2 Kings 6:31 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.
2 Kings 6:31 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!"
2 Kings 6:31 niv
He said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!"
2 Kings 6:31 esv
and he said, "May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today."
2 Kings 6:31 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.
2 Kings 6 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Judg 11:31 | "then whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me... shall be the Lord’s..." | Jephthah's binding vow |
| 1 Sam 14:24 | "Saul had laid an oath on the army..." | Saul's foolish oath creating distress |
| 1 Sam 3:17 | "May God do so to you and more also if you conceal anything from me..." | Eli's strong oath to Samuel |
| Ruth 1:17 | "May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you." | Ruth's resolute vow of loyalty |
| 1 Ki 2:23 | "May God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life." | Solomon's oath against Adonijah |
| 2 Ki 6:28-29 | "What is the matter with you? ... We ate my son." | Immediate context of extreme famine |
| 2 Ki 6:32 | "Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him." | Elisha's calm knowledge of king's intent |
| Ps 105:15 | "Touch not My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm." | God's protection over His prophets |
| Is 30:10 | "who say to the seers, 'See no more visions!' and to the prophets, 'Prophesy not to us right things!'" | Rejection of truthful prophecy |
| Jer 2:30 | "In vain I have struck your children; they received no correction..." | Israel's refusal to heed prophetic warnings |
| Jer 26:20-23 | Uriah killed despite warning; "the voice of the prophets ceased in those days." | Persecution of prophet Uriah |
| Jer 38:4 | "Then the officials said to the king, 'This man should be put to death..." | Jeremiah persecuted for his message |
| Matt 5:33-37 | "But I say to you, swear not at all..." | Jesus' teaching on oaths |
| Matt 23:37 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets..." | Jesus laments persecution of prophets |
| Luke 13:34 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets..." | Jesus' lament for killing prophets reiterated |
| Acts 7:52 | "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?" | Stephen's indictment on persecution of prophets |
| Heb 11:37 | "They were stoned, they were sawn in two..." | Suffering of prophets listed in faith hall |
| Lev 26:26 | "when I break your staff of bread..." | Covenant curses for disobedience: famine |
| Deut 28:53 | "you shall eat the fruit of your own body..." | Covenant curses: dire consequences of siege |
| Lam 2:20 | "Should women eat their offspring, the children of their tender care?" | Famine in Judah during siege; mothers eating children |
| Lam 4:10 | "The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children..." | Desperation and cannibalism in Jerusalem siege |
| Ps 106:24 | "Then they despised the pleasant land... they did not believe His word..." | Unbelief leads to hardship |
2 Kings 6 verses
2 Kings 6 31 Meaning
This verse conveys King Joram's furious and desperate resolve to immediately execute Elisha, the prophet of God. Following the horrific account of cannibalism during the Aramean siege of Samaria, the king, attributing the disaster and the people's suffering to Elisha, invokes a severe self-imprecatory oath. He swears that God may bring harsh judgment upon him, and even more, if Elisha's head remains on his shoulders by the end of that day. This reveals the king's spiritual blindness, misdirected anger, and rejection of God's appointed messenger.
2 Kings 6 31 Context
2 Kings chapter 6 narrates a severe siege laid by the Aramean king Ben-Hadad against Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The siege led to extreme famine within the city, driving the inhabitants to unspeakable acts, including cannibalism (2 Ki 6:24-29). The horror of the situation culminates when two women appeal to the king about a pact they made to eat their own sons. After one son was eaten, the second woman hid her son. King Joram, on hearing this gruesome account, rips his clothes and reveals he is wearing sackcloth beneath, a sign of public mourning or penitence. However, his immediate reaction is not genuine repentance or seeking God's intervention, but a violent outburst directed at Elisha, the prophet. He perceives Elisha as either responsible for the ongoing calamity or as holding the power to end it but refusing to do so, thus deserving death. The verse vividly portrays the king's spiritual confusion, moral desperation, and misguided anger amidst unprecedented suffering, failing to recognize that the famine was a divine judgment and not the prophet's fault.
2 Kings 6 31 Word analysis
- Then he said: Refers to King Joram (Jehoram), son of Ahab. His words immediately follow the gruesome revelation of cannibalism in Samaria.
- May God do so to me and more also:
- Hebrew: כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה לִּי אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִיף (ko yaseh li Elohim v'ko yosif)
- This is a very common and severe form of self-imprecatory oath found in the Old Testament. It signifies the speaker's utmost sincerity and commitment to their declared intention or statement. The person calls upon God to inflict a severe, unspecified judgment upon themselves ("do so to me") and to add even more ("and more also") if their vow is not fulfilled or if their statement is false. It underscores the King's profound anger and unwavering resolve.
- "Elohim" (אֱלֹהִים) is the general Hebrew word for God, referring to the God of Israel even by a largely apostate king, emphasizing the religious weight of the oath.
- if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat:
- "Elisha": God's prophet, successor to Elijah, who consistently delivered God's word and performed miracles.
- "son of Shaphat": Identifies Elisha precisely by his lineage, adding formality and specific target to the oath. The blame and death sentence are explicitly directed at him.
- remains on him today!:
- "remains on him": Implies that it will be removed, meaning execution by decapitation. This is a vivid expression of the intent to kill.
- "today": Hebrew הַיּוֹם (hayom). This word stresses the urgency and immediacy of the king's intention. He demands Elisha's death without delay, indicating a complete breakdown of his patience and a belief that Elisha's demise would somehow bring about relief or justice.
- Words-group analysis:
- "May God do so to me and more also, if...": This is a legalistic and covenantal oath formula common in the ancient Near East, invoking the divine as guarantor. Here, it signifies the king's absolute determination to fulfill his murderous intention. Ironically, the king invokes God while plotting against God's own prophet, revealing his spiritual rebellion despite outward signs of distress (like wearing sackcloth).
2 Kings 6 31 Bonus section
- The king's outer garment of sackcloth (mentioned in 2 Ki 6:30, immediately preceding this verse) might initially suggest repentance or deep sorrow. However, his subsequent murderous threat against Elisha exposes that this was merely an expression of outward grief or political maneuvering, not genuine humility before God.
- This passage demonstrates the "kill the messenger" phenomenon, where people blame the bearer of unwelcome news or the instrument of God's discipline rather than addressing the root cause of the problem (their own sin and disobedience).
- The incident serves as a prelude to God's swift and dramatic intervention. Despite the king's wrath and threats, Elisha remains unperturbed, aware of the king's plot, and God's plan unfolds in the very next verses, underscoring the divine control over human affairs and the prophet's steadfast faith.
2 Kings 6 31 Commentary
2 Kings 6:31 powerfully reveals King Joram's tragic misdirection of blame during the horrific siege of Samaria. Faced with the extreme reality of cannibalism, instead of humble repentance and seeking God's divine intervention through His prophet, the king lashes out in unbridled rage against Elisha. His solemn, self-binding oath to execute Elisha immediately demonstrates his desperation and misguided belief that the prophet is either the cause of their suffering or stubbornly refusing to end it. This hostile response highlights the profound spiritual blindness prevalent in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, where God's messengers were often blamed or persecuted for delivering messages of judgment, rather than the people examining their own sin. The king's intention contrasts sharply with Elisha's unwavering faith and subsequent prophecy of relief (2 Ki 7:1-2), ultimately demonstrating God's sovereignty over human rage and His faithfulness to deliver His people.