2 Kings 8:13

King James Version

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.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog, do such a mighty deed?”

Hebrew Names Version
Haza'el said, But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? Elisha answered, the LORD has shown me that you shall be king over Aram.

English Standard Version
And Hazael said, "What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has shown me that you are to be king over Syria."

New Century Version
Hazael said, "Am I a dog? How could I do such things?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Aram."

New English Translation
Hazael said, "How could your servant, who is as insignificant as a dog, accomplish this great military victory?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has revealed to me that you will be the king of Syria."

Amplified Bible
Then Hazael said, "Surely not! For what is your servant, who is nothing more than a dog, that he would do this monstrous thing?" And Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram."

New American Standard Bible
Then Hazael said, "But what is your servant—a lowly dog—that he could do this great thing?" And Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Hazael said, What? is thy seruant a dog, that I should doe this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lorde hath shewed mee, that thou shalt be King of Aram.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Hazael said, "But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" And Elisha answered, "Yahweh has shown me that you will be king over Aram."

Contemporary English Version
"How could I ever do anything like that?" Hazael replied. "I'm only a servant and don't have that kind of power." "Hazael, the Lord has told me that you will be the next king of Syria."

Complete Jewish Bible
Haza'el said, "But what is your servant? Nothing but a dog! How could he do anything of such magnitude?" Elisha answered, " Adonai has shown me that you will be king over Aram."

Darby Translation
And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha said, Jehovah has shewn me that thou wilt be king over Syria.

Easy-to-Read Version
Hazael said, "I am not a powerful man! How can I do these great things?" Elisha answered, "The Lord showed me that you will be king over Aram."

George Lamsa Translation
And Hazael said, But what, is your servant a dog, that he should do this terrible thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD has shown me that you shall be king over Aram.

Good News Translation
"How could I ever be that powerful?" Hazael asked. "I'm a nobody!" "The Lord has shown me that you will be king of Syria," Elisha replied.

Lexham English Bible
Then Hazael said, "But how could your servant, who is like a dog, do this great thing?" Elisha said, "Yahweh has shown me that you are to be king over Aram."

Literal Translation
And Hazael said, But what! Is your servant a dog that he should do this great thing? And Elisha said, Jehovah has shown me that you will be king over Syria.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Hasael sayde: How so, is thy seruaunt a dogg, that he shulde do soch a greate thynge? Eliseus saide: The LORDE hath shewed me, yt thou shalt be kynge of Syria.

American Standard Version
And Hazael said, But what is thy servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, Jehovah hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

Bible in Basic English
And Hazael said, How is it possible that your servant, who is only a dog, will do this great thing? And Elisha said, The Lord has made it clear to me that you will be king over Aram.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But Hazael sayd: What is thy seruaunt a dogge, that I shoulde do this great thing? And Elisa aunswered: The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king of Syria.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Hazael said: 'But what is thy servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?' And Elisha answered: 'The LORD hath shown me that thou shalt be king over Aram.'

King James Version (1611)
And Hazael said, But what, is thy seruant a dogge, that he should doe this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed mee that thou shalt be king ouer Syria.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Azael said, Who is thy servant? a dead dog, that he should do this thing? And Elisaie said, The Lord has shewn me thee ruling over Syria.

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

Berean Standard Bible
"But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?" said Hazael. And Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will become king over Aram."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Azael seide, What sotheli am Y, thi seruaunt, a dogge, that Y do this grete thing? And Elisee seide, The Lord schewide to me that thou schalt be kyng of Sirie.

Young's Literal Translation
And Hazael saith, `But what, [is] thy servant the dog, that he doth this great thing?' And Elisha saith, `Jehovah hath shewed me thee -- king of Aram.'

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

Webster's Bible Translation
And Hazael said, But what, [is] thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shown me that thou [wilt be] king over Syria.

World English Bible
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.

New King James Version
So Hazael said, "But what is your servant--a dog, that he should do this gross thing?" And Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will become king over Syria."

