1 Kings 19:15

Complete Jewish Bible

Adonai said to him, "Go back by way of the Dammesek Desert. When you get there, anoint Haza'el to be king over Aram.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Dammesek: and when you come, you shall anoint Haza'el to be king over Aram;

King James Version
And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

English Standard Version
And the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

New Century Version
The Lord said to him, "Go back on the road that leads to the desert around Damascus. Enter that city, and pour olive oil on Hazael to make him king over Aram.

New English Translation
The Lord said to him, "Go back the way you came and then head for the Desert of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria.

Amplified Bible
The LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram (Syria);

New American Standard Bible
The LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord said vnto him, Goe, returne by the wildernes vnto Damascus, and when thou commest there, anoint Hazael King ouer Aram.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Yahweh said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and you will arrive and anoint Hazael king over Aram;

Contemporary English Version
The Lord said: Elijah, you can go back to the desert near Damascus. And when you get there, appoint Hazael to be king of Syria.

Darby Translation
And Jehovah said to him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when thou comest, anoint Hazael king over Syria;

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord said, "Go back. Take the road that leads to the desert around Damascus. Go into Damascus and anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; then go and anoint Hazael to be king over Aram;

Good News Translation
The Lord said, "Return to the wilderness near Damascus, then enter the city and anoint Hazael as king of Syria;

Lexham English Bible
Then Yahweh said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael as king over Aram;

Literal Translation
And Jehovah said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and you shall go in and anoint Hazael as king over Syria;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But the LORDE sayde vnto him: Go yi waye agayne thorow the wyldernes vnto Damascon, & go in, & anoynte Hasael kynge ouer Siria,

American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;

Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to him, Go back on your way through the waste land to Damascus; and when you come there, put the holy oil on Hazael to make him king over Aram;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lord sayde vnto him: Go, and turne thy way to the wildernesse vnto Damasco: & when thou commest there, annoynt Hazael king ouer Syria:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD said unto him: 'Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Aram;

King James Version (1611)
And the Lord sayd vnto him, Goe, returne on thy way to the wildernesse of Damascus: and when thou commest, anoint Hazael to be King ouer Syria.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord said to him, Go, return, and thou shalt come into the way of the wilderness of Damascus: and thou shalt go and anoint Azael to be king over Syria.

English Revised Version
And the LORD said unto him, Go return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

Berean Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to him, "Go back by the way you came, to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord seide to hym, Go, and turne ayen in to thi weie, bi the deseert, in to Damask; and whanne thou schalt come thidur, thou schalt anoynte Asahel kyng on Sirie;

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto him, `Go turn back on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus, and thou hast gone in, and anointed Hazael for king over Aram,

Update Bible Version
And Yahweh said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when you come, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael [to be] king over Syria:

World English Bible
Yahweh said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when you come, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;

New King James Version
Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.

New Living Translation
Then the Lord told him, "Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram.

New Life Bible
The Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the desert of Damascus. When you get there, set apart Hazael to be the king of Syria.

New Revised Standard
Then the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Yahweh said unto him, Go, return to thy way, towards the wilderness of Damascus, - and, when thou enterest, then shalt thou anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said to him: Go, and return on thy way, through the desert, to Damascus: and when thou art come thither, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;

Revised Standard Version
And the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, you shall anoint Haz'ael to be king over Syria;

THE MESSAGE
God said, "Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael; make him king over Aram. Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi; make him king over Israel. Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Anyone who escapes death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu; and anyone who escapes death by Jehu will be killed by Elisha. Meanwhile, I'm preserving for myself seven thousand souls: the knees that haven't bowed to the god Baal, the mouths that haven't kissed his image."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram;

Contextual Overview

⁹ There he went into a cave and spent the night. Then the word of Adonai came to him; he said to him, "What are you doing here, Eliyahu?" ¹⁰ He answered, "I have been very zealous for Adonai the God of armies, because the people of Isra'el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I'm the only one left, and they're coming after me to kill me too." ¹¹ He said, "Go outside, and stand on the mountain before Adonai "; and right then and there, Adonai went past. A mighty blast of wind tore the mountains apart and broke the rocks in pieces before Adonai , but Adonai was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but Adonai was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake, fire broke out; but Adonai was not in the fire. And after the fire came a quiet, subdued voice. ¹³ When Eliyahu heard it, he covered his face with his cloak, stepped out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Eliyahu?" ¹⁴ He answered, "I have been very zealous for Adonai the God of armies; because the people of Isra'el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I'm the only one left, and they're after me to kill me too." ¹⁵ Adonai said to him, "Go back by way of the Dammesek Desert. When you get there, anoint Haza'el to be king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also anoint Yehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Isra'el, and anoint Elisha the son of Shafat of Avel-M'cholah to be prophet after you. ¹⁷ Yehu will kill whoever escapes the sword of Haza'el, and Elisha will kill whoever escapes the sword of Yehu. ¹⁸ Still, I will spare seven thousand in Isra'el, every knee that hasn't bent down before Ba‘al and every mouth that has not kissed him."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wilderness of Damascus: The wilderness of Damascus seems to have been that part of Arabia Deserta which lay on the south-east of that city, and east of the Trachonites, or the Djebel Haouran and El Ledja; at which the prophet could arrive without meeting Jezebel or any of his enemies. Genesis 14:15, 2 Kings 8:7, Acts 9:2, Acts 9:3

