Pushed to the absolute brink of human endurance by a horrific famine, a king discovers that starving mothers have resorted to eating their own children. Overwhelmed by deep grief and rage, he reaches a breaking point and directs his fury at the prophet Elisha, swearing to execute him immediately. The king uses a severe oath, threatening to accept a punishment upon himself if he fails to carry out his word, though he does not specify the exact penalty [מצודת דוד]. Some commentators explain that the king wishes upon himself the same horrific fate as the woman who ate her son, and even worse, if he does not kill the prophet [אלשיך, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, his oath means that even if God punishes him and makes his already desperate situation worse, he absolutely will not back down from ensuring Elisha is beheaded today [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
The primary approach among commentators is that the king blames Elisha because the prophet has the power to pray and ask God for mercy to stop the famine, yet he chooses not to act. Instead, Elisha seems to ignore the people's suffering and might even be speaking against them before God [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Other commentators point to an additional layer of anger, rooting the blame in Elisha's direct responsibility for the crisis. It was Elisha who originally decreed a severe seven-year famine on the land. The king compares Elisha to his teacher, Elijah, remembering that Elijah only decreed a drought for three years before finally praying for rain. Elisha, however, shows no mercy for his people and refuses to pray for them, even when they are driven to eat their own children [רלב״ג, אברבנאל].
The king's anger also stems from a deep military and strategic frustration. A short time earlier, Elisha had commanded the king not to kill a captured Aramean army, but rather to host a large feast for them. Now, those very same Arameans whom the king fed are the ones besieging the city and starving the Israelites to death. The king deeply regrets listening to the prophet and not striking the enemy down when he had the chance [אלשיך, חומת אנך].
Yet, despite issuing the execution order in a moment of profound sorrow, the king quickly rushes after the messenger he sent to kill the prophet. This sudden pursuit reveals his regret. The king realizes that the terrible disaster is actually from God and that the prophet is not truly to blame. He arrives before Elisha in total despair and humility. Recognizing that a person is not held accountable for words spoken in the grip of blinding grief, the king comes hoping to finally find a solution to the tragedy [אלשיך].