2 Kings 6:5 (ASV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

2 Kings 6:3 And one said, Be pleased, I pray thee, to go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

2 Kings 6:4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.

2 Kings 6:5 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.

2 Kings 6:6 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 made the iron to swim.

2 Kings 6:7 And he said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand, and took it.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "felling", "beam", "axe-head", "water", "cried", "said", and "alas". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "felling" and "beam", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "So he went with them And when..." into verse 6's "And the man of God said Where...", so "felling" and "beam" belong inside that flow. In 2 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "felling" and "beam" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.