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Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

2 Kings 6:21

And the king of Israel says to Elisha at his seeing them, "My father, do I strike, do I strike?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blindness;   Israel;   Joram;   Malice;   Samaria;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jehoram, or Joram;   Joram or Jehoram;   Meekness-Retaliation;   Vindictiveness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Mercy;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Father;   Mercy;   War;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Devote, Devoted;   War, Holy War;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Father;   War;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jehoram;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Samaria;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Abba ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elisha;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Eli'sha;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Father;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Captive;   Elisha;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “Should I kill them, should I kill them, my father?”
Hebrew Names Version
The king of Yisra'el said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I strike them? shall I strike them?
King James Version
And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
English Standard Version
As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?"
New Century Version
When the king of Israel saw the Aramean army, he said to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?"
New English Translation
When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Should I strike them down, my master?"
Amplified Bible
When the king of Israel (Jehoram) saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?"
New American Standard Bible
Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, "My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the King of Israel sayde vnto Elisha when he sawe them, My father, shall I smite them, shall I smite them?
Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, "My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?"
Contemporary English Version
The king of Israel saw them and asked Elisha, "Should I kill them, sir?"
Complete Jewish Bible
When the king of Isra'el saw them, he asked Elisha, "My father, should I attack them? Should I attack them?"
Darby Translation
And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite? shall I smite [them]?
Easy-to-Read Version
The king of Israel saw the Aramean army and said to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?"
George Lamsa Translation
And the king of Israel said to Elisha when he saw them, My father, shall I slay them? Shall I slay them?
Good News Translation
When the king of Israel saw the Syrians, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, sir? Shall I kill them?"
Lexham English Bible
Then the king of Israel said to Elisha when he saw them, "Shall I kill them? Shall I kill, my father?"
Literal Translation
And when he saw them, the king of Israel said to Elisha, Shall I strike? Shall I strike, my father?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan the kynge of Israel sawe them, he saide vnto Eliseus: My father, shal I smyte the?
American Standard Version
And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
Bible in Basic English
And the king of Israel, when he saw them, said to Elisha, My father, am I to put them to the sword?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the king of Israel sayde vnto Elisa when he sawe them: My father, shall I smyte them, shall I smyte them?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them: 'My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?'
King James Version (1611)
And the king of Israel saide vnto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king of Israel said to Elisaie, when he saw them, Shall I not verily smite them, my father?
English Revised Version
And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father; shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
Berean Standard Bible
And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the kyng of Israel, whanne he hadde seyn hem, seide to Elisee, My fadir, whether Y schal smyte hem?
Young's Literal Translation
And the king of Israel saith unto Elisha, at his seeing them, `Do I smite -- do I smite -- my father?'
Update Bible Version
And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
Webster's Bible Translation
And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite [them]? shall I smite [them]?
World English Bible
The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I strike them? shall I strike them?
New King James Version
Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?"
New Living Translation
When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?"
New Life Bible
When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?"
New Revised Standard
When the king of Israel saw them he said to Elisha, "Father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said the king of Israel unto Elisha, when he saw them, - Shall I smite - shall I smite, my father?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king of Israel said to Eliseus, when he saw them: My father, shall I kill them?
Revised Standard Version
When the king of Israel saw them he said to Eli'sha, "My father, shall I slay them? Shall I slay them?"
THE MESSAGE
When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "Father, shall I massacre the lot?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, "My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?"

Contextual Overview

13And he says, "Go and see where he [is], and I send and take him"; and it is declared to him, saying, "Behold—in Dothan." 14And he sends horses and chariot, and a heavy force there, and they come in by night, and go around against the city. 15And the servant of the man of God rises early, and goes out, and behold, a force is surrounding the city, and horse and chariot, and his young man says to him, "Aah! My lord, how do we do?" 16And he says, "Do not fear, for more [are] they who [are] with us than they who [are] with them." 17And Elisha prays and says, "YHWH, please open his eyes, and he sees"; and YHWH opens the eyes of the young man, and he sees, and behold, the hill is full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha. 18And they come down to it, and Elisha prays to YHWH and says, "Please strike this nation with blindness"; and He strikes them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha. 19And Elisha says to them, "This [is] not the way, nor [is] this the city; come after me, and I lead you to the man whom you seek"; and he leads them to Samaria. 20And it comes to pass, at their coming to Samaria, that Elisha says, "YHWH, open the eyes of these, and they see"; and YHWH opens their eyes, and they see, and behold, [they are] in the midst of Samaria! 21And the king of Israel says to Elisha at his seeing them, "My father, do I strike, do I strike?"22And he says, "You do not strike; are you striking those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, and they eat, and drink, and go to their lord."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

My father: This was dastardly: the utmost he ought to have done with these men, when thus brought into his hand, was to make them prisoners of war. 2 Kings 2:12, 2 Kings 5:13, 2 Kings 8:9, 2 Kings 13:14

shall: 1 Samuel 24:4, 1 Samuel 24:19, 1 Samuel 26:8, Luke 9:54-56, Luke 22:49

Reciprocal: Judges 17:10 - a father Judges 18:19 - a father Matthew 23:9 - call Mark 6:20 - feared

Cross-References

Job 38:41
Who prepares for a raven his provision, || When his young ones cry to God? They wander without food."
Job 40:20
For mountains bear food for him, || And all the beasts of the field play there.
Psalms 35:6
Their way is darkness and slipperiness, || And a messenger of YHWH—their pursuer.
Psalms 136:25
Giving food to all flesh, || For His kindness [is] for all time.
Psalms 145:16
Opening Your hand, and satisfying || The desire of every living thing.
Psalms 147:9
Giving to the beast its food, || To the young of the ravens that call.
Matthew 6:26
Look to the birds of the sky, for they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into storehouses, and your heavenly Father nourishes them; are you not much better than they?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them,.... The Syrian army thus in his hands:

my father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? he speaks with great reverence and respect to the prophet, whom at other times he neglected and despised; and the repetition of his words shows the eagerness of his mind to fall upon his enemy when they where at a disadvantage.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

My father - A term of respect used by Jehoram in his joy at seeing an army of Syrians delivered up to him by the prophet. That the king’s character was not changed appears from 2 Kings 6:31-32.

Shall I smite them? shall I smite them? - The repetition of the words mean, “Shall I utterly smite them?” Compare similar repetitions with similar meanings in Genesis 22:17; Luke 22:15.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 6:21. My father, shall I smite — This was dastardly; the utmost he could have done with these men, when thus brought into his hand, was to make them prisoners of war.


 
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