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 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

5Then the king of Syria 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 clothing. 6Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. 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.” 8So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood 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 11:14When she looked, there was the king standing by a pillar according to custom; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. So Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason! Treason!”
• 2 Kings 18:37Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, 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 19:1And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.
• Numbers 14:6But 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 they were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words.
• Matthew 26:65Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!
• Acts 14:14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out
• Genesis 30:2And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
• Deuteronomy 32:29Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!
• 1 Samuel 2:6“The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.
• Daniel 2:11It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
• Hosea 6:1Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
• 1 Kings 20:7So the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Notice, please, and see how this man seeks trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold; and I did not deny him.”
• Luke 11:54lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

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