KJV ORIGINAL
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
While he was still talking with them, the messenger arrived. The king said, 'Look, this disaster comes from the LORD. Why should I keep waiting for the LORD to help?'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The king is expressing his frustration and loss of faith, saying that since God has allowed this terrible situation, there's no point in waiting for God's help anymore.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during a severe famine in Samaria while the city was under siege by the Syrian army. The king of Israel had initially blamed the prophet Elisha for the crisis and sent a messenger to kill him. The situation was so desperate that people were resorting to cannibalism to survive.
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