New Living Translation
Hazael responded, "How could a nobody like me ever accomplish such great things?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has shown me that you are going to be the king of Aram."

New Life Bible
Hazael said, "What is your servant, only a dog, that he should do this bad thing?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has shown me that you will be the king of Syria."

New Revised Standard
Hazael said, "What is your servant, who is a mere dog, that he should do this great thing?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has shown me that you are to be king over Aram."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Hazael said, But what is thy servant - the dog - that he should do this great thing? And Elisha said, Yahweh hath shown thee unto me, as king over Syria.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Hazael said: But what am I, thy servant, a dog, that I should do this great thing? And Eliseus said: The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king of Syria.

Revised Standard Version
And Haz'ael said, "What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Eli'sha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you are to be king over Syria."

THE MESSAGE
Hazael said, "Am I a mongrel dog that I'd do such a horrible thing?" " God showed me," said Elisha, "that you'll be king of Aram."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Hazael said, "But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" And Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram."

Contextual Overview

⁷ And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither. ⁸ And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? ⁹ So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? ¹⁰ And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die. ¹¹ And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept. 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. 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. ¹⁴ So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover. ¹⁵ And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a dog: 1 Samuel 17:43, 2 Samuel 9:8, Psalms 22:16, Psalms 22:20, Isaiah 56:10, Isaiah 56:11, Matthew 7:6, Philippians 3:2, Revelation 22:15

he should do: Jeremiah 17:9, Matthew 26:33-35

The Lord: 2 Kings 8:10, 1 Kings 19:15, Micah 2:1

Reciprocal: Genesis 44:7 - General 2 Samuel 3:8 - Amos I a dog's head 2 Kings 8:15 - And it came 2 Kings 8:28 - Hazael 2 Kings 9:3 - I have anointed 2 Kings 13:3 - Hazael Proverbs 28:26 - that Joel 2:20 - because Mark 14:31 - he spake Luke 22:33 - I am

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Hazael said, but what, [is] thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?.... 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But what, is thy servant a dog? - This is a mistranslation, and conveys to the English reader a sense quite different from that of the original. Hazael’s speech runs thus - “But what is thy servant, this dog, that he should do this great thing?” He does not shrink from Elisha’s words, or mean to say that he would be a dog, could he act so cruelly as Elisha predicts he will. On the contrary, Elisha’s prediction has raised his hopes, and his only doubt is whether so much good fortune (“this great thing”) can be in store for one so mean. “Dog” here, as generally (though not always) in Scripture, has the sense of “mean,” “low,” “contemptible.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 8:13. But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great things — I believe this verse to be wrongly interpreted by the general run of commentators. It is generally understood that Hazael was struck with horror at the prediction; that these cruelties were most alien from his mind; that he then felt distressed and offended at the imputation of such evils to him; and yet, so little did he know his own heart, that when he got power, and had opportunity, he did the whole with a willing heart and a ready hand. On the contrary, I think he was delighted at the prospect; and his question rather implies a doubt whether a person so inconsiderable as he is shall ever have it in his power to do such great, not such evil things; for, in his sight, they had no turpitude. The Hebrew text stands thus: כי מה עבדך הכלב כי יעשה הדבר הגדול הזה ki mah abdecha hakkeleb, ki yaaseh haddabar haggadol hazzeh? "But, what! thy servant, this dog! that he should do this great work!" Or, "Can such a poor, worthless fellow, such a dead dog, [ὁ κυων ὁ τεθνηκως, Sept.,] perform such mighty actions? thou fillest me with surprise." And that this is the true sense, his immediate murder of his master on his return fully proves. "Our common version of these words of Hazael," as Mr. Patten observes, "has stood in the front of many a fine declamation utterly wide of his real sentiment. His exclamation was not the result of horror; his expression has no tincture of it; but of the unexpected glimpse of a crown! The prophet's answer is plainly calculated to satisfy the astonishment he had excited. A dog bears not, in Scripture, the character of a cruel, but of a despicable animal; nor does he who is shocked with its barbarity call it a GREAT deed." - David Vindicated.