English Standard Version
2 Kings 5:7
7And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me."
2 Kings 5:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
- New International Version (NIV)As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”
- New King James Version (NKJV)And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone with leprosy? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.”
Context of 2 Kings 5:7
5And the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy." And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me." 8But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house.
Read all of 2 Kings 52 Kings 5:7 word by word
וַיְהִ֡י כִּקְרֹא֩ מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל אֶת־הַסֵּ֜פֶר וַיִּקְרַ֣ע בְּגָדָ֗יו וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַאֱלֹהִ֥ים אָ֙נִי֙ לְהָמִ֣ית וּֽלְהַחֲי֔וֹת כִּֽי־זֶה֙ שֹׁלֵ֣חַ אֵלַ֔י לֶאֱסֹ֥ף אִ֖ישׁ מִצָּֽרַעְתּ֑וֹ כִּ֤י אַךְ־דְּעֽוּ־נָא֙ וּרְא֔וּ כִּֽי־מִתְאַנֶּ֥ה ה֖וּא לִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it came to pass, when the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- had readקָרָאqârâ' · to call: read outH7121
- the letterסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
- that he rentקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
- his clothesבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- I Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- to killמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- and to make aliveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
- that this manזֶהzeh · thisH2088
- doth sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- unto me to recoverאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
- a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of his leprosyצָרַ֫עַתtsâra‛ath · leprosyH6883
- whereforeאַךְ'ak · surelyH389
- considerיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- I pray you, and seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- how he seeketh a quarrelאָנָה'ânâh · to meetH579
Cross-references for 2 Kings 5:7
- 2 Kings 11:14And when she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, "Treason! Treason!"
- 2 Kings 18:37Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
- 2 Kings 19:1As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord.
- Numbers 14:6And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
- Jeremiah 36:24Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments.
- Matthew 26:65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.
- Acts 14:14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,
- Genesis 30:2Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
- Deuteronomy 32:29If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!
- 1 Samuel 2:6The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
- Daniel 2:11The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."
- Hosea 6:1"Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
- 1 Kings 20:7Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, "Mark, now, and see how this man is seeking trouble, for he sent to me for my wives and my children, and for my silver and my gold, and I did not refuse him."
- Luke 11:54lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 5:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Am I God, to kill and to make alive - He spoke thus under the conviction that God alone could cure the leprosy; which, indeed, was universally acknowledged: and must have been as much a maxim among the Syrians as among the Israelites, for the disorder was equally prevalent in both countries; and in both equally incurable. See the notes on Leviticus 13 (note) and Leviticus 14 (note). And it was this that led the king of Israel to infer that the Syrian king…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7He rent his clothes - The action indicated alarm and terror quite as much as sorrow 2 Samuel 13:19; Ezra 9:3; 2 Chronicles 34:27; Jeremiah 36:22. Consider, I pray you - Jehoram speaks to his chief officers, and bids them mark the animus of the Syrian monarch. Compare the conduct of Ahab 1 Kings 20:7.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7tore his clothes: Tearing one's clothes was often a sign of strong emotion. For example: Agitation (2 Kings 11:4) Grief (Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 13:31) Sorrow (2 Kings 6:30; Job 1:20; 2:12) Due to ongoing distrust and hostility between the Arameans and Israelites, Joram thought the Aramean king wanted to start a fight, as had happened during his father Ahab's time (1 Kings 20:1–12).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes--According to an ancient practice among the Eastern people, the main object only was stated in the letter that was carried by the party concerned, while other circumstances were left to be explained at the interview. This explains Jehoram's burst of emotion--not horror at supposed blasphemy, but alarm and suspicion that this was merely made an occasion for a quarrel. Such a prince as…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 5:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 5
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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