, that has but little flesh on it and that unsavoury, unwholesome, and ceremonially unclean, was sold for five pounds, and a small quantity of fitches, or lentiles, or some such coarse corn, then called dove's dung, no more of it than the quantity of six eggs, for five pieces of silver, about twelve or fifteen shillings. Learn to value plenty, and to be thankful for it; see how contemptible money is, when, in time of famine, it is so freely parted with for anything that is eatable.
II. The sad complaint which a poor woman had to make to the king, in the extremity of the famine. He was passing by upon the wall to give orders for the mounting of the guard, the posting of the archers, the repair of the breaches, and the like, when a woman of the city cried to him, Help, my lord, O king! Kg2 6:26. Whither should the subject, in distress, go for help but to the prince, who is, by office, the protector of right and the avenger of wrong? He returns but a melancholy answer (Kg2 6:27): If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I? Some think it was a quarrelling word, and the language of his fretfulness: "Why dost thou expect anything from me, when God himself deals thus hardly with us?" Because he could not help her as he would, out of the floor or the wine-press, he would not help her at all. We must take heed of being made cross by afflictive providences. It rather seems to be a quieting word: "Let us be content, and make the best of our affliction, looking up to God, for, till he help us, I cannot help thee." 1. He laments the emptiness of the floor and the wine-press. These were not as they had been; even the king's failed. We read (Kg2 6:23) of great provisions which he had a command, sufficient for the entertainment of an army, yet now he has not wherewithal to relieve one poor woman. Scarcity sometimes follows upon great plenty; we cannot be sure that tomorrow shall be as this day, Isa 56:12; Psa 30:6. 2. He acknowledges himself thereby disabled to help, unless God would help them. Note, Creatures are helpless things without God, for every creature is that, all that, and only that, which he makes it to be. However, though he cannot help her, he is willing to hear her (Kg2 6:28): "What ails thee? Is there anything singular in thy case, or dost thou fare worse than thy neighbours?" Truly yes; she and one of her neighbours had made a barbarous agreement, that, all provisions failing, they should boil and eat her son first and then her neighbour's; hers was eaten (who can think of it without horror?) and now her neighbour hid hers, Kg2 6:28, Kg2 6:29. See an instance of the dominion which the flesh has got above the spirit, when the most natural affections of the mind may be thus overpowered by the natural appetites of the body. See the word of God fulfilled; among the threatenings of God's judgments upon Israel for their sins this was one (Deu 28:53-57), that they should eat the flesh of their own children, which one would think incredible, yet it came to pass.
III. The king's indignation against Elisha upon this occasion. He lamented the calamity, rent his clothes, and had sackcloth upon his flesh (Kg2 6:30), as one heartily concerned for the misery of his people, and that it was not in his power to help them; but he did not lament his own iniquity, nor the iniquity of his people, which was the procuring cause of the calamity; he was not sensible that his ways and his doings had procured this to himself; this is his wickedness, for it is bitter. The foolishness of man perverteth his way, and then his heart fretteth against the Lord. Instead of vowing to pull down the calves at Dan and Beth-el, or letting the law have its course against the prophets of Baal and of the groves, he swears the death of Elisha, Kg2 6:31. Why, what is the matter? What had Elisha done? his head is the most innocent and valuable in all Israel, and yet that must be devoted, and made an anathema. Thus in the days of the persecuting emperors, when the empire groaned under any extraordinary calamity, the fault was laid on the Christians, and they were doomed to destruction. Christianos ad leones - Away with the Christians to the lions. Perhaps Jehoram was in this heat against Elisha because he had foretold this judgment, or had persuaded him to hold out, and not surrender, or rather because he did not, by his prayers, raise the siege, and relieve the city, which he though he could do but would not; whereas till they repented and reformed, and were ready for deliverance, they had no reason to expect that the prophet should pray for it.
IV. The foresight Elisha had of the king's design against him, Kg2 6:32. He sat in his house well composed, and the elders with him, well employed no doubt, while the king was like a wild bull in a net, or like the troubled sea when it cannot rest; he told the elders there was an officer coming from the king to cut off his head, and bade them stop him at the door, and not let him in, for the king his master was just following him, to revoke the order, as we may suppose. The same spirit of prophecy that enabled Elisha to tell him what was done at a distance authorized him to call the king the son of a murderer, which, unless we could produce such an extraordinary commission, it is not for us to initiate; far be it from us to despise dominion and to speak evil of dignities. He appealed to the elders whether he had deserved so ill at the king's hands: "See whether in this he be not the son of a murderer?" For what evil had Elisha done? He had not desired the woeful day, Jer 17:16.
