2 Kings 6:31
29 So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.”
30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.
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!”
32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?”
33 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?”
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
- 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!”
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- Then he said, “God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat stays on him today.”
- ASV
- 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.
- DARBY
- And he said, God do so, and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall remain on him this day!
- BLB
- And he said, “Thus may God do to me, and thus He does add, if remains the head of Elisha son of Shaphat on him today.”
- ÅB
- Og han sa: Gud la det gå meg ille både nå og siden, om Elisas, Safats sønns hode skal bli sittende på ham idag!
- OTB
- Da sa han, "Måtte Gud gjøre slik mot meg og mer til, om hodet til Elisja, sønn av Safat, blir værende på ham i dag!"
- B1930
- Og han sa: Gud la det gå mig ille både nu og siden, om Elisas, Safats sønns hode skal bli sittende på ham idag!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Ruth 1:17
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
Read in context1 Kings 19:2
So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those you killed!”
Read in contextActs 23:12–13
When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
Read in contextJeremiah 38:4
Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”
Read in context1 Kings 2:23
Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life.
Read in context2 Samuel 19:13
And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
Read in context1 Kings 22:8
The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.
Read in context2 Samuel 3:9
May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:
Read in context