2 Kings 3 13

2 Kings 3:13 kjv

And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

2 Kings 3:13 nkjv

Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."

2 Kings 3:13 niv

Elisha said to the king of Israel, "Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." "No," the king of Israel answered, "because it was the LORD who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab."

2 Kings 3:13 esv

And Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No; it is the LORD who has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab."

2 Kings 3:13 nlt

"Why are you coming to me?" Elisha asked the king of Israel. "Go to the pagan prophets of your father and mother!" But King Joram of Israel said, "No! For it was the LORD who called us three kings here ? only to be defeated by the king of Moab!"

2 Kings 3 verses

2 Kings 3 13 Meaning

2 Kings 3:13 details Elisha's sharp rebuke to King Jehoram of Israel, who had sought divine counsel through the prophet in a dire military situation. Elisha questions their connection, sarcastically suggesting Jehoram turn to the pagan prophets whom his parents, Ahab and Jezebel, relied upon. This initial harshness served as a test of the king's sincerity and a challenge to his idolatry. Jehoram's immediate response is a desperate "Nay," acknowledging the true Lord's perceived sovereign hand in gathering the allied kings to deliver them into Moab's hands, expressing fear and a sudden, though perhaps transient, recognition of divine judgment.

2 Kings 3 13 Context

Chapter 3 opens with Jehoram of Israel succeeding his brother Ahaziah, continuing some, though not all, of Ahab's idolatrous practices, particularly maintaining Jeroboam's golden calves. Moab, under King Mesha, rebelled against Israel after Ahab's death. To suppress this rebellion, King Jehoram forms an alliance with Jehoshaphat, the righteous King of Judah, and the King of Edom. Their joint military expedition ventures through the desert of Edom, where they soon run out of water for the army and their livestock, leading to a desperate crisis. It is at this critical juncture that Jehoshaphat, acting according to his customary faith, suggests they "inquire of the Lord by a prophet." Jehoram, out of necessity rather than piety, agrees, leading them to seek Elisha. Elisha's cutting response in verse 13 is a direct confrontation of Jehoram's hypocrisy and Israel's prevalent syncretism under the Omrid dynasty. Elisha's initial refusal serves as a polemic against the uselessness of pagan deities (Baal, Asherah) and the insincerity of those who turn to Yahweh only as a last resort. It underscores that the true God demands exclusive devotion, not opportunistic consultation.

2 Kings 3 13 Word analysis

• "And Elisha said": Introduces the prophet's declaration, asserting his role as Yahweh's spokesman with authority, despite facing kings.
• "unto the king of Israel": Specifically addresses King Jehoram, whose lineage (Ahab and Jezebel) and persistent idolatry form the basis of Elisha's rebuke.
• "What have I to do with thee?" (מַה לִּי וָלָךְ, mah lli vālakh): This is a powerful Hebrew idiom indicating disassociation or severe disapproval. It signifies a lack of common ground, a refusal to engage due to fundamental spiritual incompatibility. Elisha is drawing a clear line, implying that because of Jehoram's ungodliness and idolatry, there is no proper basis for a divine consultation. It acts as a moral separation, a prophet challenging an unholy king.
• "get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother.":
  • "get thee" (לֵךְ, lekh): An imperative command, directly sending him away.
  • "prophets of thy father" (נְבִיאֵי אָבִיךָ, nᵊvî’ê ’āḇîḵā): Refers to the hundreds of Baal prophets Ahab supported (cf. 1 Ki 18:19-22). Elisha challenges Jehoram's true allegiance.
  • "prophets of thy mother" (נְבִיאֵי אִמֶּךָ, nᵊvî’ê ’immeḵā): Refers to the four hundred prophets of Asherah supported by Queen Jezebel (cf. 1 Ki 18:19). This is sharp sarcasm, mocking the king's prior reliance on pagan idols and their uselessness in a true crisis requiring the Lord's intervention. It underscores that Jehoram's current appeal to Yahweh is born of desperation, not true repentance.
• "And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay:" (וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵלָיו לֹא, vayyō’mer melek yisrā’ēl ’ēlāyw lō’): Jehoram's forceful rejection of Elisha's sarcastic advice. This single word, "Nay," is a pivotal shift, indicating Jehoram's understanding of Elisha's meaning and his acknowledgement, even if fear-driven, of the futility of false prophets. It reveals a moment of stark spiritual reality for the king.
• "for the Lord hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.":
  • "the Lord" (YHWH, יְהוָה): Significantly, Jehoram names Yahweh, indicating a recognition of the true God's ultimate authority, which contrasts sharply with his usual syncretistic practices. It's an admission of Yahweh's sovereignty, born out of deep distress.
  • "hath called... together" (קָרָא... הַמִּזֶּה, qārā’... hamizzēh): Implies divine orchestration. Jehoram perceives their assembly and predicament not as accidental, but as an act of divine judgment against them, leading to their impending doom.
  • "to deliver them into the hand of Moab" (לָתֵת אֹתָם בְּיַד מוֹאָב, lāṯēṯ ’ôṯām bᵊyaḏ Mo’āv): This phrase expresses the king's stark conclusion: their very gathering under the Lord's hand is for the purpose of their destruction by their enemy. It indicates his despair and profound belief that God himself has engineered their defeat.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother.": This full statement serves as a prophetic crucible. It functions as a challenge to Jehoram's duplicity, pushing him to acknowledge Yahweh's sole authority and the ineffectiveness of the idols he has honored. Elisha demands sincerity and exclusive devotion to the Lord, refusing to entertain an alliance of convenience between true prophecy and idolatrous living.
• "Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.": This desperate and immediate confession reveals a profound, albeit painful, realization on Jehoram's part. It signifies his yielding to the absolute sovereignty of Yahweh, even when that sovereignty seems to be orchestrating his downfall. This acknowledgement of divine providence in calamity opens the door for Elisha's further action, recognizing that even fear-driven humility can be a point of access for divine intervention.

