This verse shows the earnestness of seeking help from God in all matters, big or small.
When the scripture tells us, “But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, ‘Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.’” (v.5), it captures a tense moment during a construction project by the sons of the prophets. These young prophets, under the guidance of Elisha, had gone to the Jordan River to cut down timber for a new dwelling place, because the previous one had become too small. The Jordan River, which flows from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the Dead Sea in the south, is a critical landmark in Israel’s geography, and many miraculous events occurred around its waters (Joshua 3:14-17). This immediate predicament of the lost axe head becomes more than a practical concern—it highlights the reliance on God’s provision and the anxiety of losing something that did not belong to the worker.
Elisha, who ministered primarily in the northern kingdom of Israel around the mid-to-late 9th century BC, was seen as one of the central prophets following the ministry of Elijah (2 Kings 2:9-14). By the era of 2 Kings 6, Elisha had performed numerous miracles, affirming his role as God’s servant and pointing Israel back to faithfulness toward the Lord. In “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.” (v.5), we see the student deeply concerned over the borrowed tool. This detail underscores how important communal belongings were to members of the prophetic community, who often lived modestly and relied on shared resources.
When the axe head unexpectedly separated from the handle and sank, it demonstrated the precarious nature of the group’s endeavor and their need for divine intervention, which Elisha would miraculously provide in the verses that follow (2 Kings 6:6-7). The story resonates with later New Testament principles of relying on God’s power to restore what is lost. Jesus Himself would perform miracles that met practical needs, revealing compassion in tangible ways (Mark 6:35-44). In this passage, we see a foreshadowing that every aspect of life, from the spiritual to the mundane, can be touched by God’s redemptive work.
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2 Kings 6:5 meaning
When the scripture tells us, “But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, ‘Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.’” (v.5), it captures a tense moment during a construction project by the sons of the prophets. These young prophets, under the guidance of Elisha, had gone to the Jordan River to cut down timber for a new dwelling place, because the previous one had become too small. The Jordan River, which flows from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the Dead Sea in the south, is a critical landmark in Israel’s geography, and many miraculous events occurred around its waters (Joshua 3:14-17). This immediate predicament of the lost axe head becomes more than a practical concern—it highlights the reliance on God’s provision and the anxiety of losing something that did not belong to the worker.
Elisha, who ministered primarily in the northern kingdom of Israel around the mid-to-late 9th century BC, was seen as one of the central prophets following the ministry of Elijah (2 Kings 2:9-14). By the era of 2 Kings 6, Elisha had performed numerous miracles, affirming his role as God’s servant and pointing Israel back to faithfulness toward the Lord. In “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.” (v.5), we see the student deeply concerned over the borrowed tool. This detail underscores how important communal belongings were to members of the prophetic community, who often lived modestly and relied on shared resources.
When the axe head unexpectedly separated from the handle and sank, it demonstrated the precarious nature of the group’s endeavor and their need for divine intervention, which Elisha would miraculously provide in the verses that follow (2 Kings 6:6-7). The story resonates with later New Testament principles of relying on God’s power to restore what is lost. Jesus Himself would perform miracles that met practical needs, revealing compassion in tangible ways (Mark 6:35-44). In this passage, we see a foreshadowing that every aspect of life, from the spiritual to the mundane, can be touched by God’s redemptive work.