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Thursday, July 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

2 Kings 8:10

Elisha said to him, "Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover,' but the Lord has revealed to me that he will surely die."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ben-Hadad;   Elisha;   Falsehood;   Hazael;   Thompson Chain Reference - Death;   Deaths Foretold;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Hazael;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ben-hadad;   Elisha;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Elijah;   Elisha;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Damascus;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Damascus;   Elisha;   Hazael;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Benhadad ;   Hazael ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Ramothgilead;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Benbadad;   Elisha;   Hazael;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ben-Ha'dad;   Haz'a-El;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Hazael;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Benhadad;   Elijah;   Elisha;   Prophecy;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Benhadad;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ben-Hadad;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Elisha told him, “Go say to him, ‘You are sure to recover.’ But the Lord has shown me that he is sure to die.”
Hebrew Names Version
Elisha said to him, Go, tell him, You shall surely recover; however the LORD has shown me that he shall surely die.
King James Version
And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die.
English Standard Version
And Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover,' but the Lord has shown me that he shall certainly die."
New Century Version
Elisha said to Hazael, "Go and tell Ben-Hadad, ‘You will surely recover,' but the Lord has told me he will really die."
Amplified Bible
And Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, 'You will certainly recover,' but the LORD has shown me that he will certainly die."
New American Standard Bible
Then Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, 'You will certainly recover'; but the LORD has shown me that he will certainly die."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Elisha sayd to him, Goe, and say vnto him, Thou shalt recouer: howbeit the Lord hath shewed me, that he shall surely dye.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, ‘You will surely be restored to life,' but Yahweh has shown me that he will certainly die."
Contemporary English Version
"Tell him he will," Elisha said to Hazael. "But the Lord has already told me that Benhadad will definitely die."
Complete Jewish Bible
Elisha answered, "Go and say to him, ‘You will surely recover' — even though Adonai has shown me that he will surely die."
Darby Translation
And Elisha said to him, Go, say to him, Thou wilt certainly recover. But Jehovah has shewn me that he shall certainly die.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Elisha said to Hazael, "Go and tell Ben-Hadad, ‘You will live.' But really the Lord told me, ‘He will die.'"
George Lamsa Translation
And Elisha said to him, Go, say to him, You shall surely recover; but the LORD has shown me that he shall surely die.
Good News Translation
Elisha answered, "The Lord has revealed to me that he will die; but go to him and tell him that he will recover."
Lexham English Bible
Elisha said to him, "Go; say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover,' but Yahweh has shown me that he certainly will die."
Literal Translation
And Elisha said to him, Go, say to him, Living you shall live. But Jehovah has shown me that dying he shall die.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Eliseus sayde vnto him: Go yi waye and tell him: Thou shalt recouer. But the LORDE hath shewed me, yt he shal dye ye death.
American Standard Version
And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou shalt surely recover; howbeit Jehovah hath showed me that he shall surely die.
Bible in Basic English
And Elisha said to him, Go, say to him, You will certainly get better; but the Lord has made it clear to me that only death is before him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Elisa sayde vnto him: Go, and say vnto him, Thou shalt recouer: howebeit, the Lorde hath shewed me that he shall surely dye.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Elisha said unto him: 'Go, say unto him: Thou shalt surely recover; howbeit the LORD hath shown me that he shall surely die.'
King James Version (1611)
And Elisha said vnto him, Goe, say vnto him, Thou mayest certeinly recouer: howbeit, the Lord hath shewed me, that he shall surely die.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Elisaie said, Go, say, Thou shalt certainly live; yet the Lord has shewed me that thou shalt surely die.
English Revised Version
And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou shalt surely recover; howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.
Berean Standard Bible
Elisha answered, "Go and say to him, 'You will surely recover.' But the LORD has shown me that in fact he will die."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Elisee seide, Go thou, and seye to hym, Thou schalt be heelid; forsothe the Lord schewide to me that he schal die bi deth.
Young's Literal Translation
And Elisha saith unto him, `Go, say, Thou dost certainly not revive, seeing Jehovah hath shewed me that he doth surely die.'
Update Bible Version
And Elisha said to him, Go, say to him, You shall surely recover; nevertheless Yahweh has shown me that he shall surely die.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Elisha said to him, Go, say to him, Thou mayest certainly recover: but the LORD hath showed me, that he shall surely die.
World English Bible
Elisha said to him, Go, tell him, You shall surely recover; however Yahweh has shown me that he shall surely die.
New King James Version
And Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, "You shall certainly recover.' However the LORD has shown me that he will really die."
New Living Translation
And Elisha replied, "Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.' But actually the Lord has shown me that he will surely die!"
New Life Bible
Elisha said to him, "Go and tell him, ‘You will get better for sure.' But the Lord has shown me that he will die for sure."
New Revised Standard
Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover'; but the Lord has shown me that he shall certainly die."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Elisha said unto him, Go, say to him, Thou shalt, recover; And yet Yahweh hath shown me, that he will, die.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Eliseus said to him: Go tell him: Thou shalt recover: but the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die.
Revised Standard Version
And Eli'sha said to him, "Go, say to him, 'You shall certainly recover'; but the LORD has shown me that he shall certainly die."
THE MESSAGE
Elisha answered, "Go and tell him, ‘Don't worry; you'll live.' The fact is, though— God showed me—that he's doomed to die." Elisha then stared hard at Hazael, reading his heart. Hazael felt exposed and dropped his eyes. Then the Holy Man wept.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, 'You will surely recover,' but the LORD has shown me that he will certainly die."

