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2 Kings 6
2 Kings 6:1
The sons of the prophets
This does not mean that they were the sons of prophets, but rather, that they were a group of prophets. See how you translated this phrase in 2 Kings 2:3. Alternate translation: "The group of prophets" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
2 Kings 6:2
let us go to the Jordan
This refers to the area by the Jordan River. Alternate translation: "let us go beside the Jordan River" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
2 Kings 6:3
your servants
Here one of the prophet refers to the of the sons of the prophets as Elisha's servants to show him honor.
2 Kings 6:4
General Information:
Elisha goes with the prophets to cut trees.
2 Kings 6:5
the ax head fell into the water
The ax head refers to the blade of the ax. This means that the ax head came loose from its the handle and fell into the water. Alternate translation: "the ax head separated from the handle and fell into the water"
Oh no
The man said this to show that he was upset and frustrated. If you have a way of expressing these emotions in your language, you can use it here.
it was borrowed
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "I borrowed it" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
2 Kings 6:6
So the man of God said
"So Elisha, the man of God, asked"
He then cut off a stick, threw it in the water, and made the iron float
God uses Elisha to perform a miracle. The ax head rises to the surface of the water and it stays there so the prophet can pick it up.
made the iron float
"caused the iron to float"
the iron
"the ax head." The ax head was made of iron.
2 Kings 6:7
General Information:
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2 Kings 6:8
Now the king of Aram was waging war against Israel
"When the king of Aram was at war with Israel,"
Now
This word is used here to mark a break in the main story line. Here the author starts to tell a new part of the story.
saying, "My camp will be in such and such a place
The king of Aram was telling his counselors where to set up the camp. Here the phrase "such and such" is a way to refer to the information of the location of the camp without writing it out. If this phase does not translate well into your language this may be written as indirect speech. Alternate translation: "and told them where his camp would be located" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-quotations)
2 Kings 6:9
the man of God
"Elisha the man of God"
Be careful not to pass that place, for the Arameans are going down there
Elisha knew the specific place that the Arameans were going to set up their camp and advised the king of Israel for his soldiers to avoid that area.
2 Kings 6:10
to the place about which the man of God had spoken and warned him
This refers to the place that Elisha had warned the king about in 2 Kings 6:9.
More than once or twice, when the king went there, he was on his guard
Elisha would warn the king of where the Aramean army would attack so that he could alert the people before the attack happened. Alternate translation: "Elisha warned the king of Israel in this way several times and the Israelites were able to stay safe" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
2 Kings 6:11
Will you not tell me who among us is for the king of Israel?
The king of Aram assumes there is a traitor among his soldiers who is giving information to the Israelite king. He uses this rhetorical question to try to find out who that traitor is. This can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "Tell me which of you is for the king of Israel!" or "Tell me which of you is revealing our plans to the king of Israel!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
is for the king of Israel
"To be for someone" means to be loyal to that person. In this case, it means that they would give information to help the king of Israel. Alternate translation: "is helping the king of Israel" or "is loyal to the king of Israel" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
2 Kings 6:12
No
The servant is saying that none of the king's soldiers are giving information to the king of Israel. Alternate translation: "It is none of us" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
my master, king
This refers to the king of Aram.
the words that you speak in your own bedroom
"what you say in the privacy of your own bedroom"
2 Kings 6:13
I may send men and capture him
The king plans to send the men to capture Elisha for him. The king does not plan to capture him himself. Alternate translation: "I may send men to capture him" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
See
This word is used here to draw the king's attention to what is said next. Alternate translation: "Listen"
he is in Dothan
"Elisha is in Dothan"
Dothan
This is the name of a city. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-names)
2 Kings 6:14
So the king
This refers to the king of Aram.
2 Kings 6:15
the man of God
"Elisha" or "Elisha the man of God"
behold
The word "behold" here shows that the servant was surprised by what he saw.
had risen early and gone outside, behold
"got up early in the morning and went outside, and he saw"
His servant said to him
The servant went back inside the house to tell Elisha what he had seen. Alternate translation: "The servant went back inside and said to Elisha" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
2 Kings 6:16
those who are with us are more than those who are with them
"To be with someone" in battle means to fight for their side. Alternate translation: "those who are on our side in the battle are more than those who are on their side" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
2 Kings 6:17
open his eyes that he may see
Elisha is asking that his servant may be able to see things that other people cannot see, namely the horses and chariots of fire that are around them. Alternate translation: "make him able to see" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
he saw. Behold
"he could see. What he saw was that"
Behold
The word "Behold" here shows that the servant was surprised by what he saw.
the mountain was full of horses
"the mountainside was covered with horses"
around Elisha
This refers to the city where Elisha is. Alternate translation: "around the city where Elisha was" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
2 Kings 6:18
these people
This refers to the Aramean soldiers.
Strike these people blind
"Cause these people to be blind!" This refers to Yahweh causing them to be unable to see clearly.
2 Kings 6:19
This is not the way, neither is this the city
Elisha confuses the Arameans by telling them that they are not at the city they are searching for. Alternate translation: "This is not the way, neither is this the city you are looking for" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
2 Kings 6:20
It came about that
"It happened that" or "Then,"
open the eyes of these men that they may see
Elisha is asking Yahweh to cause the men to see clearly again. Alternate translation: "allow these men to see" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
Yahweh opened their eyes and they saw
Yahweh allowed the men to see clearly again. Alternate translation: "Yahweh took away their blindness" or "Yahweh allowed them to see clearly" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
behold
The word "behold" here shows that the Arameans were surprised by what they saw.
2 Kings 6:21
when he saw them
"when he saw the Aramean soldiers"
My father
The king is speaking to Elisha the prophet and calling him "father" to show respect.
should I kill them? Should I kill them?
Here the king of Israel is referring to his army as himself. Alternate translation: "Should I order my army to kill these enemy soldiers?" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
2 Kings 6:22
Elisha answered
Elisha was replying to the king of Israel's question.
Would you kill those whom you had taken captive with your sword and bow?
Elisha uses this rhetorical question to rebuke the king and tell him not to kill these men. The words "sword and bow" are a metonym for war in which soldiers use swords and bows and arrows. This can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "You would not kill men whom you had captured in war, so you should not kill these men." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Put bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink
Here "bread" refers to food in general. Alternate translation: "Give them food to eat and water to drink" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche)
go to their master
This refers to the king of Aram.
2 Kings 6:23
So the king prepared much food for them
The king ordered his servants to prepare the food. He did not prepare the food himself. Alternate translation: "Then the king ordered his servants to prepare a lot of food for them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Those bands
"Those groups"
did not return for a long time into the land of Israel
This means that they did not attack Israel for a long time. Alternate translation: "stopped attacking the land of Israel for a long time" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
2 Kings 6:24
Ben Hadad
The name of the king of Aram. His name means "son of Hadad." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-names)
attacked Samaria
The king and his army attacked Samaria. Alternate translation: "they attacked Samaria" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche)
2 Kings 6:25
Behold
The word "behold" here alerts us to pay attention to the surprising information that follows.
a donkey's head was sold for
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "a donkey's head cost" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
eighty pieces of silver
"80 pieces of silver" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-numbers)
the fourth part of a kab
This can be written in modern measurements. Alternate translation: "a fourth part of a liter" or "a quarter of a liter" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-bvolume)
the fourth part
This is one part out of four equal parts. Alternate translation: "one fourth" or "a quarter" or "1/4" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-fraction)
dove's dung for
The words "was sold for" are understood from the previous phrase. They can be repeated here. Alternate translation: "dove's dung was sold for" or "dove's dung cost" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-ellipsis)
2 Kings 6:26
was passing by on the wall
"walking on top of the city wall"
my master
The woman referred to the king by this name to show him respect.