V. The king's passionate speech, when he came to prevent the execution of his edict for the beheading of Elisha. He seems to have been in a struggle between his convictions and his corruptions, knew not what to say, but, seeing things brought to the last extremity, he even abandoned himself to despair (Kg2 6:33): This evil is of the Lord. Therein his notions were right and well applied; it is a general truth that all penal evil is of the Lord, as the first cause, and sovereign judge (Amo 3:6), and this we ought to apply to particular cases: if all evil, then this evil, whatever it is we are now groaning under, whoever are the instruments, God is the principal agent of it. But his inference from this truth was foolish and wicked: What should I wait for the Lord any longer? When Eli, and David, and Job, said, It is of the Lord, they grew patient upon it, but this bad man grew outrageous upon it: "I will neither fear worse nor expect better, for worse cannot come and better never will come: we are all undone, and there is no remedy." It is an unreasonable thing to be weary of waiting for God, for he is a God of judgment, and blessed are all those that wait for him.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 24–33. Public domain.
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Ephrem the SyrianAD 373
ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 6:24
“Some time later King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army; he marched against Samaria and laid siege to it.” This is that Ben-hadad who had been condemned to death by God; and Ahab had received the order to execute him. But he spared his life and sent him back in peace. Therefore the Arameans besieged the city and prolonged the siege for many days, because their army occupied the whole surrounding area, so that bread began to be more and more scarce, and famine ruled. And when [the citizens] did not find the usual sustenance and food, they fell on the corpses of the dead. For the Scripture relates that there were certain mothers who decided to kill their children to assuage their hunger. And after one of them had put her son to death, when her companion in crime hid her own son (in order to save him) and broke the contract, an argument rose between them, and they both went before the judge. And they began to expound their reasons before the king, that is, Jehoram, the son of Ahab. The king, seeing that that was a harsh trial for him, was taken over by a violent rage against Elisha. For he thought [the prophet] was the cause of his disaster. Therefore he said, “Yesterday he gave abundant goods to Aramean robbers, and today has given sufficient bread to his disciples, and they are not lacking food, but he has no care for the people of his city and abandons them in their need.” And he swore that on that day itself he would take revenge on Elisha for the blood of his people. But Jehoram had no right to accuse the prophet, but rather Ahab, his father, who had scorned the prophets. In fact, if he had been persuaded by their words and had killed Ben-hadad, that [king] would have never besieged Samaria and would have never thrown him into such calamities.From the symbolic point of view the atrocious famine which tortured the Samaritans for so many days and forced them to eat in such an abominable manner shows the lack of heavenly nourishment, which affected in those days all the nations of the earth. So the city of Samaria signifies the whole of humankind, and its famine represents the famine of all. But Elisha made it disappear through his prayer, as well as through the grace of Christ. The sick were fortified by his strength, and “those who were full hired themselves out for bread.” This means that the apostles, announcers [of the gospel], have transmitted to the Gentiles the knowledge of salvation, and it has flowed, as Isaiah predicted, like “the waters covering the sea.” In the same manner it had been decreed before God that the hungry should eat the crop of the foolish and that the thirsty should absorb his goods, as the friend of the righteous Job said. Indeed, as the Samaritans plundered the food that they had collected for the Arameans and the needs of their army and brought it into their army, so the church of the Gentiles took the holy books which were preserved in the Hebrew synagogues, and gave them for the benefit of their descendants.
