2 Kings 8 · Verse 12

2 Kings 8:12

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.
2 Kings 8:12, King James Version

2 Kings 8:12 in other translations

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.”
WEBHazael 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.”
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd Hazael saith, ‘Wherefore is my lord weeping?' and he saith, ‘Because I have known the evil that thou dost to the sons of Israel--their fenced places thou dost send into fire, and their young men with sword thou dost slay, and their sucklings thou dost dash to pieces, and their pregnant women thou dost rip up.'
DARBYAnd 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.
BBEAnd Hazael said, Why is my lord weeping? Then he said in answer, Because I see the evil which you will do to the children of Israel: burning down their strong towns, putting their young men to death with the sword, smashing their little ones against the stones, and cutting open the women who are with child.
WebsterAnd Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do to 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.

What does 2 Kings 8:12 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 I know the evil that thou wilt do - We may see something of the accomplishment of this prediction, 2Kgs 10:32, 2Kgs 10:33; 2Kgs 13:3, 2Kgs 13:7.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 8:7-15

Among other changes of men's minds by affliction, it often gives other thoughts of God's ministers, and teaches to value the counsels and prayers of those whom they have hated and despised. It was not in Hazael's countenance that Elisha read what he would do, but God revealed it to him, and it fetched tears from his eyes: the more foresight men have, the more grief they are liable to. It is possible for a man, under…

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 8:7-15 →

2 Kings 8:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
חֲזָאֵ֔לcha.za.'ElHazaelH2371
מַדּ֖וּעַma.Du.a'why?H4069
אֲדֹנִ֣י'a.do.Ni[is] lord myH113
בֹכֶ֑הvo.KhehweepingH1058
וַיֹּ֡אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
יָדַ֡עְתִּיya.Da'.tiI knowH3045
אֵ֣ת'et<obj.>H853
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-this:H834
תַּעֲשֶׂה֩ta.'a.Sehyou will doH6213
לִבְנֵ֨יliv.Neito [the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
רָעָ֗הra.'AhharmH7451
מִבְצְרֵיהֶ֞םmiv.tze.rei.Hemfortifications theirH4013
תְּשַׁלַּ֤חte.sha.Lachyou will sendH7971
בָּאֵשׁ֙ba.'Eshin <the> fireH784
וּבַחֻֽרֵיהֶם֙u.va.chu.rei.Hemand young men theirH970
בַּחֶ֣רֶבba.Che.revwith the swordH2719
תַּהֲרֹ֔גta.ha.Rogyou will killH2026
וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֣םve.'o.le.lei.Hemand children theirH5768
תְּרַטֵּ֔שׁte.ra.Teshyou will dash in piecesH7376
וְהָרֹתֵיהֶ֖םve.ha.ro.tei.Hemand pregnant [women] theirH2030
תְּבַקֵּֽעַ\׃te.va.Ke.a'you will rip openH1234

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 8:12

  • Hosea 13:16

    Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

  • Nahum 3:10

    Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

  • 2 Kings 15:16

    Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.

  • 2 Kings 12:17

    Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

  • 2 Kings 13:3

    And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben–hadad the son of Hazael, all their days.

  • Amos 1:13

    Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:

  • Isaiah 13:16

    Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

  • 2 Kings 13:7

    Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.

  • Hosea 10:14

    Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Beth–arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

  • Isaiah 13:18

    Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.

  • 2 Kings 10:32-33

    In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

  • Amos 1:3-5

    Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Ben–hadad. I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the Lord.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
my Lord.
4:28; 1Ki 18:13
the evil.
10:32,33; 12:17; 13:3,7; Am 1:3,4
dash.
15:16; Ps 137:8,9; Isa 13:16,18; Ho 10:14; 13:16; Am 1:3-5,13
Na 3:10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Kings 8:11

    And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.

  • 2 Kings 8:12

    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.

  • 2 Kings 8:13

    And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

Read all of 2 Kings 8

2 Kings 8:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces díjole Hazael: ¿Por qué llora mi señor? Y él respondió: Porque sé el mal que has de hacer á los hijos de Israel: á sus fortalezas pegarás fuego, y á sus mancebos matarás á cuchillo, y estrellarás á sus niños, y abrirás á sus preñadas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Hazaël dit: Pourquoi mon seigneur pleure-t-il? Et il dit: Parce que je sais le mal que tu feras aux fils d’Israël: tu mettras le feu à leurs villes fortes, et tu tueras avec l’épée leurs jeunes hommes, et tu écraseras leurs petits enfants, et tu fendras le ventre à leurs femmes enceintes.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Hasael sprach: Warum weint mein Herr? Und er sprach: Weil ich weiß, was du den Kindern Israel Übles tun wirst: ihre festen Städte wirst du in Brand stecken, und ihre Jünglinge mit dem Schwerte töten, und ihre Kindlein wirst du zerschmettern und ihre Schwangeren aufschlitzen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cui Hazaël ait: Quare dominus meus flet? At ille dixit: Quia scio quæ facturus sis filiis Israël mala. Civitates eorum munitas igne succendes, et juvenes eorum interficies gladio, et parvulos eorum elides, et prægnantes divides.