{N}6,{/}32 In this place the narrative seems to be somewhat incoherent: the king of Israel, who is not named, lays the blame of the tragic situation in which he is involved to Elisha. He wants to kill him but later, without transition, he changes and consults him. Ancient times prophets played a difficult role: what was expected of them was to transmit to the king words of God that were favorable, as was the case in all the countries of the Middle East. And the prophets knew the art of telling what was pleasing to the kings, without ever endangering themselves. The prophet of Israel, on the contrary, follows a spirit that is not subject to bribery. His being rooted in the people, and in a special way in a world of needy people, as was the case of the "children of the prophets" that we see around him in the preceding chapters, helps him to remain independent and critical.