anoint: Isaiah 45:1, Jeremiah 1:10, Jeremiah 27:2-22

Hazael: 2 Kings 8:8-15, 2 Kings 8:28, 2 Kings 9:14, Amos 1:4

Reciprocal: Judges 9:9 - wherewith 1 Samuel 9:16 - thou shalt 1 Kings 11:24 - to Damascus 2 Kings 8:9 - Hazael 2 Kings 8:13 - The Lord 2 Kings 8:15 - Hazael

Cross-References

Genesis 19:4
But before they could go to bed, the men of the city surrounded the house — young and old, everyone from every neighborhood of S'dom.

Genesis 19:5
They called Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to stay with you tonight? Bring them out to us! We want to have sex with them!"

Genesis 19:7
and said, "Please, my brothers, don't do such a wicked thing.

Genesis 19:8
Look here, I have two daughters who are virgins. Please, let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them what seems good to you; but don't do anything to these men, since they are guests in my house."

Genesis 19:17
When they had brought them out, he said, "Flee for your life! Don't look behind you, and don't stop anywhere in the plain, but escape to the hills! Otherwise you will be swept away."

Genesis 19:22
Hurry, and escape to that place, because I can't do anything until you arrive there." For this reason the city was named Tzo‘ar [small].

Genesis 19:24
Then Adonai caused sulfur and fire to rain down upon S'dom and ‘Amora from Adonai out of the sky.

Genesis 19:25
He overthrew those cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities and everything growing in the ground.

Genesis 19:27
Avraham got up early in the morning, went to the place where he had stood before Adonai ,

2 Corinthians 6:2
For he says, "At the acceptable time I heard you; in the day of salvation I helped you."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said unto him, go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus,.... He is bid to go back the way he came, through the wilderness of Arabia, which was part of his way to Damascus, near to which was another wilderness, which took its name from thence; though Fortunatus Schacchus x thinks no other is meant by this phrase than returning to his former course and custom of preach the law of God, and reclaiming men from the error of their ways:

and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria; it is nowhere related that Elijah did go to Damascus, and anoint Hazael, though it may be he did; however he acquainted Elisha with it, and he declared it to Hazael, that he should be king of Syria, and which perhaps is all that is meant by anointing; that is, that he should be made king, and which was declared by both these prophets, see 2 Kings 8:13.

x Elaeochrism. Myrothec. l. 1. c. 39. col. 198.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The answer is not a justification of the ways of God, nor a direct reproof of the prophet’s weakness and despondency, nor an explanation or application of what Elijah had seen. For the present, he is simply directed back into the path of practical duty. His mission is not yet over, there is still work for him to do. He receives special injunctions with respect to Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha; and he is comforted with a revelation well adapted to rouse him from his despondency: there are seven thousand who will sympathize with him in his trials, and who need his care and attention.

The wilderness of Damascus - Probably the district north of the prophet’s own country, between Bashan and Damascus itself, and which was known in later times as Iturea and Gaulanitis. Here the prophet might be secure from Jezebel, while he could readily communicate with both Israel and Damascus, and execute the commissions with which he was entrusted.

When thou comest, anoint - Rather, “and thou shalt go and anoint,” Elijah performed one only of the three commissions given to him. He appears to have been left free to choose the time for executing his commissions, and it would seem that he thought the proper occasion had not arisen either for the first or the second before his own translation. But he took care to communicate the divine commands to his successor, who performed them at the fitting moment (marginal references).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 19:15. To the wilderness of Damascus — He does not desire him to take a road by which he might be likely to meet Jezebel, or any other of his enemies.

Anoint Hazael — For what reason the Lord was about to make all these revolutions, we are told in 1 Kings 19:17. God was about to bring his judgments upon the land, and especially on the house of Ahab. This he exterminated by means of Jehu; and Jehu himself was a scourge of the Lord to the people. Hazael also grievously afflicted Israel; see the accomplishment of these purposes, 2 Kings 8:0, and 2 Kings 9:0.