2 Kings 6:31Then he said, "God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stay on him this day."
The setting
Samaria, Israel, ~850 BC. The capital city is under brutal siege by Syria. People are starving, eating their own children. The king tears his clothes in anguish and blames God's prophet.
The emotion here: desperate rage mixed with helplessness
The original word
kōh (כֹּה) — 'thus' or 'so' — the formal oath formula invoking divine punishment
Why it matters
Syrian siege warfare included cutting off all food supplies until cities surrendered or died
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Kings 6:31
The king is making a divine oath AGAINST God's prophet while asking God to punish him if he fails
Common misconceptionPeople think this king was evil, but he was actually trying to follow God's law by consulting the prophet. His rage came from feeling that God had abandoned them despite their obedience.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Kings 6:31
Bible Genome reading
2 Kings 6:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Kings 6:31 comes from the book of 2 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to king of Israel. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include misplaced blame, oath of vengeance. Notable phrases: God do so to me; head of Elisha. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does 2 Kings 6:31 mean to you, today?
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