2nd Kings Chapter 6 verse 21 Holy Bible

ASV 2ndKings 6:21

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
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BBE 2ndKings 6:21

And the king of Israel, when he saw them, said to Elisha, My father, am I to put them to the sword?
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DARBY 2ndKings 6:21

And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite? shall I smite [them]?
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KJV 2ndKings 6:21

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
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WBT 2ndKings 6:21

And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
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WEB 2ndKings 6:21

The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I strike them? shall I strike them?
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YLT 2ndKings 6:21

And the king of Israel saith unto Elisha, at his seeing them, `Do I smite -- do I smite -- my father?'
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Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 21. - And the King of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father. In his joy at the deliverance of so large a force of the enemy into his hands, Jehoram forgets the coldness and estrangement which have hitherto characterized the relations between himself and the prophet (2 Kings 3:11-14; 2 Kings 5:8), and salutes him by the honorable title of "father," which implied respect, deference, submission. Compare the use of the same expression by Joash (2 Kings 13:14), and the employment of the correlative term "son" (2 Kings 8:9) by Berthadad. Shall I smite them? shall I smite them? The repetition marks extreme eagerness, while the interrogative form shows a certain amount of hesitation. It is certain that the Israelites were in the habit of putting to death their prisoners of war, not only when they were captured with arms in their hands, but even when they surrendered themselves. When a city or country was conquered, the whole male population of full age was commonly put to death (Numbers 31:7; 1 Samuel 15:8; 1 Kings 11:15; 1 Chronicles 20:3, etc.). When a third part was spared, it was from some consideration of relationship (2 Samuel 8:2). The Law distinctly allowed, if it did not even enjoin, the practice (Deuteronomy 20:13). Jehoram, therefore, no doubt, put his prisoners of war to death under ordinary circumstances. But he hesitates now. He feels that the case is an extraordinary one, and that the prophet, who has made the capture, is entitled to be consulted on the subject. Hence his question.

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(21) My father.--Comp. 2Kings 2:12; 2Kings 8:9 ("Thy son Ben-hadad"), 2Kings 13:14.Shall I smite them,? shall I smite them?--Or, May I smite? may I smite, my father? The repetition expresses the king's eagerness to slay his powerless enemies. He asks the prophet's permission. (Comp. 2Kings 4:7.)