2 Kings 3 13 Bonus section

• The dynamic between Elisha and Jehoram parallels earlier prophetic encounters, especially Elijah's confrontation with Ahab. These show a consistent prophetic message emphasizing Yahweh's uniqueness and demanding singular allegiance from Israel's leaders.
• The phrase "What have I to do with thee?" serves as a powerful verbal device, appearing elsewhere in the Old Testament to indicate disengagement from undesirable conduct or persons, and notably in the New Testament when demons confront Jesus, signifying an unwelcome intrusion of divine power into their realm. Its use here highlights the moral and spiritual incompatibility between Elisha's holy calling and Jehoram's unholy living.
• Jehoram's confession reflects a temporary "God-consciousness" brought on by extreme adversity. While not necessarily true repentance, it demonstrates a fear-induced humility that God can sometimes use to open doors for His divine purpose and revelation, often through the presence of a righteous individual (like Jehoshaphat).
• The incident highlights the role of faithful individuals, like Jehoshaphat, in mitigating divine judgment or enabling divine mercy for others, even the undeserving, based on their intercession or presence. This underscores God's grace acting through channels of righteousness.

2 Kings 3 13 Commentary

2 Kings 3:13 captures a pivotal and deeply significant exchange between prophet and king, encapsulating themes of divine exclusivity, judgment, and the nature of seeking God in crisis. Elisha's initial rhetorical question, "What have I to do with thee?", is a pointed rejection of Jehoram's approach. It challenges the king's spiritual legitimacy and underscores that a prophet of Yahweh cannot commune meaningfully with a ruler deeply steeped in idolatry. The accompanying sarcastic command to consult the prophets of Ahab and Jezebel serves as a sharp denunciation of Jehoram's syncretistic life and an indirect condemnation of the false gods of Baal and Asherah, who are powerless to help in a real crisis.

Yet, this rebuke also functions as a test. Jehoram's immediate "Nay" demonstrates that Elisha's cutting words pierced through the king's complacency. His subsequent confession—"for the Lord hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab"—is profound. It reveals that the dire circumstances have forced Jehoram to recognize Yahweh's absolute sovereignty, not as a benign observer, but as the active orchestrator of events, even to their potential doom. This raw acknowledgment of divine providence, however fear-based, validates the king's need for the true God's intervention and prompts Elisha to eventually inquire of the Lord (as seen in verse 14), largely for the sake of Jehoshaphat, the righteous king present.

This interaction teaches that true faith cannot be merely opportunistic, seeking God only when human or false divine help fails. It requires a reckoning with one's divided loyalties and a recognition of Yahweh's ultimate control over all circumstances, whether for blessing or judgment.