2 Kings 8:12

12 And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, For I know what evils thou shalt do to the sons of Israel; thou shalt burn [up] by fire the strengthened cities of them, and thou shalt slay by (the) sword the young men of them, and thou shalt hurtle down the little children of them, and thou shalt part the women with child. (And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, For I know what evils thou shalt do to the Israelites; thou shalt burn down their fortified cities, and thou shalt kill with the sword their young men, and thou shalt hurtle down their little children, and thou shalt carve up their women with child.)

2 Kings 8:12 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 8:12

And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord?
&c.] Imagining it was for the death of Benhadad he had predicted, for which he could see no reason; of the title, "my lord", see ( 1 Kings 18:7 )

and he answered, because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the
children of Israel;
which he foresaw by a spirit of prophecy; and Israel being his own people, he sympathized in their calamities before they came:

their strong holds wilt thou set on fire;
which should be taken by him, see ( 2 Kings 10:32 )

and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword;
in battle:

and wilt dash their children;
against rocks and stones, or stone walls, or upon the ground, floor, or pavement, as was usual in war ^F7, see ( Psalms 137:9 ) ,

and rip up their women with child:
which was the height of barbarity and cruelty. Ben Gersom and Ben Melech interpret this of breaking down the walls of fortified cities, built strong, like hills and mountains; but this is supposed in the first clause.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Vid. Homer. Iliad. 22. ver. 63, 64.

2 Kings 8:12 In-Context

10 And Elisha said, Go thou, and say to him, Thou shalt be healed; forsooth the Lord [hath] showed to me that he shall die by death (but the Lord hath shown me that he shall die).

11 And he stood with him, and he was troubled, unto the casting down of his cheer (and he cast down his face); and the man of God wept.

12 And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, For I know what evils thou shalt do to the sons of Israel; thou shalt burn [up] by fire the strengthened cities of them, and thou shalt slay by (the) sword the young men of them, and thou shalt hurtle down the little children of them, and thou shalt part the women with child. (And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, For I know what evils thou shalt do to the Israelites; thou shalt burn down their fortified cities, and thou shalt kill with the sword their young men, and thou shalt hurtle down their little children, and thou shalt carve up their women with child.)

13 And Hazael said, What soothly am I, thy servant, a dog, that I do this great thing? (And Hazael said, Truly what am I, thy servant, nothing but a dog? for how can I do such a great thing?) And Elisha said, The Lord hath showed to me that thou shalt be king of Syria.

14 And when he had departed from Elisha, he came to his lord; which said to Hazael, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, Elisha said to me, Thou shalt receive health (Thou shalt recover).