The Meaning of 2 Kings 6:31 Explained

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.

YLT: And he saith, 'Thus doth God do to me, and thus He doth add -- if it remain -- the head of Elisha son of Shaphat -- upon him this day.'

Darby: And he said, God do so, and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall remain on him this day!

ASV: Then he said, God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Kings 6:31 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 6:24-33 - The Dire Straits Of Those Who Forsake God
This siege was the result of Ahab's foolish and misplaced leniency. See 1 Kings 20:42. The children are often called to suffer for the misdeeds and follies of their parents. Let us bear this in mind. "No man liveth to himself." Conduct yourself so that none may be offended through long years after you have passed from earth.
Apparently Elisha had counseled the king not to surrender, with the further assurance of deliverance on condition of his repentance. Jehoram therefore assumed the signs of penitence and contrition without the reality; and when the promised deliverance was not forthcoming, he put the blame of Israel's calamities on the prophet, and vowed vengeance against his life. The elders were gathered with Elisha, perhaps for prayer, when Elisha apprised them of the advent of the king's messenger, with his announcement of the royal determination not to wait for God any longer. The trial of our patience is more precious than of gold, but how few of us can endure it! [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 6:31 mean?

And he said so do to me God and also more if remains the head of Elisha son of Shaphat on him today
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כֹּֽה־ יַעֲשֶׂה־ לִּ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְכֹ֣ה יוֹסִ֑ף אִֽם־ יַעֲמֹ֞ד רֹ֣אשׁ אֱלִישָׁ֧ע בֶּן־ שָׁפָ֛ט עָלָ֖יו הַיּֽוֹם

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כֹּֽה־  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
לִּ֥י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְכֹ֣ה  and  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
יוֹסִ֑ף  more 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָסַף 
Sense: to add, increase, do again.
יַעֲמֹ֞ד  remains 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
רֹ֣אשׁ  the  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
אֱלִישָׁ֧ע  of  Elisha 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִישָׁע  
Sense: the great prophet who succeeded Elijah.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שָׁפָ֛ט  of  Shaphat 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁפָט  
Sense: son of Hori and the prince of Simeon chosen to spy out the promised land.
עָלָ֖יו  on  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַיּֽוֹם  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.