2 Kings 8:13

13 Hazael replied, "How could your servant, who is nothing but a dog, do such mighty things?" Elisha said, "The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram."

2 Kings 8:13 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 8:13

And Hazael said, but what, [is] thy servant a dog, that he
should do this great thing?
&c.] What dost thou take me to be, a vile, impudent, fierce, and cruel creature, as a dog, to be guilty of so great inhumanity and barbarity as this? or what is thy servant? a dog, a mean abject creature, of no power and authority, incapable of doing such great things spoken of? to which sense not only what is predicted of him, said to be great, inclines, but what follows:

and Elisha answered, the Lord hath showed me that thou shall be king
over Syria;
and that thou shalt have power enough to do this; this declaration, according to Ben Gersom, was the anointing of him, predicted ( 1 Kings 19:15 ) .

2 Kings 8:13 In-Context

11 Elisha stared straight at Hazael until he felt uneasy. Then the man of God began to cry.

12 Hazael said, "Master, why are you crying?" "Because I know what violence you will do to the Israelites," Elisha said. "You will drive them from their forts with fire. You will kill their young men with the sword. You will smash their children and rip open their pregnant women."

13 Hazael replied, "How could your servant, who is nothing but a dog, do such mighty things?" Elisha said, "The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram."

14 Then Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master. "What did Elisha say to you?" Ben-hadad asked. "He told me that you will certainly live," Hazael replied.

15 But the next day he took a blanket, soaked it in water, and put it over Ben-hadad's face until he died. Hazael succeeded him as king.