2 Kings 6:27
He said
"The king of Israel answered the woman,"
If Yahweh does not help you, how can I help you?
The king uses this rhetorical question to tell the woman that he cannot help her. This can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "If Yahweh is not helping you, then I cannot help you." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
Is there anything coming from the threshing floor or winepress?
The king uses this rhetorical question to emphasize that there is no food available. Here the threshing floor refers to grain and the winepress refers to wine. This can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "There is nothing coming from the threshing floor or the winepress." or "There is no food to harvest or any grapes to make wine to drink." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
2 Kings 6:28
The king continued
"The king said." This means that they continued talking.
2 Kings 6:29
we boiled
"we cooked"
2 Kings 6:30
heard the words of the woman
The words "the words" are a metonym for what the woman said. Alternate translation: "heard the woman tell what she and the other woman had done" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
he tore his clothes
The king ripped his outer garment to show his distress. Alternate translation: "he tore his clothes in grief" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-symaction)
now he was passing by on the wall
He had been walking on the city wall when the woman called out to him in 2 Kings 6:24. Now he continued walking along it.
he had sackcloth underneath, against his skin
By wearing sackcloth even for his undergarments, the king showed that he was very sad and upset. Alternate translation: "he had sackcloth underneath his outer garment, against his skin" or "he was wearing sackcloth underneath his robe because he was very upset" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-symaction)
2 Kings 6:31
May God do so to me, and more also
The king is saying he hopes God will punish him and even kill him if Elisha the prophet does not die because of the things that have happened in the city of Samaria. Alternate translation: "May God punish me and kill me" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-euphemism)
if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on him today
This refers to Elisha dying, specifically be being beheaded. Alternate translation: "if Elisha son of Shaphat is not beheaded today" or "if my soldiers do not behead Elisha son of Shaphat today" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
2 Kings 6:32
The king sent a man from before him
"To be before the king" means to be one of his servants. Alternate translation: "The king of Israel sent one of his servants as a messenger" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
when the messenger came to Elisha, he said to the elders
Here Elisha is speaking to the elders right before the king's messenger arrived. Alternate translation: "when the messenger had almost arrived, Elisha said to the elders" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
See how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head?
Elisha uses this rhetorical question to draw attention to the kings messenger and to insult the king. This can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "See, this son of a murderer has sent someone to remove my head!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
son of a murderer
This means that the king of Israel has the characteristics of a murderer. Alternate translation: "this man who is like a murderer" or "that murderer" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
has sent to
It is understood that he sent a person. Alternate translation: "has sent someone to" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-ellipsis)
to take away my head
This means to behead him. Alternate translation: "to cut off my head" or "to behead me" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-euphemism)
Look, when
Elisha uses this word here to draw the elder's attention to what he says next. Alternate translation: "Listen to what I want you to do: when"
hold the door shut against him
If a door is shut against someone it means that it is closed and that they may not enter through it. Alternate translation: "hold the door shut so that he cannot come in" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?
Elisha uses this question to assure the elders that the king is coming not far behind him. This rhetorical question may be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "The sound of his master's feet is right behind him." or "The king will be coming along soon after he arrives." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
2 Kings 6:33
behold, the messenger
The word "behold" alerts us to the arrival of the messenger.
the messenger came down to him
The messenger arrived, and so did the king, as Elisha had said he would. The phrase "came down to him" means that they arrived at the place where he was. Alternate translation: "the messenger and the king arrived" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
Behold
"Pay attention, because what I am about to say is both true and important"
this trouble
"Indeed, this trouble." The word "behold" here adds emphasis to what follows. The phrase "this trouble" refers to the famine in Samaria and the suffering it caused.
Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?
This king use this rhetorical question to emphasize that he does not believe that Yahweh is going to help them. This can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "Why should I continue to wait for Yahweh to help us?" or "I will not wait any longer for help from Yahweh!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)