KJV ORIGINAL
Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Then he said, 'May God punish me severely if Elisha son of Shaphat keeps his head on his shoulders by the end of today.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The king is making a furious oath that he will have the prophet Elisha executed before the day is over.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during a severe famine in Samaria while the city was under siege by the Syrian army. The king of Israel blamed the prophet Elisha for their desperate situation, even though it was actually God's judgment. The phrase 'God do so and more also to me' was a common ancient oath formula used to emphasize the seriousness of one's promise.
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