2 Kings 6:6
New International Version
The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float.

New Living Translation
“Where did it fall?” the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface.

English Standard Version
Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float.

Berean Standard Bible
“Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.

King James Bible
And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

New King James Version
So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.

New American Standard Bible
Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float.

NASB 1995
Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float.

NASB 1977
Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and made the iron float.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float.

Amplified Bible
The man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron [axe head] float.

Christian Standard Bible
Then the man of God asked, “Where did it fall? ” When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a piece of wood, threw it there, and made the iron float.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.

American Standard Version
And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Prophet of God said to him: “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place, and he cut off wood and threw it there, and the iron floated.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the man of God said, Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place: and he broke off a stick, and threw it in there, and the iron came to the surface.

Contemporary English Version
"Where did it fall in?" Elisha asked. The prophet pointed to the place, and Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. The ax head floated to the top of the water.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the man of God said: Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and cast it in thither: and the iron swam.

English Revised Version
And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed Elisha the place, Elisha cut off a piece of wood. He threw it into the water at that place and made the ax head float.

Good News Translation
"Where did it fall?" Elisha asked. The man showed him the place, and Elisha cut off a stick, threw it in the water, and made the ax head float.

International Standard Version
The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he was shown the place, he cut off a branch, tossed it there, and made the iron axe head float.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the man of God said: 'Where fell it?' And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim.

Literal Standard Version
And the man of God says, “To where has it fallen?” And he shows him the place, and he cuts a stick, and casts [it] there, and causes the iron to swim,

Majority Standard Bible
“Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.

New American Bible
“Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. When he pointed out the spot, Elisha cut off a stick, threw it into the water, and brought the iron to the surface.

NET Bible
The prophet asked, "Where did it drop in?" When he showed him the spot, Elisha cut off a branch, threw it in at that spot, and made the ax head float.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and made the iron float.

New Heart English Bible
The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron floated.

World English Bible
The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.

Young's Literal Translation
And the man of God saith, 'Whither hath it fallen?' and he sheweth him the place, and he cutteth a stick, and casteth thither, and causeth the iron to swim,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Axhead Floats
5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!” 6“Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float. 7“Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.…

Cross References
Exodus 15:25
And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,

2 Kings 2:21
and Elisha went out to the spring, cast the salt into it, and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or unfruitfulness.'"

2 Kings 4:41
Then Elisha said, "Get some flour." He threw it into the pot and said, "Pour it out for the people to eat." And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

2 Kings 6:5
As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. "Oh, my master," he cried out, "it was borrowed!"

2 Kings 6:7
"Lift it out," he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.


Treasury of Scripture

And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

2 Kings 2:21
And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.

2 Kings 4:41
But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

Exodus 15:25
And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

Jump to Previous
Cast Casteth Causeth Cut Cutteth Cutting Elisha Fall Fallen Fell Float Floated Iron Shewed Sheweth Showed Stick Swim Thither Threw Top Water Whither
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Cast Casteth Causeth Cut Cutteth Cutting Elisha Fall Fallen Fell Float Floated Iron Shewed Sheweth Showed Stick Swim Thither Threw Top Water Whither
2 Kings 6
1. Elisha, allowing the young prophets to enlarge dwellings, floats an axhead
8. He discloses the king of Syria's counsel
13. The army which was sent to Dothan to apprehend Elisha, is blinded
19. Being brought into Samaria, they are dismissed in peace
24. The famine in Samaria causes women to eat their own children
30. The king sends to slay Elisha














(6) Where.--Whereintof? or, Where fell it in?

The iron did swim.--He caused the iron to float. (Comp. Deuteronomy 11:4 for the verb.) The iron ax-head did not swim, but simply rose to the surface. It had fallen in near the bank. Elisha's throwing in the stick was a symbolical act, intended to help the witnesses to realise that the coming up of the iron was not a natural, but a supernatural, event, brought about through the instrumentality of the prophet. As in the case of the salt thrown into the spring at Jericho, the symbol was appropriate to the occasion. It indicated that iron could be made to float like wood by the sovereign power of Jehovah. The properties of material substances depend on His will for their fixity, and may be suspended or modified at His pleasure. The moral of this little story is that God helps in small personal troubles as well as in great ones of larger scope. His providence cares for the individual as well as the race.

Verse 6. - And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Two natural explanations of this miracle have been attempted:

(1) that Elisha passed a piece of wood underneath the axe-head, which he could see lying at the bottom of the river, and then lifted it up to the surface (Von Gerlach);

(2) that he thrust a stick or bar of wood through the hole in the axe-head, made to receive the haft, and so pulled it out (Thenins). But both explanations do violence to the text; and we may be sure that, had either been true, the occurrence would not have been recorded. The sacred writers are not concerned to put on record mere acts of manual dexterity.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Where
אָ֣נָה (’ā·nāh)
Interrogative
Strong's 575: Where?, whither?, when?, hither and thither

did it fall?”
נָפָ֑ל (nā·p̄āl)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

asked
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

the man
אִישׁ־ (’îš-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of God.
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

And when he showed
וַיַּרְאֵ֙הוּ֙ (way·yar·’ê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

him the place,
הַמָּק֔וֹם (ham·mā·qō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

the man of God cut
וַיִּקְצָב־ (way·yiq·ṣāḇ-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7094: To cut off, shear

a stick,
עֵץ֙ (‘êṣ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood

threw
וַיַּשְׁלֶךְ־ (way·yaš·leḵ-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7993: To throw out, down, away

it there,
שָׁ֔מָּה (šām·māh)
Adverb | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

and made the iron
הַבַּרְזֶֽל׃ (hab·bar·zel)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1270: Iron, an iron implement

float.
וַיָּ֖צֶף (way·yā·ṣep̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6687: To flow, overflow


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OT History: 2 Kings 6:6 The man of God asked Where did (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 6:5
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