Ephrem the SyrianAD 373
ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 6:25
“Famine in Samaria became so great that a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver.” The donkey’s head, which the Scripture reports here to be so expensive, signifies the teaching coming from the ravings of the philosophers and the scientists of the world. And it was an abominable and rotting food but was very precious when the famine reigned over the earth, and there was no one to break and give the bread to those children who asked for it, that is, until the advent of Christ.“And one-fourth of a kab of dove’s dung [was sold] for five shekels of silver.” Even though the symbol is contrary—in fact, it does not fit in with the Word—but because the righteous are likened to a dove, we say that the kab of dove’s dung represents the teaching of the law of Moses, if we compare it with the gospel of Christ. So it can be said that it was mud, a mud precious to the Jews at that time, with which they covered their eyes, which were to be opened soon by the spiritual bath and the gospel of Christ.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
In the throes of an excruciating Aramean siege that has driven Samaria to the brink of cannibalism, King Jehoram of Israel, overwhelmed by despair and rage, unleashes a furious, self-imprecatory oath. He vows to execute the prophet Elisha before the day's end, irrationally holding him accountable for the nation's catastrophic suffering. This pivotal verse dramatically captures the apex of human desperation and the perilous misdirection of blame, setting the stage for a profound confrontation between human authority and God's sovereign power, which is manifested through His faithful prophet.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse marks the climactic outburst of King Jehoram's emotional breakdown, immediately following the horrifying revelation of a mother resorting to cannibalism within the besieged city walls. The preceding verses, 2 Kings 6:24-29, vividly detail the severe siege imposed by Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, which led to an unbearable famine. Upon hearing a woman's plea for justice, the king tears his clothes, revealing the sackcloth he wore beneath—a traditional sign of mourning, lament, and perhaps even repentance or humility, as seen in 2 Kings 6:30. However, this initial display of grief swiftly devolves into a desperate and furious vow against Elisha, whom he irrationally blames for the ongoing calamity. The narrative then immediately shifts in 2 Kings 7, detailing Elisha's astonishing prophecy of imminent relief and God's miraculous intervention, thereby directly refuting the king's despair and powerfully vindicating the prophet's divine authority.
Historical & Cultural Context: The northern kingdom of Israel, with its capital Samaria, frequently found itself in conflict with the neighboring Aramean kingdom (modern-day Syria). Sieges were a common and brutal tactic in ancient warfare, designed to cut off supplies and starve a city into submission. Such prolonged sieges inevitably led to extreme famine, often resulting in unthinkable acts like cannibalism, which the Mosaic Law had explicitly warned would be a dire curse for covenant disobedience, as detailed in Deuteronomy 28:53-57. King Jehoram, son of the notorious King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, inherited a kingdom deeply entrenched in idolatry, particularly the worship of Baal. While he did remove the pillar of Baal, he did not fully eradicate the golden calves established by Jeroboam I, as noted in 2 Kings 3:2-3. The king's oath, "God do so and more also to me," was a standard, solemn self-imprecatory formula in the ancient Near East, used to bind the speaker to their word under the threat of divine curse if they failed to fulfill their vow.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully illustrates several crucial themes within the biblical narrative. First, it highlights the profound human tendency to misdirect blame and lash out in moments of extreme crisis, rather than seeking divine wisdom, acknowledging national sin, or turning to God in repentance. Jehoram's irrational anger is aimed squarely at God's faithful messenger, Elisha, instead of at the nation's persistent idolatry and covenant disobedience, which were the true underlying causes of their suffering. Second, the verse underscores the inherent tension between human authority (the king) and divine authority (the prophet). The king attempts to assert his earthly power over Elisha, unaware that Elisha operates under a higher, inviolable divine mandate. Third, the king's profound lack of faith is glaringly evident; despite having witnessed Elisha's numerous previous miracles, such as those recounted in 2 Kings 4 and 2 Kings 5, he resorts to despair and violence rather than trusting in God for deliverance. Finally, this dramatic confrontation sets the stage for the powerful divine vindication of God's prophet and a clear demonstration of His absolute sovereignty over human circumstances, even in the direst of situations, as gloriously revealed in 2 Kings 7:1-2.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices to convey its dramatic intensity and thematic significance. The use of an Oath Formula ("God do so and more also to me") immediately signals the extreme gravity and binding nature of the king's declaration, significantly heightening the dramatic tension. There is profound Irony in the king's vow: he, the earthly ruler, threatens God's prophet, who is, in fact, the true source of hope and deliverance for the besieged city. This act effectively positions the king as declaring war on the very means of his nation's salvation. This also functions as powerful Foreshadowing, setting up the direct confrontation between Jehoram and Elisha, which is dramatically resolved in the subsequent chapter with Elisha's miraculous prophecy of abundance and the swift vindication of his prophetic word. The king's outburst also borders on Hyperbole, reflecting the extreme emotional distress and irrationality of the moment, as he attributes the nation's suffering directly and solely to the prophet.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
