2 Kings 8:12
in 2 Kings 8“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their women with child.
KJV
And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.
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This verse in 2 Kings 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseI know the evil that thou wilt do - We may see something of the accomplishment of this prediction, 2Ki 10:32, 2Ki 10:33; 2Ki 13:3, 2Ki 13:7.
This site's exposition
until he was ashamed
on 2 Kings 8:11-13
Elisha stares at Hazael until Hazael is ashamed, and then the man of God weeps, seeing what Hazael does not yet see in himself: strongholds set on fire, young men put to the sword, children dashed, women with child ripped up. Hazael's protest, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing, is not innocence but the honest horror of a man who does not yet know what a throne will make of him. Elisha does not soften the vision; he answers it with the fact behind it, the Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria, the very crown Hazael will use for exactly what he was just told.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Go, say to him, 'You shall certainly recover;' but the Lord has shown me that he shall certainly die." These were the words of Elisha to the king, who asked him, "Will I live after this illness?" But it seems that they do not agree …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The sins of Israel provoked God to give them up into the hands of their cruel enemies, yet Elisha wept to think that ever Israelites should be thus abused; for, though he foretold, he did not desire the woeful day. See what havock war makes, what havock sin makes, and how the nature of man is changed by the fall, and stripped even of humanity itself.
And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord?....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2828: “Startling!” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
I SUPPOSE that none of us can doubt that Hazael acted with perfect freedom when he became the murderer of his master. Surely no one would dare to suggest that any constraint was put upon him. The glittering prospect of wearing the crown of Syria was before his eyes. Nothing stood between him and the kingdom but the life of his master. That master lies sick of a fever. A wet cloth is the usual remedy.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2828: “Startling!” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
I SUPPOSE that none of us can doubt that Hazael acted with perfect freedom when he became the murderer of his master. Surely no one would dare to suggest that any constraint was put upon him. The glittering prospect of wearing the crown of Syria was before his eyes. Nothing stood between him and the kingdom but the life of his master. That master lies sick of a fever. A wet cloth is the usual remedy. He has but to select one that shall be thicker than usual and take care, in spreading it over his face, to place it so that the man is suffocated, and, lo, Hazael comes to the throne! What wonder is it that Hazael easily puts his master out of the way and then mounts the vacant seat? None of us will imagine for a moment that he was under constraint unless it was Satanic and yet, while he acted as a free agent, is it not quite clear that God foreknew what he would do and that it was perfectly certain that he would destroy his master? The Prophet speaks not as one who hazarded a conjecture. He foresaw the event with absolute certainty, yet did Hazael act with perfect freedom when he went and fulfilled the prophecy of Elisha. I believe, my Brothers and Sisters, that it is quite as easy to see how God's predestination and man's responsibility are perfectly compatible, as it is to see how Divine foreknowledge and human free agency are consistent with one another. Does not the very fact of foreknowledge imply a certainty? Is not that which is foreknown certain? Is not the fact sure to be when God foreknows that it will be? How could it be foreknown conditionally? How could it be foretold conditionally? In this instance, there was no stipulation or contingency whatever. It was absolutely foretold that Hazael would be king of Syria.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The evil that thou wilt do - The intention is not to tax Hazael with special cruelty, but only to enumerate the ordinary horrors of war, as it was conducted among the Oriental nations of the time. Compare the marginal references.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
He [Elisha] kept his face emotionless. [He held in] his expression of grief, for he wanted to cry; he held it in, so that he would not cry in front of Chazoeil. He made a concentrated effort to stand and control himself.
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
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| חֲזָאֵ֔ל | chazael | Hazael | H2371 → | 23 times |
| מַדּ֖וּעַ | madua' | why? | H4069 → | 72 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֣י | ʾadoni | [is] lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| בֹכֶ֑ה | vokheh | weeping | H1058 → | 114 times |
| וַיֹּ֡אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָדַ֡עְתִּי | yada'ti | I know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֵ֣ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | this: | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תַּעֲשֶׂה֩ | taaseh | you will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לִבְנֵ֨י | livnei | to [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| רָעָ֗ה | raah | harm | H7451 → | 662 times |
| מִבְצְרֵיהֶ֞ם | mivtzereihem | fortifications their | H4013 → | 37 times |
| תְּשַׁלַּ֤ח | teshalach | you will send | H7971 → | 845 times |
| בָּאֵשׁ֙ | baesh | in <the> fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| וּבַחֻֽרֵיהֶם֙ | uvachureihem | and young men their | H970 → | |
| בַּחֶ֣רֶב | bacherev | with the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| תַּהֲרֹ֔ג | taharog | you will kill | H2026 → | 167 times |
| וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם | veoleleihem | and children their | H5768 → | |
| תְּרַטֵּ֔שׁ | teratesh | you will dash in pieces | H7376 → | |
| וְהָרֹתֵיהֶ֖ם | veharoteihem | and pregnant [women] their | H2030 → | |
| תְּבַקֵּֽעַ׃ | tevakea' | you will rip open | H1234 → | 51 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
חֲזָאֵ֔לHazael
chazaelH2371 →23 times
מַדּ֖וּעַwhy?
madua'H4069 →72 times
אֲדֹנִ֣י[is] lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
בֹכֶ֑הweeping
vokhehH1058 →114 times
וַיֹּ֡אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יָדַ֡עְתִּיI know
yada'tiH3045 →945 times
אֵ֣ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁר־this:
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
תַּעֲשֶׂה֩you will do
taasehH6213 →2628 times
לִבְנֵ֨יto [the] people of
livneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
רָעָ֗הharm
raahH7451 →662 times
מִבְצְרֵיהֶ֞םfortifications their
mivtzereihemH4013 →37 times
תְּשַׁלַּ֤חyou will send
teshalachH7971 →845 times
בָּאֵשׁ֙in <the> fire
baeshH784 →378 times
וּבַחֻֽרֵיהֶם֙and young men their
uvachureihemH970 →
בַּחֶ֣רֶבwith the sword
bacherevH2719 →413 times
תַּהֲרֹ֔גyou will kill
taharogH2026 →167 times
וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֣םand children their
veoleleihemH5768 →
תְּרַטֵּ֔שׁyou will dash in pieces
terateshH7376 →
וְהָרֹתֵיהֶ֖םand pregnant [women] their
veharoteihemH2030 →
תְּבַקֵּֽעַ׃you will rip open
tevakea'H1234 →51 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
2 Kings 13:3So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 19:17
Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 13:24–25
When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 19:17
Through
Hosea 13:16Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.
it leads to
- Amos 1:13
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 15:16
At that time Menahem, starting from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in its vicinity, because they would not open their gates. So he attacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.
- Isaiah 13:16
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.
- Psalms 137:8–9
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
- Amos 1:13
Through
Nahum 3:10Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in…
it leads to
- Hosea 13:16
Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 20:4
so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks—to Egypt’s shame.
- Hosea 13:16
About 2 Kings
Who and where
2 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.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2828: “Startling!” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 8:10; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.