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1.1 KiB
behold, the messenger
The word "behold" alerts us to the arrival of the messenger.
the messenger came down to him
The messenger arrived, and so did the king, as Elisha had said he would. The phrase "came down to him" means that they arrived at the place where he was. Alternate translation: "the messenger and the king arrived" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom)
Behold
"Pay attention, because what I am about to say is both true and important"
this trouble
"Indeed, this trouble." The word "behold" here adds emphasis to what follows. The phrase "this trouble" refers to the famine in Samaria and the suffering it caused.
Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?
This king use this rhetorical question to emphasize that he does not believe that Yahweh is going to help them. This can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "Why should I continue to wait for Yahweh to help us?" or "I will not wait any longer for help from Yahweh!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)