2 Kings 8:12

2 Kings 8:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.
• New International Version (NIV)“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the harm you will do to the Israelites,” he answered. “You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Hazael said, "Why does my lord weep?" He answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses, and you will kill their young men with the sword and dash in pieces their little ones and rip open their pregnant women."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword; and you will dash their children, and rip open their women with child.”

Context of 2 Kings 8:12

10Elisha answered, ‘Go back to the king. Tell him, “Certainly, you will get well again.” But the Lord has shown me that the king will surely die.’ 11Then Elisha looked at him with open eyes until Hazael became ashamed. Then the man of God began to weep. So Hazael asked him, ‘Why are you weeping, my master?’ Elisha replied, ‘Because I know that you will cause great trouble for Israel's people. You will destroy their strong cities with fire. You will fight their young men and you will kill them. You will knock down their children to kill them. You will cut open their pregnant women.’ 13Hazael said, ‘I am only an ordinary man, sir. I am not more important than a dog! How could I ever do great things like that?’ Elisha answered, ‘The Lord has shown me that you will become the king of Syria.’ 14Then Hazael left Elisha. He returned to his master, the king. King Ben-Hadad asked him, ‘What did Elisha say to you?’ Hazael replied, ‘He told me that you will surely get well again.’

2 Kings 8:12 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חֲזָאֵ֔ל מַדּ֖וּעַ אֲדֹנִ֣י בֹכֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֡אמֶר כִּֽי־יָדַ֡עְתִּי אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂה֩ לִבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל רָעָ֗ה מִבְצְרֵיהֶ֞ם תְּשַׁלַּ֤ח בָּאֵשׁ֙ וּבַחֻֽרֵיהֶם֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב תַּהֲרֹ֔ג וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם תְּרַטֵּ֔שׁ וְהָרֹתֵיהֶ֖ם תְּבַקֵּֽעַ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Hazaelחֲזָהאֵלchăzâ'êl chăzâh'êl · HazaelH2371
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Why weepethבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• Because I knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• the evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
• that thou wilt doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• their strong holdsמִבְצָרmibtsâr mibtsârâh · fortificationH4013
• wilt thou setשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: burnH7971
• on fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• and their young menבָּחוּרbâchûr bâchûr · youthH970
• wilt thou slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• with the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• and wilt dashרָטַשׁrâţash · to dash in piecesH7376
• their childrenעוֹלֵל‛ôlêl ‛ôlâl · infantH5768
• and rip upבָּקַעbâqa‛ · to break up/openH1234
• their women with childהָרָהhâreh hârîy · pregnantH2030

Cross-references for 2 Kings 8:12

• 2 Kings 4:28The woman said, ‘My master, I did not ask you for a son, did I? I told you not to tell me lies. ’
• 1 Kings 18:13You know, sir, about what I did when Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets. I hid 100 prophets in two caves. I put 50 prophets in each cave. I gave them food and water.
• 2 Kings 10:32In those days, the Lord began to make Israel's land smaller. King Hazael of Syria could attack the Israelites anywhere in their land
• 2 Kings 12:17At that time, Hazael, the king of Syria, attacked Gath. His army took the city for him. Then King Hazael decided to attack Jerusalem.
• 2 Kings 13:3So the Lord was very angry with Israel. For many years the Lord put the Israelites under the power of King Hazael of Syria and his son Ben-Hadad.
• Amos 1:3The Lord says, ‘The people in Damascus have done more and more wrong things. So I will certainly punish them! They have been cruel to the people in Gilead. They used their iron weapons to tear them into pieces.
• 2 Kings 15:16At that time, when Menahem came from Tirzah, he attacked the city of Tiphsah. The people who lived there refused to let him go into their city. So he killed them all. He even cut open the pregnant women.
• Psalms 137:8People of Babylon, an army will soon destroy you! They will punish you in the same way that you punished us. May God bless whoever does that to you!
• Isaiah 13:16They will knock their children down in pieces while the parents watch. They will rob the people's homes. They will have sex with their wives.
• Hosea 10:14So you will soon hear the noise of war. Enemies will destroy all your strong buildings. It will be like the time that King Shalman's army destroyed Beth Arbel. In that battle, cruel soldiers killed mothers together with their children.
• Hosea 13:16Samaria's people are guilty and they will receive their punishment. They have turned against their God. They will die in war. Cruel enemies will kill their young children. Soldiers will cut open their pregnant women.
• Nahum 3:10But the enemies of Thebes took its people away and they made them slaves. They cut their babies to pieces in every street. They played games with the great men from Thebes and they put them in iron chains.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 8:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12I know the evil that thou wilt do - We may see something of the accomplishment of this prediction, 2 Kings 10:32, 2 Kings 10:33; 2 Kings 13:3, 2 Kings 13:7.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12The evil that thou wilt do - The intention is not to tax Hazael with special cruelty, but only to enumerate the ordinary horrors of war, as it was conducted among the Oriental nations of the time. Compare the marginal references.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

Topics related to 2 Kings 8:12

• Ben-Hadad
• Captive
• Elisha
• Falsehood
• Hazael
• Reproof
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Benhadad
• Captive
• Elijah
• Elisha
• Hazael
• Oppression

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