2 Kings 5:7

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!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)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."
• 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.”

Context of 2 Kings 5:7

5Then the king of Aram said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothes. 6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, “And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” But when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to keep alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But consider now, and see how he is seeking a quarrel against me.” 8Now it happened, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, “Why did you tear your clothes? Just have him come to me, and he shall learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of Elisha’s house.

2 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

• But when the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• readקָרָאqârâ' · to call: read outH7121
• the letterסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
• he toreקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
• his clothesבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Am I Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• to killמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• that thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
• man is sendingשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• to me to cureאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
• a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of his leprosyצָרַ֫עַתtsâra‛ath · leprosyH6883
• considerיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• nowנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
• and seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• howכִּיkîy · forH3588
• he is seekingאָנָה'ânâh · to meetH579

Cross-references for 2 Kings 5:7

• 2 Kings 11:14And she looked, and behold, the king was standing by the pillar according to the custom, with the captains and the trumpeters beside the king; and all the people of the land were joyful and were blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!”
• 2 Kings 18:37Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the secretary, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they reported to him the words of Rabshakeh.
• 2 Kings 19:1Now when King Hezekiah heard the report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of the Lord.
• Numbers 14:6And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;
• Jeremiah 36:24Yet the king and all his servants who heard all these words did not tremble in fear, nor did they tear their garments.
• Matthew 26:65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? See, you have now heard the blasphemy;
• Acts 14:14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out
• Genesis 30:2Then Jacob’s anger burned 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 only they were wise and they understood this; If only they would discern their future!
• 1 Samuel 2:6The Lord puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and brings up.
• Daniel 2:11Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.”
• Hosea 6:1“Come, let’s return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
• 1 Kings 20:7Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please be aware and see that this man is looking for trouble; for he sent me his demand for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him.”
• Luke 11:54plotting against 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

• Elisha
• Intercession
• Joram
• Miracles
• Motive
• Naaman
• Readings, Select

In the dictionaries

• God
• Israel
• Clean
• Dress
• Leprosy
• Light
• Naaman
• Recover
• Wash
• Damascus

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