2 Kings 6:21
19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.
20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
- KJV
- And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
- WEB
- The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?”
- ASV
- And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
- DARBY
- And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite? shall I smite [them]?
- BLB
- And the king of Israel said to Elisha at his seeing them, “Shall I strike? Shall I strike, My father?”
- ÅB
- Da Israels konge så dem, sa han til Elisa: Skal jeg hugge dem ned, min far, skal jeg hugge dem ned?
- OTB
- Da Israels konge så dem, sa han til Elisja, "Skal jeg drepe dem? Skal jeg drepe dem, min far?"
- B1930
- Da Israels konge så dem, sa han til Elisa: Skal jeg hugge dem ned, min far, skal jeg hugge dem ned?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
2 Kings 5:13
And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
Read in context2 Kings 8:9
So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
Read in context2 Kings 2:12
And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
Read in context1 Samuel 24:19
For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
Read in context1 Samuel 24:4
And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.
Read in context2 Kings 13:14
Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
Read in context1 Samuel 26:8
Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
Read in contextLuke 9:54–56
And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
Read in context