God’s Word Translation
2 Kings 1:8
8They replied, “He was hairy and had a leather belt around his waist.” “That’s Elijah from Tishbe,” the king answered.
2 Kings 1:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
- New International Version (NIV)They replied, “He had a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist.” The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)They answered him, "He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
Context of 2 Kings 1:8
6They told him that a man came to meet them and said to them, “Go back to the king who sent you. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do you send messengers to seek advice from Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, because ⌞you think⌟ there is no God in Israel? You will not get up from the bed you are lying on. Instead, you will die there.’ ” 7The king asked them, “What was the man who told you this like?” They replied, “He was hairy and had a leather belt around his waist.” “That’s Elijah from Tishbe,” the king answered. 9The king sent an army officer with 50 men to Elijah. When the officer found Elijah sitting on top of a hill, he told Elijah, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’ ” 10Elijah answered the officer, “If I’m a man of God, fire will come from heaven and burn up you and your 50 men.” Then fire came from heaven and burned up the officer and his 50 men.
Read all of 2 Kings 12 Kings 1:8 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו אִ֚ישׁ בַּ֣עַל שֵׂעָ֔ר וְאֵז֥וֹר ע֖וֹר אָז֣וּר בְּמָתְנָ֑יו וַיֹּאמַ֕ר אֵלִיָּ֥ה הַתִּשְׁבִּ֖י הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they answeredאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- an hairyשֵׂעָרώê‛âr ώa‛ar · hairH8181
- manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- manבַּעַלba‛al · master: owningH1167
- and girtאָזַר'âzar · to girdH247
- with a girdleאֵזוֹר'êzôr · girdleH232
- of leatherעוֹר‛ôr · skinH5785
- about his loinsמׇתְנַ֫יִםmôthen · loinH4975
- Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
- the Tishbiteתִּשְׁבִּיtishbîy · TishbiteH8664
Cross-references for 2 Kings 1:8
- Isaiah 20:2At that time the Lord told Isaiah, son of Amoz, “Take off the sackcloth that you are wearing, and take off your sandals!” Isaiah did this and walked around barefoot and naked.
- Zechariah 13:4“On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He won’t deceive people by dressing ⌞like a prophet⌟ in a coat made of hair.
- Matthew 3:4John wore clothes made from camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.
- Matthew 11:8Really, what did you go to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Those who wear fine clothes are in royal palaces.
- Luke 1:17He will go ahead of the Lord with the spirit and power that Elijah had. He will change parents’ attitudes toward their children. He will change disobedient people so that they will accept the wisdom of those who have God’s approval. In this way he will prepare the people for their Lord.”
- Revelation 11:3I will allow my two witnesses who wear sackcloth to speak what God has revealed. They will speak for 1,260 days.”
Commentaries on 2 Kings 1:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8He was a hairy man - That is, he wore a rough garment, either made of camels' hair, as his successor John Baptist's was, or he wore a skin dressed with the hair on. Some think that the meaning is, he had very long hair and a long beard. The ancient prophets all wore rough garments, or upper coats made of the skins of beasts: They wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, says the apostle, Hebrews 11:37.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8An hairy man - Either in allusion to his shaggy cloak of untanned skin; or, more probably, an expression descriptive of the prophet‘s person, of his long flowing locks, abundant beard, and general profusion of hair. His costume was that of a thorough ascetic. Generally the Jews wore girdles of linen or cotton stuff, soft and comfortable. Under the girdle they wore one or two long linen gowns or shirts, and over these they had sometimes a large shawl…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-82-8. Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber--This lattice was either a part of the wooden parapet, or fence, which surrounds the flat roofs of houses, and over which the king was carelessly leaning when it gave way; or it might be an opening like a skylight in the roof itself, done over with lattice-work, which, being slender or rotten, the king stepped on and slipped through. This latter supposition is most probably the true one, as…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 1:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 1
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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