2 Kings 3:13

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No, because it is the LORD who has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab."

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלִישָׁ֜ע אֶל־מֶ֤לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מַה־לִּ֣י וָלָ֔ךְ לֵ֚ךְ אֶל־נְבִיאֵ֣י אָבִ֔יךָ וְאֶל־נְבִיאֵ֖י אִמֶּ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַ֗ל כִּֽי־קָרָ֤א יְהוָה֙ לִשְׁלֹ֙שֶׁת֙ הַמְּלָכִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה לָתֵ֥ת אוֹתָ֖ם בְּיַד־מוֹאָֽב׃

Transliteration

wa-yōʾmer ʾĔlîšāʿ to-king-of-Yiśrāʾēl, what-to-me and-to-you? go to-prophets-of your-father and-to-prophets-of your-mother. wa-yōʾmer to-him king-of-Yiśrāʾēl, ʾal, for-qārāʾ YHWH for-three ha-mĕlākîm ha-ʾēlleh to-give ʾôtām into-hand-of-Môʾāb.

Grammar Details

• *wa-yōʾmer*: conjunction + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *ʾĔlîšāʿ*: proper name - Elisha
• *Yiśrāʾēl*: proper name - Israel
• *mah-lî wā-lāk*: interrogative + preposition + 1st singular suffix + conjunction + preposition + 2nd masculine singular suffix - what to me and to you?
• *lēk*: qal imperative, masculine singular - go
• *nĕbîʾê*: masculine plural construct - prophets of
• *ʾal*: negative particle - do not/no
• *qārāʾ*: qal perfect, 3rd masculine singular - he has called
• *YHWH*: divine name - LORD/Yahweh
• *šĕlōšet*: cardinal number, construct - three of
• *ha-mĕlākîm*: definite article + masculine plural noun - the kings
• *ha-ʾēlleh*: definite article + demonstrative pronoun - these
• *lātēt*: preposition + qal infinitive construct - to give
• *ʾôtām*: direct object marker + 3rd masculine plural suffix - them
• *Môʾāb*: proper name - Moab

Word Meanings

• *mah-lî wā-lāk*: what have I to do with you?/why are you coming to me?
• *lēk*: go/depart
• *ʾal*: no/do not [say that]
• *qārāʾ*: called/summoned/brought together

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." And the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Elisha{H477} said{H559} unto the king{H4428} of Israel,{H3478} What have I to do with thee? get{H3212} thee to the prophets{H5030} of thy father,{H1} and to the prophets{H5030} of thy mother.{H517} And the king{H4428} of Israel{H3478} said{H559} unto him, Nay; for Jehovah{H3068} hath called{H7121} these three{H7969} kings{H4428} together{H7121} to deliver{H5414} them into the hand{H3027} of Moab.{H4124}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Elisha{H477} said{H559}{(H8799)} unto the king{H4428} of Israel{H3478}, What have I to do with thee? get{H3212}{(H8798)} thee to the prophets{H5030} of thy father{H1}, and to the prophets{H5030} of thy mother{H517}. And the king{H4428} of Israel{H3478} said{H559}{(H8799)} unto him, Nay: for the LORD{H3068} hath called{H7121} these three{H7969} kings{H4428} together{H7121}{(H8804)}, to deliver{H5414}{(H8800)} them into the hand{H3027} of Moab{H4124}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But Eliseus sayde vnto the kynge of Israel: What hast thou to do wt me? go to the prophetes of thy father & to yi mothers prophetes. The kinge of Israel saide vnto him: No, for ye LORDE hath called these thre kynges, to delyuer them in to the handes of the Moabites.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And Elisha sayde vnto the King of Israel, What haue I to doe with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother; the King of Israel saide vnto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three Kings, to giue them into the hande of Moab.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And Elias saide vnto the king of Israel: What haue I to do with thee? Get thee to the prophetes of thy father, & to the prophetes of thy mother. And the king of Israel saide vnto him, Oh naye: for the Lorde hath called these three kinges together, to deliuer them into the hand of Moab.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? get you to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother. The king of Israel said to him, No; for Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And Elisha saith unto the king of Israel, `What -- to me and to thee? go unto the prophets of thy father, and unto the prophets of thy mother;' and the king of Israel saith to him, `Nay, for Jehovah hath called for these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay; for Jehovah hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay; for Jehovah hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  But Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? go to the prophets of your father and your mother. And the king of Israel said, No; for the Lord has got these three kings together to give them up into the hands of Moab.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother." The king of Israel said to him, "No; for Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Elisha said to the king of Israel,“Why are you here? Go to your father’s prophets or your mother’s prophets!” The king of Israel replied to him,“No, for the LORD is the one who summoned these three kings so that he can hand them over to Moab.”

Referenced Verses

• 1 Kgs 18:19 : 19 Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table.
• 1 Kgs 22:6 : 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, 'Should I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?' They said, 'Go up, and the Lord will give it into the king’s hands.'
• 1 Kgs 22:10-11 : 10 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were sitting on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance to the gate of Samaria, while all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 11 Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, 'This is what the LORD says: With these, you will gore the Arameans until they are completely destroyed.'
• 1 Kgs 22:22-25 : 22 ‘By what means?’ the LORD asked. 'I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. The LORD replied, 'You will succeed in enticing him. Go and do it.' 23 So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has decreed disaster for you. 24 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah on the cheek and demanded, 'Which way did the spirit of the LORD go when he left me to speak to you?' 25 Micaiah replied, 'You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.'
• 2 Kgs 3:10 : 10 Then the king of Israel said, "Alas! The LORD has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab."
• Prov 1:28 : 28 Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will seek me earnestly, but they will not find me.
• Jer 2:27-28 : 27 They say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’ They have turned their backs to me and not their faces. Yet in their time of trouble, they will say, ‘Arise and save us!’ 28 But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise and save you in your time of trouble, if they can. For as many as your cities are your gods, Judah.
• Ezek 14:3-5 : 3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and placed the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I really let myself be consulted by them? 4 Therefore, speak to them and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Any man from the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face and then comes to the prophet—I, the LORD, will answer him myself in keeping with the multitude of his idols.' 5 So that I may seize the house of Israel by their hearts, because they have all turned away from me through their idols.
• Hos 6:1 : 1 Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has struck us down, but He will bind us up.
• Matt 8:29 : 29 Suddenly they shouted, 'What do You want with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the appointed time?'
• John 2:4 : 4 Jesus said to her, 'Woman, what does this have to do with me? My time has not yet come.'
• 2 Cor 5:16 : 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Even though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
• 2 Cor 6:15 : 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
• Deut 32:37-39 : 37 And He will say: 'Where are their gods? The rock they sought refuge in? 38 The ones who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let them be your shelter! 39 See now that I, I alone, am He, and there is no god besides Me. I put to death and I bring to life, I wound and I heal, and no one can deliver out of My hand.
• Judg 10:14 : 14 'Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble!'
• Ruth 1:15 : 15 Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Return with her."