2 Kings 8:9
in 2 Kings 8So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this sickness?
KJV
So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben–hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
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This verse in 2 Kings 8
Commentary
6 notes on this verseSo Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him,.... As was usual when a prophet or seer was consulted, see 1Sa 9:7. even of every good thing of Damascus; which was a very fruitful place, and had abundance of gardens and orchards in it, which yielded excellent fruit, and of such it is probable the present consisted, and which was large: even forty camels' burden: which, as they are strong creatures, will bear a great deal.
This site's exposition
taking with him a gift of forty camel loads
on 2 Kings 8:9-10
Hazael brings “forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus” and asks whether Ben-hadad will recover. Elisha's answer carries the message, “You will surely recover”, and the fact behind it, “the LORD has shown me that in fact he will die”. The sickness is not what will kill him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Therefore the king, when he heard of the coming of Elisha, sent Hazael, one of his noble men, to meet him. He ordered him to persuade the prophet to take care of his healing, and since he thought that this request must be accompanied with …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
(5.) He puts an honour upon him as one acquainted with the secrets of heaven, when he enquires of him, Shall I recover? It is natural to us to desire to know things to come in time, while things to come in eternity are little thought of or enquired after. What passed between Hazael and Elisha is especially remarkable.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Every good thing of Damascus - Probably, besides rich robes and precious metals, the luscious wine of Helbon, which was the drink of the Persian kings, the soft white wool of the anti-Libanus Eze 27:18, damask coverings of couches Amo 3:12, and numerous manufactured articles of luxury, which the Syrian capital imported from Tyre, Egypt, Nineveh, and Babylon. Forty camels were laden with it, and this goodly caravan paraded the streets of the town, conveying to the prophet the splendid gift designed for him.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The Orientals are fond of display, and would, ostentatiously, lay upon forty beasts what might very easily have been borne by four. Thy son Ben-hadad--so called from the established usage of designating the prophet "father." This was the same Syrian monarch who had formerly persecuted him (see 2Ki 6:13, 14).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
‘You will surely live.’ Pertaining to Chazoeil he said that he would live instead of Ben-Hadad [and occupy] the throne.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
27 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| חֲזָאֵל֮ | chazael | Hazael | H2371 → | 23 times |
| לִקְרָאתוֹ֒ | likrato | to meet him | H7122 → | 139 times |
| וַיִּקַּ֨ח | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִנְחָ֤ה | minchah | a gift | H4503 → | 211 times |
| בְיָדוֹ֙ | veyado | in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| ט֣וּב | tuv | <the> good thing of | H2898 → | |
| דַּמֶּ֔שֶׂק | damesek | Damascus | H1834 → | 45 times |
| מַשָּׂ֖א | masa' | [the] load of | H4853 → | 66 times |
| אַרְבָּעִ֣ים | ʾarbaim | forty | H705 → | 136 times |
| גָּמָ֑ל | gamal | camel[s] | H1581 → | |
| וַיָּבֹא֙ | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד | vaiyaamod | and he stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| לְפָנָ֔יו | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בִּנְךָ֨ | binkha | son your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | Ben | H1130 → | 50 times |
| הֲדַ֤ד | hadad | Hadad | H1130 → | 50 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲרָם֙ | ʾaram | Aram | H758 → | 143 times |
| שְׁלָחַ֤נִי | shelachani | he has sent me | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַאֶחְיֶ֖ה | haechyeh | ¿ will I live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| מֵחֳלִ֥י | mecholi | from sickness | H2483 → | 24 times |
| זֶֽה׃ | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
חֲזָאֵל֮Hazael
chazaelH2371 →23 times
לִקְרָאתוֹ֒to meet him
likratoH7122 →139 times
וַיִּקַּ֨חand he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
מִנְחָ֤הa gift
minchahH4503 →211 times
בְיָדוֹ֙in hand his
veyadoH3027 →1618 times
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
ט֣וּב<the> good thing of
tuvH2898 →
דַּמֶּ֔שֶׂקDamascus
damesekH1834 →45 times
מַשָּׂ֖א[the] load of
masa'H4853 →66 times
אַרְבָּעִ֣יםforty
ʾarbaimH705 →136 times
גָּמָ֑לcamel[s]
gamalH1581 →
וַיָּבֹא֙and he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
וַיַּעֲמֹ֣דand he stood
vaiyaamodH5975 →521 times
לְפָנָ֔יו<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
בִּנְךָ֨son your
binkhaH1121 →4930 times
בֶן־Ben
ven-H1130 →50 times
הֲדַ֤דHadad
hadadH1130 →50 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
אֲרָם֙Aram
ʾaramH758 →143 times
שְׁלָחַ֤נִיhe has sent me
shelachaniH7971 →845 times
אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙to you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
הַאֶחְיֶ֖ה¿ will I live
haechyehH2421 →282 times
מֵחֳלִ֥יfrom sickness
mecholiH2483 →24 times
זֶֽה׃this
zehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philemon 1:14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.
- 1 Chronicles 29:17
I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are…
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
Through
2 Kings 6:21And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
it leads to
- 2 Kings 5:13
Naaman’s servants, however, approached him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you,…
- 2 Kings 2:12
As Elisha watched, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And he saw Elijah no more. So taking hold of his own clothes, he tore them in two.
- 2 Kings 5:13
Through
2 Kings 16:7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hands of the kings of Aram and Israel, who are…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 15:29
In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people…
- 2 Kings 15:29
Through
2 Kings 5:5“Go now,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send you with a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman departed, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of…
it leads to
- Judges 14:12
“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can solve it for me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets…
- Judges 14:12
Through
1 Kings 19:15Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.
it leads to
- Isaiah 45:1
This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates…
- Jeremiah 1:10
See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
- Isaiah 45:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonDivided kingdomElishaElijah's successor with the firstborn's double portion; the prophet of the healed spring, the widow's oil, the Shunammite's son, N…
- PersonDivided kingdomHazaelThe Aramean officer over whose face Elisha wept, foreseeing the cruelty of his coming reign; king of Aram and scourge of Israel.
- PlaceSyriaDamascusThe Syrian city Saul was travelling to with letters of arrest when the light stopped him on the road; he entered it blind and left…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 8:7; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.