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!”
Parallel translations
- 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.”
- 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.
- NKJV Then he said, “God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today!”
- NASB Then he said, “May God do so to me and more so, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today.”
- NLT “May God strike me and even kill me if I don’t separate Elisha’s head from his shoulders this very day,” the king vowed.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The king vows to behead Elisha that very day, blaming the prophet for the disaster. His oath misdirects guilt away from his own sin.
Overview
In his fury the king swears a self-curse if Elisha's head remains on him by day's end. He scapegoats the prophet rather than facing the nation's covenant unfaithfulness as the cause. The reaction reveals a hardened heart that resents God's messenger instead of seeking God. It sets up Elisha's calm foreknowledge and the king's repentant restraint that follow.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Ruth 1:17Where 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.”
- 1 Kgs 19:2So 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!”
- 1 Sam 14:44And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”
- Jer 37:15–16The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison.
- Acts 23:12–13When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
- 2 Sam 19:13And 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!’”
- John 11:50You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
- 1 Kgs 18:17When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”
- Jer 38:4Then 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.”
- 1 Kgs 22:8The 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.
- 1 Sam 3:17“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
- 1 Kgs 2:23Then 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.
- 2 Sam 3:35Then all the people came and urged David to eat something while it was still day, but David took an oath, saying, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”
- 1 Sam 25:22May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.”
- 2 Sam 3:9May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 6:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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