TRV
Translation
King James Version
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?
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?
World English Bible Messianic
While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”
Geneva Bible (1599)
While he yet talked with them, beholde, the messenger came downe vnto him, and saide, Behold, this euill commeth of the Lord: should I attende on the Lord any longer?
Young's Literal Translation
He is yet speaking with them, and lo, the messenger is coming down unto him, and he saith, `Lo, this is the evil from Jehovah: what--do I wait for Jehovah any more?'
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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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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
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. This gruesome episode is recounted in 2 Kings 6:26-29. Upon hearing this, Jehoram tears his clothes, revealing sackcloth underneath, 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, as detailed in 2 Kings 6:31. 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, 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. The relationship between Israel and Aram was often hostile, marked by frequent conflicts and invasions. 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. The tearing of clothes and wearing of sackcloth were widely recognized cultural expressions of deep distress, mourning, or repentance.
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, 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
Verse Breakdown
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, understands the king's despair to be tragically misplaced, highlighting the profound contrast between limited human perception and God's sovereign, unfolding 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, making the subsequent miracle all the more impactful. 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, underscoring the depth of his emotional and spiritual crisis.
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, recognizing that His delays are not denials but opportunities for His glory to be revealed.
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, knowing that He is always at work, even when we cannot perceive it.
Questions for Reflection
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 raʻ (H7451), translated as "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, 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. 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, and emphasizing that God often waits until human resources are exhausted to demonstrate His omnipotence.
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, 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 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 where God will wipe away every tear.