2 Kings 6:33

KJV

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?

KJV (with Strong's)

And while he yet talked {H1696} with them, behold, the messenger {H4397} came down {H3381} unto him: and he said {H559}, Behold, this evil {H7451} is of the LORD {H3068}; what should I wait {H3176} for the LORD {H3068} any longer?

Complete Jewish Bible

While he was still speaking, the messenger arrived with this message from the king: "Here, this evil is from ADONAI. Why should I wait for ADONAI any longer?"

Berean Standard Bible

While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

American Standard Version

And while he was yet talking with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of Jehovah; why should I wait for Jehovah any longer?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
2 Kings 6:33 captures King Jehoram's profound despair during the severe Aramean siege of Samaria. Faced with horrific famine and cannibalism within his city, the king, having already expressed superficial repentance, declares that the calamity is from the LORD and questions the point of waiting for divine intervention any longer. This desperate cry immediately precedes God's dramatic and miraculous deliverance, setting the stage for a powerful display of divine sovereignty and perfect timing in contrast to human impatience.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is the climax of King Jehoram's emotional and spiritual breakdown amidst the horrific siege of Samaria by Ben-hadad, king of Aram. The preceding verses detail the escalating famine, culminating in the shocking account of two women agreeing to boil and eat their sons, with one woman appealing to the king when the other reneged on her part of the gruesome pact [2 Kings 6:26-29](/2_kings/6-26 "2 Kings 6:26-29 - The Desperate Famine and Cannibalism"). Upon hearing this, Jehoram tears his clothes, revealing sackcloth, a sign of mourning and perhaps superficial repentance. However, his immediate reaction is to blame Elisha for the calamity and send a messenger to execute him [2 Kings 6:31](/2_kings/6-31 "2 Kings 6:31 - Jehoram Blames Elisha"). Elisha, sitting with the elders, prophetically announces the king's murderous intent just as the messenger arrives, followed by the king himself. It is in this heightened moment of tension, despair, and impending violence that Jehoram utters the words of 2 Kings 6:33, expressing his utter hopelessness and abandonment of faith in divine deliverance. The very next chapter, [2 Kings 7](/2_kings/7 "2 Kings 7 - Elisha's Prophecy of Abundance"), immediately details Elisha's prophecy of abundant provision and God's miraculous intervention, dramatically contrasting the king's despair with God's perfect timing.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The setting is ancient Israel during the period of the divided monarchy, specifically the reign of King Jehoram of Israel (son of Ahab and Jezebel). Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom, is under a protracted and brutal siege by the Arameans (Syrians) led by King Ben-hadad. Sieges in the ancient Near East were devastating, designed to starve a city into submission. Without external relief or internal provisions, inhabitants faced horrific conditions, including extreme famine, disease, and eventually, cannibalism, as tragically depicted in [2 Kings 6:29](/2_kings/6-29 "2 Kings 6:29 - The Horrific Famine"). The relationship between Israel and Aram was often hostile, marked by frequent conflicts. Prophets like Elisha played a crucial role in these times, often serving as God's voice to kings and the people, offering guidance, warning, and promises of deliverance or judgment. The king's despair reflects the common ancient understanding that national calamities were often seen as divine judgment or affliction, leading to a desperate search for answers or a scapegoat.

* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within 2 Kings and the broader prophetic narrative. Firstly, it highlights the theme of **Despair and Impatience** in the face of prolonged suffering. King Jehoram's cry, "what should I wait for the LORD any longer?", epitomizes a complete loss of hope and an unwillingness to endure God's timing, demonstrating the fragility of human faith under extreme duress. Secondly, it underscores the **Sovereignty of God Amidst Crisis**. Jehoram correctly attributes the "evil" (calamity) to the LORD, acknowledging God's ultimate control over circumstances, even distressing ones. This understanding, while accurate in its assessment of divine sovereignty, lacks the understanding of God's redemptive purposes or ultimate deliverance, which is often revealed only after a period of testing or waiting. Finally, the verse sets a dramatic stage for the theme of **Divine Intervention and Deliverance**. The king's utter hopelessness serves as a stark contrast to God's imminent and miraculous provision, which unfolds in the very next verses through [Elisha's prophecy of immediate abundance](/2_kings/7-1 "2 Kings 7:1 - Elisha's Prophecy of Abundance"), emphasizing that God's timing is perfect, often intervening at the point of greatest human despair to magnify His power and faithfulness.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **evil (Hebrew, _ra'_):** In this context, _ra'_ does not refer to moral wickedness or sin, but rather to calamity, disaster, misfortune, or distress. King Jehoram's declaration, "this evil [is] of the LORD," acknowledges God's ultimate sovereignty over all circumstances, including the severe famine and siege. It reflects a common ancient Near Eastern understanding that both blessings and curses, prosperity and calamity, ultimately originated from or were permitted by the divine. The king perceives the suffering as a direct affliction orchestrated by God, leading him to question the purpose of continued endurance or prayer.
* **wait (Hebrew, _yāḥal'_):** This verb implies more than passive waiting; it carries the connotation of hoping, enduring, looking expectantly, and trusting. When Jehoram asks, "what should I wait for the LORD any longer?", he is expressing a complete cessation of hope and trust in God's future intervention. His patience has run out, and he sees no further reason to anticipate or rely on divine help, believing that God has abandoned them or is unwilling to act. It is a cry of utter spiritual and emotional exhaustion.
* **messenger (Hebrew, _malʾāk'_):** While _malʾāk_ can refer to an angelic messenger, here it clearly denotes a human envoy. This specific messenger is the one dispatched by King Jehoram himself to execute Elisha [2 Kings 6:31](/2_kings/6-31 "2 Kings 6:31 - Jehoram Sends to Kill Elisha"). The arrival of the messenger, immediately followed by the king, highlights the dramatic tension and the king's desperate state of mind. The messenger's presence serves as a physical manifestation of the king's murderous intent and his complete loss of control and reason.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him:"** This clause emphasizes the dramatic timing and Elisha's prophetic foresight. Elisha had already told the elders that the king's messenger was coming, and that the king himself would soon follow [2 Kings 6:32](/2_kings/6-32 "2 Kings 6:32 - Elisha's Prophecy of the King's Arrival"). The phrase "came down" likely refers to the messenger descending from the city wall or from the palace, indicating the urgency and the king's proximity. The immediate arrival of the messenger confirms Elisha's prophetic word, underscoring his divine insight and the unfolding of God's plan, even amidst human chaos.
* **"and he said, Behold, this evil [is] of the LORD;"** This is the king's desperate declaration. He acknowledges that the terrible famine and siege are not random occurrences or merely the result of Aramean military might, but are ultimately from the hand of Yahweh. This recognition, while accurate in its theological premise of God's sovereignty, is devoid of hope or understanding of God's redemptive purposes. It is a statement of resignation and accusation, rather than humble submission or repentance. He sees God as the source of his suffering, but not as the potential source of deliverance.
* **"what should I wait for the LORD any longer?"** This rhetorical question reveals the king's utter despair, impatience, and complete loss of faith in God's intervention. He has reached his breaking point, convinced that God has abandoned them or is unwilling to act. This is the antithesis of the biblical call to patient endurance and trust in God's timing. It signifies a spiritual surrender, an abandonment of hope in divine help, and a decision to take matters into his own hands (as evidenced by his intent to kill Elisha). This statement sets the stage for the miraculous deliverance that immediately follows, highlighting the contrast between human despair and divine faithfulness.

#### Literary Devices
The passage in 2 Kings 6:33 is rich in **Dramatic Irony**. King Jehoram's declaration of utter hopelessness, "what should I wait for the LORD any longer?", occurs precisely at the moment when God is about to intervene dramatically and miraculously. The reader, having the benefit of hindsight and knowing the immediate outcome in [2 Kings 7](/2_kings/7 "2 Kings 7 - Elisha's Prophecy of Abundance"), understands the king's despair to be tragically misplaced, highlighting the contrast between limited human perception and God's sovereign plan. This also creates powerful **Foreshadowing**, as the king's statement of ultimate despair serves as the dark backdrop against which God's glorious deliverance will shine even brighter. The narrative employs **Contrast** throughout: the king's impatience versus God's perfect timing, human despair versus divine power, and the king's intent to kill Elisha versus Elisha's role as the vessel of God's life-giving word. The king's rhetorical question can also be seen as a form of **Hyperbole**, expressing an extreme and overwhelming sense of hopelessness that amplifies the dire circumstances and the perceived abandonment by God.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
King Jehoram's desperate cry in 2 Kings 6:33 serves as a profound theological statement on the nature of human despair in the face of divine sovereignty. While the king correctly attributes the "evil" (calamity) to the LORD, his response reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of God's character and purposes. God, in His sovereignty, does permit or orchestrate difficult circumstances, not out of malice, but often for redemptive purposes: to humble, to discipline, to test faith, or to reveal His power in miraculous deliverance. The king's impatience and loss of hope highlight the perennial human struggle with waiting on God's timing, especially when circumstances are dire and prolonged. This narrative underscores that God's intervention often comes at the eleventh hour, when human resources and hope are completely exhausted, precisely to demonstrate that salvation is of the LORD alone. It challenges believers to cultivate a deeper trust in God's faithfulness, even when His ways are inscrutable and His timing seems delayed.

* [Psalm 27:14](/psalms/27-14 "Psalm 27:14 - Wait on the LORD")
* [Isaiah 40:31](/isaiah/40-31 "Isaiah 40:31 - Those Who Wait on the LORD")
* [Lamentations 3:25-26](/lamentations/3-25 "Lamentations 3:25-26 - Good to Wait Quietly for the Salvation of the LORD")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
King Jehoram's despairing cry resonates deeply with the human experience of prolonged suffering and the temptation to abandon hope in God's intervention. In our own lives, when trials persist, when prayers seem unanswered, or when circumstances appear utterly bleak, it is natural to feel overwhelmed and to question God's presence or timing. This narrative serves as a powerful reminder that our perception of God's inaction is often just the prelude to His most dramatic display of power. Jehoram's failure was not in recognizing God's sovereignty over the calamity, but in failing to trust God's character and His perfect timing for deliverance. For believers today, this passage encourages us to cultivate resilient faith, to persevere in prayer and hope even when all human reason suggests otherwise. It challenges us to look beyond immediate circumstances and to remember God's faithfulness throughout history, trusting that He is working His purposes, even through our deepest valleys. Our "waiting" on the Lord is not passive idleness, but an active posture of faith, prayer, and obedience, anticipating His sovereign and perfectly timed intervention.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How do I typically react when God's timing doesn't align with my expectations or when my circumstances seem to worsen despite my prayers?**
* **In what specific areas of my life might I be tempted to give up "waiting for the LORD any longer," and what steps can I take to cultivate enduring hope?**
* **How does understanding God's ultimate sovereignty over difficult circumstances, even those that bring "evil" (calamity), strengthen or challenge my faith?**

### FAQ

**Why did King Jehoram blame the LORD for the "evil"?**

Answer: King Jehoram's statement, "this evil [is] of the LORD," reflects a common theological understanding in ancient Israel that God is ultimately sovereign over all events, both good and bad. The Hebrew word _ra'_ (evil) in this context refers to calamity, disaster, or misfortune, not moral wickedness. In the biblical worldview, events like famine, plague, or military defeat were often seen as divine judgment or discipline, or simply as circumstances permitted by God to achieve His purposes. Jehoram, in his desperation, correctly identifies the ultimate source of the dire situation as God, acknowledging His control. However, his understanding is incomplete; he sees God as the author of his suffering but fails to grasp God's redemptive purposes or His imminent plan for deliverance, leading him to despair rather than renewed faith. This perspective is echoed in other biblical texts, such as [Amos 3:6](/amos/3-6 "Amos 3:6 - Does Disaster Come to a City Unless the LORD Has Done It?"), which asks, "Does disaster come to a city unless the LORD has done it?"

**What does "what should I wait for the LORD any longer?" reveal about the king's faith?**

Answer: This rhetorical question reveals a complete and utter collapse of King Jehoram's faith and hope. It signifies a breaking point where he perceives God as either unwilling or unable to intervene, or perhaps even actively against him. Despite his earlier act of tearing his clothes and wearing sackcloth, which could indicate a superficial repentance or distress, this statement demonstrates that his heart had not truly turned to the LORD in trusting reliance. It is a cry of spiritual exhaustion, profound despair, and a declaration that he sees no further reason to endure or anticipate divine help. His impatience and hopelessness stand in stark contrast to the biblical call for patient endurance and trust in God's timing, as seen in passages like [Psalm 37:7](/psalms/37-7 "Psalm 37:7 - Rest in the LORD and Wait Patiently for Him"). This moment of despair serves as a dramatic setup for God's immediate and miraculous intervention, highlighting the chasm between human hopelessness and divine power.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
King Jehoram's despairing cry, "what should I wait for the LORD any longer?", perfectly encapsulates humanity's ultimate predicament apart from Christ. Faced with the "evil" of sin, death, and a fallen world, humanity, like Jehoram, often reaches a point of utter hopelessness, questioning the purpose of continued waiting or striving. This narrative from 2 Kings foreshadows the ultimate divine intervention found in Jesus Christ. While Jehoram saw only calamity from the LORD, Jesus reveals the Father's heart of redemptive love, enduring the ultimate "evil" on the cross to bring about humanity's greatest deliverance. He is the true [Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), addressing the root cause of all suffering and despair. The waiting of the Old Testament saints for a Messiah, and the waiting of the church today for Christ's return, is not a futile exercise like Jehoram's impatient questioning, but a hopeful anticipation grounded in the finished work of Christ. His resurrection is God's decisive and perfectly timed intervention, demonstrating that even in the darkest moment, God's plan for salvation is unfolding. Through Christ, we are called to wait on the Lord with an assured hope, knowing that [He who promised is faithful](/hebrews/10-23 "Hebrews 10:23 - God's Faithfulness") and that our ultimate deliverance from all "evil" has been secured through His sacrifice and resurrection, offering a hope that transcends any earthly despair, even unto the coming of His glorious kingdom [Revelation 21:4](/revelation/21-4 "Revelation 21:4 - God Will Wipe Away Every Tear").

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Job 2:9

Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

Isaiah 8:21

And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.

Psalms 27:14

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Lamentations 3:25

The LORD [is] good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh him.

Lamentations 3:26

[It is] good that [a man] should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

Job 1:11

But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

Isaiah 26:3

Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.