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.
• 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.”
• 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

5“By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 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!” 8When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door 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

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 11:14She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”
• 2 Kings 18:37Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.
• 2 Kings 19:1When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord.
• Numbers 14:6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes
• Jeremiah 36:24The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes.
• Matthew 26:65Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.
• Acts 14:14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting:
• Genesis 30:2Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”
• Deuteronomy 32:29If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!
• 1 Samuel 2:6“The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
• Daniel 2:11What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”
• Hosea 6:1“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.
• 1 Kings 20:7The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, “See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.”
• Luke 11:54waiting 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