2 Kings 6:33

Contextual Overview

²⁴Some time later, King Ben-hadad of Aram brought all his military units together and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. ²⁴ It happened after this, that Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Shomron. ²⁴ And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. ²⁴ Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. ²⁴ Later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered his whole army and surrounded and attacked Samaria. ²⁴ Later King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled his entire army and attacked and besieged Samaria. ²⁴But it came about after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram (Syria) gathered his whole army together and went up and besieged Samaria. ²⁴ Now it came about after this, that Ben-hadad the king of Aram gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. ²⁴ But afterward Ben-hadad King of Aram gathered all his hoste, and went vp, and besieged Samaria. ²⁴Now it happened afterwards, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his military camp and went up and besieged Samaria.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

this evil is of the Lord: Genesis 4:13, Exodus 16:6-8, 1 Samuel 28:6-8, 1 Samuel 31:4, Job 1:11, Job 1:21, Job 2:5, Job 2:9, Proverbs 19:3, Isaiah 8:21, Jeremiah 2:25, Ezekiel 33:10, Matthew 27:4, Matthew 27:5, 2 Corinthians 2:7, 2 Corinthians 2:11, Revelation 16:9-11

wait for the: Psalms 27:14, Psalms 37:7, Psalms 37:9, Psalms 62:5, Isaiah 8:17, Isaiah 26:3, Isaiah 50:10, Lamentations 3:25, Lamentations 3:26, Habakkuk 2:3, Luke 18:1

Reciprocal: Judges 14:4 - it was of the Lord 1 Samuel 28:7 - Seek me 2 Kings 3:10 - the Lord 2 Kings 7:1 - Elisha said 2 Kings 7:13 - they are even Job 15:22 - He believeth not Psalms 107:12 - and there Jeremiah 18:12 - There Amos 6:10 - Hold

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And while he yet talked with them,.... Elisha with the elders:

behold, the messenger came down unto him; sent by the king:

and he said; either the messenger in the king's name, or rather the king, who was at his heels, and came to the door before the messenger was let in, who was detained; and therefore it is most probable the king went in first; for that was the intention of Elisha in holding the messenger, not to save his own life, but that the king, who was following, might hear what he had to say; and whom he advised to wait for the Lord, and his appearance, for deliverance: in answer to which he said,

behold, this evil is of the Lord, what should I wait for the Lord any longer? this calamity is from him, and he is determined upon the ruin of my people, and there is no hope; this he said as despairing, and so resolving to hold out the siege no longer.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The messenger - It has been proposed to change “messenger” into “king,” the two words being in Hebrew nearly alike, and the speech with which the chapter ends being considered only suitable in the mouth of the king, whose presence is indicated in 2 Kings 7:2, 2 Kings 7:17. Others think that the words “and the king after him” have fallen out of the text.

Came down - The messenger came down from off the wall to the level of the streets.

Behold this evil ... - Jehoram bursts into the prophet’s presence with a justification of the sentence 2 Kings 6:31 he has pronounced against him. “Behold this evil - this siege with all its horrors - is from Yahweh - from Yahweh, Whose prophet thou art. Why should I wait for Yahweh - temporize with Him - keep as it were, on terms with Him by suffering thee to live - any longer? What hast thou to say in arrest of judgment?”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 6:33. Behold, this evil is of the Lord — It is difficult to know whether it be the prophet, the messenger, or the king, that says these words. It might be the answer of the prophet from within to the messenger who was without, and who sought for admission, and gave his reason; to whom Elisha might have replied: "I am not the cause of these calamities; they are from the Lord; I have been praying for their removal; but why should I pray to the Lord any longer, for the time of your deliverance is at hand?" And then Elisha said, - see the 2 Kings 7:0, where the removal of the calamity is foretold in the most explicit manner; and indeed the chapter is unhappily divided from this. The seventh chapter should have begun with 2 Kings 6:24 of this chapter, as, by the present division, the story is unnaturally interrupted.

How natural is it for men to lay the cause of their suffering on any thing or person but themselves! Ahab's iniquity was sufficient to have brought down God's displeasure on a whole nation; and yet he takes no blame to himself, but lays all on the prophet, who was the only salt that preserved the whole nation from corruption. How few take their sins to themselves! and till they do this, they cannot be true penitents; nor can they expect God's wrath to be averted till they feel themselves the chief of sinners.