New English Translation
1 Kings 19:15
15The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came and then head for the Desert of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria.
1 Kings 19:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.
Context of 1 Kings 19:15
13When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. All of a sudden a voice asked him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 14He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal to the Lord, the sovereign God, even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.” The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came and then head for the Desert of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria. 16You must anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to take your place as prophet. 17Jehu will kill anyone who escapes Hazael’s sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes Jehu’s sword.
Read all of 1 Kings 191 Kings 19:15 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו לֵ֛ךְ שׁ֥וּב לְדַרְכְּךָ֖ מִדְבַּ֣רָה דַמָּ֑שֶׂק וּבָ֗אתָ וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֧ אֶת־חֲזָאֵ֛ל לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־אֲרָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto him, Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- on thy wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
- to the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- of Damascusדַּמֶּ֫שֶׂקdammeώeq dûmeώeq darmeώeq · DamascusH1834
- and when thou comestבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- anointמָשַׁחmâshach · to anointH4886
- Hazaelחֲזָהאֵלchăzâ'êl chăzâh'êl · HazaelH2371
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- over Syriaאֲרָם'ărâm · SyriaH758
Cross-references for 1 Kings 19:15
- Genesis 14:15Then, during the night, Abram divided his forces against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.
- 2 Kings 8:7Elisha traveled to Damascus while King Ben Hadad of Syria was sick. The king was told, “The prophet has come here.”
- Acts 9:2and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 45:1This is what the Lord says to his chosen one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold in order to subdue nations before him, and disarm kings, to open doors before him, so gates remain unclosed:
- Jeremiah 1:10Know for certain that I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted.”
- Jeremiah 27:2The Lord told me, “Make a yoke out of leather straps and wooden crossbars and put it on your neck.
- 2 Kings 8:8So the king told Hazael, “Take a gift and go visit the prophet. Request from him an oracle from the Lord. Ask him, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”
- 2 Kings 9:14Then Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Now Joram had been in Ramoth Gilead with the whole Israelite army, guarding against an invasion by King Hazael of Syria.
- Amos 1:4So I will set Hazael’s house on fire; fire will consume Ben Hadad’s fortresses.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 19:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15To the wilderness of Damascus - He does not desire him to take a road by which he might be likely to meet Jezebel, or any other of his enemies. Anoint Hazael - For what reason the Lord was about to make all these revolutions, we are told in 1 Kings 19:17. God was about to bring his judgments upon the land, and especially on the house of Ahab. This he exterminated by means of Jehu; and Jehu himself was a scourge of the Lord to the people. Hazael also…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15The answer is not a justification of the ways of God, nor a direct reproof of the prophet‘s weakness and despondency, nor an explanation or application of what Elijah had seen. For the present, he is simply directed back into the path of practical duty. His mission is not yet over, there is still work for him to do. He receives special injunctions with respect to Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha; and he is comforted with a revelation well adapted to rouse him…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-18Verses 14-18 God repeated the question, What doest thou here? Then he complained of his discouragement; and whither should God's prophets go with their complaints of that kind, but to their Master? The Lord gave him an answer. He declares that the wicked house of Ahab shall be rooted out, that the people of Israel shall be punished for their sins; and he shows that Elijah was not left alone as he had supposed, and also that a helper should at once be…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-17Go back … and go: With loving patience, God renewed his prophet's mission (see John 21:15–19). God told Elijah to return to where he had left God's mission; from there, he could move forward. Hazael and Jehu became instruments of God's judgment (2 Kings 8:7–15; 9:14–37). Elisha, who succeeded Elijah, would bring spiritual insight and further judgment to Israel (2 Kings 3:10–19; 8:7–15; 9:1–10:31; 13:3, 15–19). Abel-meholah was south of Beth-shan, where…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-184-18. went a day's journey into the wilderness--on the way from Beer-sheba to Horeb--a wide expanse of sand hills, covered with the retem (not juniper, but broom shrubs), whose tall and spreading branches, with their white leaves, afford a very cheering and refreshing shade. His gracious God did not lose sight of His fugitive servant, but watched over him, and, miraculously ministering to his wants, enabled him, in a better but not wholly right frame of…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 19:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 19
- 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
- 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
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