Elisha had called upon the people to repent and doubtless had made it clear to them that if they did not put away their sins and turn to the Lord with all their hearts, they might expect trouble and distress. The king was bitter against the prophet and now sought to place the blame on him for the continuance of the siege and famine. In doing so he followed the same course as had his brother Ahaziah, and his father Ahab (see on ch. 1:10). A man who was truly penitent would have worn sackcloth openly rather than in secret, and he would not have turned upon God’s prophet. Beheading was not an ordinary form of punishment among the Jews, but was common in Assyria and other neighboring nations. With his heart filled with bitterness and wrath, Joram now threatened Elisha with this horrible form of capital punishment.