2 Kings 8:12

10 Elisha answered, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.’ But the LORD has shown me that in fact he will die.”

11 Elisha fixed his gaze steadily on him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the man of God began to weep.

“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.”

13 “But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”

14 So Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he replied, “He told me that you would surely recover.”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
“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.”
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.
WEB
Hazael said, “Why do you weep, my lord?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, and you will kill their young men with the sword, and will dash their little ones in pieces, and rip up their pregnant women.”
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.
DARBY
And Hazael said, Why does my lord weep? And he said, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do to the children of Israel: their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou kill with the sword, and wilt dash in pieces their children, and rip up their women with child.
BLB
And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?” And He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel—their strongholds you will send into the fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword, and their children you will dash to pieces, and their pregnant [women] you will split open.”
ÅB
Da sa Hasael: Hvorfor gråter min herre? Han svarte: Fordi jeg vet at du skal gjøre Israels barn meget ondt; deres festninger skal du sette ild på, deres unge menn skal du drepe med sverdet, deres små barn skal du knuse, og deres fruktsommelige kvinner skal du oppskjære.
OTB
Hasael sa, "Hvorfor gråter min herre?" Og han svarte, "Fordi jeg vet det onde du vil gjøre mot Israels sønner: du vil sette deres festninger i brann, drepe deres unge menn med sverdet, knuse deres små barn, og rive opp deres gravide kvinner."
B1930
Da sa Hasael: Hvorfor gråter min herre? Han svarte: Fordi jeg vet at du skal gjøre Israels barn meget ondt; deres festninger skal du sette ild på, deres unge menn skal du drepe med sverdet, deres små barn skal du knuse, og deres fruktsommelige kvinner skal du opskjære.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 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.

    Read in context
  • Nahum 3:10

    Yet 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 chains.

    Read in context
  • 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.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 12:17

    At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 13:3

    So 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.

    Read in context
  • 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 territory.

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 13:16

    Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 13:7

    Jehoahaz had no army left, except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.

    Read in context