As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”
Parallel translations
- WEB But as one was cutting down a tree, the ax head fell into the water. Then he cried, and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.”
- KJV But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
- NKJV But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.”
- NASB But it happened that as one of them was cutting down a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Oh, my master! It was borrowed!”
- NLT But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. “Oh, sir!” he cried. “It was a borrowed ax!”
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
A borrowed ax-head flies off into the water, and the worker cries out in dismay. His distress reflects the burden of losing what was not his own.
Overview
The iron head was costly and, being borrowed, placed the man under obligation he could not easily repay in a poor prophetic community. His anguished 'Alas, my master!' shows both the seriousness of the loss and his trust that Elisha might help. The scene magnifies God's attentiveness to small troubles that weigh heavily on the faithful. It prepares for a miracle demonstrating that no concern of His servants is beneath His care.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Rev 18:10In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
- Eccl 10:10If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened, more strength must be exerted, but skill produces success.
- 2 Kgs 3:10“Alas,” said the king of Israel, “for the LORD has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab!”
- Ps 37:21The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.
- 2 Kgs 6:15When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”
- 2 Kgs 4:7She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder.”
- Rev 18:19Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”
- Rev 18:16saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
- Isa 10:34He will clear the forest thickets with an axe, and Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.
- Exod 22:14–15If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not present, he must make full restitution.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 6:5 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.