American Standard Version
2 Kings 8:13
13And Hazael said, But what is thy servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, Jehovah hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.
2 Kings 8:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.
- New International Version (NIV)Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a feat?” “The Lord has shown me that you will become king of Aram,” answered Elisha.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Hazael said, "What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has shown me that you are to be king over Syria."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Hazael said, “But what is your servant—a dog, that he should do this gross thing?” And Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you will become king over Syria.”
Context of 2 Kings 8:13
11And he settled his countenance stedfastly upon him, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept. 12And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their women with child. And Hazael said, But what is thy servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, Jehovah hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. 14Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou wouldest surely recover. 15And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
Read all of 2 Kings 82 Kings 8:13 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חֲזָהאֵ֔ל כִּ֣י מָ֤ה עַבְדְּךָ֙ הַכֶּ֔לֶב כִּ֣י יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה הַדָּבָ֥ר הַגָּד֖וֹל הַזֶּ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלִישָׁ֔ע הִרְאַ֧נִי יְהוָ֛ה אֹתְךָ֖ מֶ֥לֶךְ עַל־אֲרָֽם׃Read the interlinear
- Hazaelחֲזָהאֵלchăzâ'êl chăzâh'êl · HazaelH2371
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- dogכֶּ֫לֶבkeleb · dogH3611
- greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- Elishaאֱלִישָׁע'ĕlîyshâ‛ · ElishaH477
- showedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
Cross-references for 2 Kings 8:13
- 1 Samuel 17:43And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
- 2 Samuel 9:8And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
- Psalms 22:16For dogs have compassed me: A company of evil-doers have inclosed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.
- Isaiah 56:10His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
- Matthew 7:6Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.
- Philippians 3:2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision:
- Revelation 22:15Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie.
- Jeremiah 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?
- Matthew 26:33But Peter answered and said unto him, If all shall be offended in thee, I will never be offended.
- 2 Kings 8:10And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou shalt surely recover; howbeit Jehovah hath showed me that he shall surely die.
- 1 Kings 19:15And Jehovah said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;
- Micah 2:1Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 8:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great things - I believe this verse to be wrongly interpreted by the general run of commentators. It is generally understood that Hazael was struck with horror at the prediction; that these cruelties were most alien from his mind; that he then felt distressed and offended at the imputation of such evils to him; and yet, so little did he know his own heart, that when he got power, and had opportunity…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13But what, is thy servant a dog? - This is a mistranslation, and conveys to the English reader a sense quite different from that of the original. Hazael‘s speech runs thus - “But what is thy servant, this dog, that he should do this great thing?” He does not shrink from Elisha‘s words, or mean to say that he would be a dog, could he act so cruelly as Elisha predicts he will. On the contrary, Elisha‘s prediction has raised his hopes, and his only doubt is…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-15Verses 7-15 Among other changes of men's minds by affliction, it often gives other thoughts of God's ministers, and teaches to value the counsels and prayers of those whom they have hated and despised. It was not in Hazael's countenance that Elisha read what he would do, but God revealed it to him, and it fetched tears from his eyes: the more foresight men have, the more grief they are liable to. It is possible for a man, under the convictions and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13a mere dog: In the ancient Near East, people viewed dogs as scavengers and held them in low regard. King Shalmaneser III of Assyria noted in his records, “Hazael, son of a nobody, seized the throne.”Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 8:13
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries