2nd Kings Chapter 6 verse 5 Holy Bible
But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water; and he cried, and said, Alas, my master! for it was borrowed.
read chapter 6 in ASV
But one of them, while cutting a board, let the head of his axe go into the water; and he gave a cry, and said, This is a bad business, my master, for it is another's.
read chapter 6 in BBE
And it came to pass as one was felling a beam, that the iron fell into the water; and he cried and said, Alas, master, and it was borrowed!
read chapter 6 in DARBY
But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
read chapter 6 in KJV
But as one was felling a beam, the ax head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
read chapter 6 in WBT
But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried, and said, Alas, my master! for it was borrowed.
read chapter 6 in WEB
and it cometh to pass, the one is felling the beam, and the iron hath fallen into the water, and he crieth and saith, `Alas! my lord, and it asked!'
read chapter 6 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 5. - But as one was felling a beam - i.e. a tree, to make it into a beam - the axe-head; literally, the iron. We see from Deuteronomy 19:5 that the Hebrews made their axe-heads of iron as early as the time of Moses. They probably learnt to smelt and work iron in Egypt. Fell into the water. The tree must have been one that grew close to the river's edge. As the man hewed away at the stem a little above the root, the axe-head flew from the haft, into which it was insecurely fitted, and fell into the water. The slipping of an axe-head was a very common occurrence (Deuteronomy 19:5), and ordinarily was of little consequence, since it was easily restored to its place. But now the head had disappeared. And he cried, and said, Alas, master! - rather, Alas, my master! or, Alas, my lord! - for it was borrowed; rather, and it was a borrowed one. The words are part of the man's address to Elisha. He means to say, "It is no common misfortune; it is not as if it had been my own axe. I had borrowed it, and now what shall I say to the owner?" There is no direct request for help, but the tone of the complaint constitutes a sort of silent appeal.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5) But.--Heb., and it came to pass, the one was felling the beam. Not necessarily "the one" of 2Kings 6:3, but the one (whoever it was) to whom the mishap occurred, as presently related.The ax head fell.--Heb., and as for the iron, it fell. The subject of the verb is made prominent by being put first in the accusative. It is thus implied that something happened to the iron. Perhaps, however, it is better to consider that the particle, which usually marks the object of the verb, in cases like the present has its etymological meaning of "something" ('eth being regarded as equivalent to yath, and so to y?sh). (See Winer, Chaldaische Grammatik, ed. Fischer.)Master!--My lord, Elisha. He instinctively appeals to Elisha for help.For it was borrowed.--Heb., and that one was borrowed. Vulg., "et hoc ipsum mutuo acceperam."
