The Meaning of 2 Kings 6:33 Explained

2 Kings 6:33

KJV: And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

YLT: He is yet speaking with them, and lo, the messenger is coming down unto him, and he saith, 'Lo, this is the evil from Jehovah: what -- do I wait for Jehovah any more?'

Darby: And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, Behold, this evil is of Jehovah: why should I wait for Jehovah any longer?

ASV: And while he was yet talking with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of Jehovah; why should I wait for Jehovah any longer?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And while he yet talked  with them, behold, the messenger  came down  unto him: and he said,  Behold, this evil  [is] of the LORD;  what should I wait  for the LORD  any longer? 

What does 2 Kings 6:33 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 6:33 mean?

And while he was still talking with them and there was the messenger coming down to him then [the king] said surely this calamity [is] from Yahweh [for] what should I wait for Yahweh any longer -
עוֹדֶ֙נּוּ֙ מְדַבֵּ֣ר עִמָּ֔ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ יֹרֵ֣ד אֵלָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּֽה־ זֹ֤את הָֽרָעָה֙ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה מָֽה־ אוֹחִ֥יל לַיהוָ֖ה ؟ עֽוֹד ס

עוֹדֶ֙נּוּ֙  And  while 
Parse: Adverb, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
מְדַבֵּ֣ר  he  was  still  talking 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
עִמָּ֔ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
וְהִנֵּ֥ה  and  there  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ  the  messenger 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
יֹרֵ֣ד  coming  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
אֵלָ֑יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  then  [the  king]  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּֽה־  surely 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
זֹ֤את  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
הָֽרָעָה֙  calamity  [is] 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מָֽה־  [for]  what 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
אוֹחִ֥יל  should  I  wait 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָחַל  
Sense: to wait, hope, expect.
לַיהוָ֖ה  for  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
؟ עֽוֹד  any  longer 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation