2 Kings 6:5

But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
one	הָֽאֶחָד֙ ha.'e.Chad	H259	properly · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
felling	מַפִּ֣יל ma.Pil	H5307	to fall · verb, hiphil active participle, masculine singular absolute
beam	הַקּוֹרָ֔ה ha.ko.Rah	H6982	a rafter (forming trenches as it were) · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
head	הַבַּרְזֶ֖ל ha.bar.Zel	H1270	iron (as cutting) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
fell	נָפַ֣ל na.Fal	H5307	to fall · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
water	הַמָּ֑יִם ha.Ma.yim	H4325	water · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
cried	וַיִּצְעַ֥ק vai.yitz.'Ak	H6817	to shriek · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
said	וַיֹּ֛אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Alas	אֲהָ֥הּ 'a.Hah	H162	Oh! · interjection
master	אֲדֹנִ֖י 'a.do.Ni	H113	sovereign · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
borrowed	שָׁאֽוּל sha.'Ul	H7592	to inquire · verb, qal passive participle, masculine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

2 Kings 3:10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
2 Kings 6:15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. An…
Psalms 37:21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
Ecclesiastes 10:10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
Revelation 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgmen…
2 Kings 4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
Revelation 18:16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones,…
Revelation 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 6:1-7

Several things may be observed here, I. Concerning the sons of the prophets, and their condition and character. The college here spoken of seems to be that at Gilgal, for there Elisha was (Kg2 4:38), and it was near Jordan; and, probably, wherever Elisha resided as many as could of the sons of the prophets flocked to him for the advantage of his instructions, counsels, and prayers. Every one would covet to dwell with him and be near him. Those that would be teachers should lay out themselves to get the best advantages for learning. Now observe, 1. Their number increased so that they wanted room: The place is too strait for us (Kg2 6:1) - a good hearing, for it is a sign many are added to the…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 6:5

it was borrowed--literally, "begged." The scholar's distress arose from the consideration that it had been presented to him; and that, owing to his poverty, he could not procure another.

Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 6:5

Alas, master! for it was borrowed - אהה אדני והוא שאול ahah adonia, vehu shaul! Ah! ah, my master; and it has been sought. It has fallen in, and I have sought it in vain. Or, it was borrowed, and therefore I am the more afflicted for its loss; and Jarchi adds, I have nothing wherewith to repay it.

John Gill on 2 Kings 6:5

But as one was felling a beam,.... Cutting down a tree, or a branch of it: the axe head fell into the water: into the waters of Jordan; or "the iron" (d), the iron part of it, with which the wood was cut; that flew off from the helve into the water: and he cried, and said, alas, master! for it was borrowed: it grieved him to lose his axe, because he could do no more work, and the more because it was not his own, but he had borrowed it of his neighbour; and still more, because, as it seems, he was poor, and not able to pay for it, which, being of an honest disposition, gave him distress. (d) "ferrum", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.

The Church Fathers

This is a symbol signifying the fall of Adam. For water represents the type of sin. Indeed, through water, sin was redeemed by the deluge at the time of Noah and at the fulfillment of times. It was washed in the water of holy baptism by our Lord when he was baptized in the Jordan by John, when he was received and ate with sinners and in his passion was counted among the reprobates. The wood descended, the iron has emerged, because Emmanuel died, was buried and went down to the infernal regions of earth, and from there he has come back, and in his ascension he has lifted up Adam from the deep towards the heights.
— Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 6:5

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Axe — Used in the Authorized Version of Deut. 19:5; 20:19; 1 Kings 6:7, as the translation of a Hebrew word which means “chopping.” It was used for felling trees (Isa. 10:34) and hewing timber for…
Beam — Occurs in the Authorized Version as the rendering of various Hebrew words. In 1 Sam. 17:7, it means a weaver’s frame or principal beam; in Hab. 2:11, a crossbeam or girder; 2 Kings 6:2, 5, a…
Elisha — God his salvation, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, who became the attendant and disciple of Elijah (1 Kings 19:16-19). His name first occurs in the command given to Elijah to anoint him as his…
Iron — Tubal-Cain is the first-mentioned worker in iron (Gen. 4:22). The Egyptians wrought it at Sinai before the Exodus. David prepared it in great abundance for the temple (1 Chr. 22:3: 29:7). The…
Ax · Elisha — Elisha
Iron · Of greater gravity than water — Of greater gravity than water
Water · Miracles connected with: Iron made to swim in — Miracles connected with: Iron made to swim in

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

2 Kings 6:5

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 6:1-7

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 6:5

Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 6:5

John Gill on 2 Kings 6:5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

2 Kings 6:5

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 6:1-7

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 6:5

Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 6:5

John Gill on 2 Kings 6:5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Kings 6:5

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Kings 6:5

Rashi on 2 Kings 6:5