The Meaning of 2 Kings 6:2 Explained

2 Kings 6:2

KJV: Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

YLT: let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and we take thence each one beam, and we make for ourselves there a place to dwell there;' and he saith, 'Go.'

Darby: Let us go, we pray thee, to the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he said, Go.

ASV: Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Let us go,  we pray thee, unto Jordan,  and take  thence every man  a  beam,  and let us make  us a place  there, where we may dwell.  And he answered,  Go  ye. 

What does 2 Kings 6:2 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 6:1-13 - The Servant Of The Lord Of Battles
To us, the first of these miracles may appear somewhat trivial, but we must remember the value of an iron axe-head at that time, the inconvenience and delay caused to the builders, and the slur accruing to religion if it were irreparably lost. The story shows how keen was the sympathy of the great prophet for a poor man overtaken by an ordinary trouble, and how ready Elisha was to seek the help of God to redress the mischief. See John 2:1-14. It is right to go to God about matters of this kind, as well as greater issues. What wonders faith can do! Hearts may be as heavy as lead at the bottom of the stream, but when a splinter of the Cross of Calvary is inserted, they rise to the surface and swim.
The king believed that Elisha could wield superhuman power and knowledge, yet he thought to secure him with chariots and horses. He acknowledged that Elisha was a servant of the Most High God, yet he expected to take him captive, by sending a mighty host! To such folly men descend when they begin to fight against the Most High! [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 6:2 mean?

Let us go please to the Jordan and let take from there [every] man beam a and let us make to there a place where we may dwell There so he answered go
נֵֽלְכָה־ נָּ֣א עַד־ הַיַּרְדֵּ֗ן וְנִקְחָ֤ה מִשָּׁם֙ אִ֚ישׁ קוֹרָ֣ה אֶחָ֔ת וְנַעֲשֶׂה־ לָּ֥נוּ שָׁ֛ם מָק֖וֹם לָשֶׁ֣בֶת שָׁ֑ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֵֽכוּ

נֵֽלְכָה־  Let  us  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
נָּ֣א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
הַיַּרְדֵּ֗ן  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
וְנִקְחָ֤ה  and  let  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִשָּׁם֙  from  there 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
אִ֚ישׁ  [every]  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
קוֹרָ֣ה  beam 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קֹורָה  
Sense: rafter, beam.
וְנַעֲשֶׂה־  and  let  us  make 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
מָק֖וֹם  a  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
לָשֶׁ֣בֶת  where  we  may  dwell 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר  so  he  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לֵֽכוּ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.