King Jehoram's desperate vow in 2 Kings 6:31 serves as a stark and sobering reminder of the human tendency to blame, lash out, and seek scapegoats when confronted with overwhelming suffering, rather than seeking God or examining one's own culpability. The king's misplaced anger highlights a profound theological blindness: he fails to recognize that the famine is a direct consequence of Israel's persistent idolatry and disobedience to the covenant, not a personal failing or curse from Elisha. This incident vividly underscores the ongoing conflict between human authority and divine sovereignty, where earthly rulers often resist, persecute, or attempt to silence God's messengers who speak uncomfortable truths. Ultimately, the narrative powerfully vindicates Elisha and demonstrates God's absolute power to deliver His people and protect His prophets, even when human leaders are faithless, hostile, and steeped in despair.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In moments of profound crisis and overwhelming suffering, it is a deeply ingrained human tendency to seek immediate explanations, and often, to assign blame. King Jehoram's irrational outburst in 2 Kings 6:31 stands as a powerful and enduring cautionary tale. His despair led not to a posture of repentance or renewed faith, but to an impulsive and misdirected anger aimed squarely at the very person through whom God was actively working. This narrative teaches us the vital importance of discerning the true source of our troubles and responding with wisdom, humility, and faith, rather than with impulsive blame or violent reactions. When confronted with seemingly insurmountable circumstances, our first and most crucial impulse should be to turn to God in prayer and humble submission, trusting in His ultimate sovereignty and seeking His guidance, even when His ways are mysterious, His timing is unexpected, or His messengers deliver uncomfortable truths. We are called to cultivate a spirit of patience, perseverance, and unwavering trust, remembering that God frequently works through seemingly impossible situations to display His glory and demonstrate His unfailing faithfulness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did King Jehoram blame Elisha for the famine?
Answer: King Jehoram's decision to blame Elisha for the famine stemmed from a complex mix of desperation, misdirected anger, and a common ancient Near Eastern perception of prophets. First, as God's recognized prophet, Elisha was seen as God's direct representative on earth. Therefore, if suffering was occurring, the king might have irrationally assumed the prophet either caused it through a curse or possessed the power to prevent or end it through prayer and divine intervention. Second, the king was in a state of extreme emotional distress and near-madness due to the horrific famine and the unthinkable acts of cannibalism, leading him to seek an immediate scapegoat. It is often easier to blame a visible human agent than to confront the nation's spiritual failings, the consequences of covenant disobedience, or God's judgment. Third, there was a long-standing tension and often outright hostility between the kings of Israel and the prophets, especially those who, like Elisha, challenged royal authority, exposed sin, or called for repentance. The king may have viewed Elisha as a constant irritant or an obstacle to his own power, rather than a divine aid, leading to this desperate lashing out in 2 Kings 6:31.
What was the significance of the king's oath, "God do so and more also to me"?
Answer: This phrase is a solemn self-imprecatory oath, a deeply significant and binding legal and religious formula prevalent in the ancient Near East. By uttering it, the speaker invokes a divine curse upon themselves if they fail to fulfill their stated vow. It signifies an absolute and unwavering commitment to the intended action, placing the speaker's own life and well-being under divine judgment. In 2 Kings 6:31, King Jehoram uses this oath to express his fierce, immediate, and unyielding determination to execute Elisha. It highlights the profound depth of his anger, his conviction that Elisha must die for the suffering to end, and his willingness to place his own life under divine judgment if he does not carry out the execution. This powerful oath underscores the dramatic tension of the moment and the king's profound misjudgment of the entire situation.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The dramatic confrontation in 2 Kings 6:31, where an earthly king vows to execute God's prophet out of misplaced blame and utter despair, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Just as Elisha, the faithful messenger of God, was wrongly accused and threatened by the very people he sought to serve and deliver, so too was Jesus, the Son of God and the ultimate Prophet, rejected by the religious and political authorities of His day. The Jewish leaders, facing the "famine" of Roman oppression and spiritual blindness, sought to "kill the messenger" rather than embrace the divine truth and salvation He offered, famously crying out, "Crucify Him!" Elisha's suffering and subsequent divine vindication, as God miraculously delivers Samaria in 2 Kings 7, points directly to Christ's own suffering, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection, which ultimately vindicated Him as the true King and Deliverer. Unlike Jehoram's failed attempt to silence Elisha, the powers of this world did succeed in crucifying Jesus; however, this act, far from being a defeat, was God's predetermined and perfect plan for the salvation of humanity, as declared in Acts 2:23. Through Christ, the true "head" who was cut off and then gloriously raised, God provided not just physical sustenance, but eternal life and deliverance from the ultimate "famine" of sin and spiritual death, for He is the "Bread of Life" who satisfies all hunger.