2 Kings 8:13

13 Hazael said, But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? Elisha answered, Yahweh has shown me that you shall be king over Syria.

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 He settled his gaze steadfastly [on him], until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.

12 Hazael said, Why weeps my lord? He answered, Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: their strongholds will you set on fire, and their young men will you kill with the sword, and will dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their women with child.

13 Hazael said, But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? Elisha answered, Yahweh has shown me that you shall be king over Syria.

14 Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to you? He answered, He told me that you would surely recover.

15 It happened on the next day, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his place.