The Meaning of 2 Kings 6:11 Explained

2 Kings 6:11

KJV: Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

YLT: And the heart of the king of Aram is tossed about concerning this thing, and he calleth unto his servants, and saith unto them, 'Do ye not declare to me who of us is for the king of Israel?'

Darby: And the heart of the king of Syria was troubled because of this thing; and he called his servants, and said to them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

ASV: And the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore the heart  of the king  of Syria  was sore troubled  for this thing;  and he called  his servants,  and said  unto them, Will ye not shew  me which of us [is] for the king  of Israel? 

What does 2 Kings 6:11 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 6:1-13 - The Servant Of The Lord Of Battles
To us, the first of these miracles may appear somewhat trivial, but we must remember the value of an iron axe-head at that time, the inconvenience and delay caused to the builders, and the slur accruing to religion if it were irreparably lost. The story shows how keen was the sympathy of the great prophet for a poor man overtaken by an ordinary trouble, and how ready Elisha was to seek the help of God to redress the mischief. See John 2:1-14. It is right to go to God about matters of this kind, as well as greater issues. What wonders faith can do! Hearts may be as heavy as lead at the bottom of the stream, but when a splinter of the Cross of Calvary is inserted, they rise to the surface and swim.
The king believed that Elisha could wield superhuman power and knowledge, yet he thought to secure him with chariots and horses. He acknowledged that Elisha was a servant of the Most High God, yet he expected to take him captive, by sending a mighty host! To such folly men descend when they begin to fight against the Most High! [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 6

1  Elisha, allowing the young prophets to enlarge dwellings, floats an axhead
8  He discloses the king of Syria's counsel
13  The army which was sent to Dothan to apprehend Elisha, is blinded
19  Being brought into Samaria, they are dismissed in peace
24  The famine in Samaria causes women to eat their own children
30  The king sends to slay Elisha

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 6:11 mean?

Therefore was greatly troubled the heart of the king of Syria by thing this and he called unto his servants and said to them will not you show me who of us [is] for the king of Israel
וַיִּסָּעֵר֙ לֵ֣ב מֶֽלֶךְ־ אֲרָ֔ם עַל־ הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֶל־ עֲבָדָיו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם הֲלוֹא֙ תַּגִּ֣ידוּ לִ֔י מִ֥י מִשֶּׁלָּ֖נוּ אֶל־ מֶ֥לֶךְ ؟ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיִּסָּעֵר֙  Therefore  was  greatly  troubled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָעַר  
Sense: to storm, rage.
לֵ֣ב  the  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  of  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֲרָ֔ם  of  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
הַדָּבָ֖ר  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֑ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וַיִּקְרָ֤א  and  he  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עֲבָדָיו֙  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הֲלוֹא֙  will  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תַּגִּ֣ידוּ  you  show 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לִ֔י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
מִשֶּׁלָּ֖נוּ  of  us 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, relative, Preposition, first person common plural
Root: שַׁ־  
Sense: who, which.
אֶל־  [is]  for 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
מֶ֥לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
؟ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.