Contextual Overview

7 Elisha traveled to Damascus while King Ben Hadad of Syria was sick. The king was told, "The prophet has come here." 8 So the king told Hazael, "Take a gift and go visit the prophet. Request from him an oracle from the Lord . Ask him, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?'" 9 So Hazael went to visit Elisha. He took along a gift, as well as forty camel loads of all the fine things of Damascus. When he arrived, he stood before him and said, "Your son, King Ben Hadad of Syria, has sent me to you with this question, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?'" 10 Elisha said to him, "Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover,' but the Lord has revealed to me that he will surely die." 11 Elisha just stared at him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the prophet started crying. 12 Hazael asked, "Why are you crying, my master?" He replied, "Because I know the trouble you will cause the Israelites. You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, smash their children to bits, and rip open their pregnant women." 13 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." 14 He left Elisha and went to his master. Ben Hadad asked him, "What did Elisha tell you?" Hazael replied, "He told me you would surely recover." 15 The next day Hazael took a piece of cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over Ben Hadad's face until he died. Then Hazael replaced him as king.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thou mayest: 1 Kings 22:15

the Lord: 2 Kings 8:13, Genesis 41:39, Jeremiah 38:21, Ezekiel 11:25, Amos 3:7, Amos 7:1, Amos 7:4, Amos 7:7, Amos 8:1, Zechariah 1:20, Revelation 22:1

he shall surely die: 2 Kings 8:15, 2 Kings 1:4, 2 Kings 1:16, Genesis 2:17, Ezekiel 18:13

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:4 - Ye 2 Kings 8:14 - He told me Romans 3:7 - if the truth

Cross-References

Genesis 7:4
For in seven days I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the ground every living thing that I have made."
Genesis 7:10
And after seven days the floodwaters engulfed the earth.
Genesis 8:12
He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again, but it did not return to him this time.
Psalms 40:1

For the music director; By David, a psalm.

I relied completely on the Lord , and he turned toward me and heard my cry for help.
Isaiah 8:17
I will wait patiently for the Lord , who has rejected the family of Jacob; I will wait for him.
Isaiah 26:8
Yes, as your judgments unfold, O Lord , we wait for you. We desire your fame and reputation to grow.
Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Elisha said unto him, go, say unto him, thou mayest certainly recover,.... That is, of the disease; and there was not only a probability that he might recover of it, it not being a mortal one, but a certainty that he should not die of it, as he did not, but die a violent death, which the prophet predicts in the next clause; though some take these words not as a command, what he should say, but as a prediction of what he would say; that he would go and tell him he should certainly recover, because he would not discourage him, though the prophet assures him in the next clause that he should die: there is a various reading of these words; we follow the marginal reading, but the textual reading is, "say, thou shall not certainly recover", or "in living live"; which agrees with what follows:

howbeit or "for"

the Lord hath showed me, that he shall surely die; though not of that sickness, nor a natural death, but a violent one, and that by the hand of this his servant, though he does not express it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Translate - “Go, say unto him, Thou shalt certainly live: howbeit the Lord hath showed me that he shall certainly die.” i. e.,” Say to him, what thou hast already determined to say, what a courtier is sure to say (compare 1 Kings 22:15), but know that the fact will be otherwise.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 8:10. Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath showed me that he shall surely die. — That is, God has not determined thy death, nor will it be a necessary consequence of the disease by which thou art now afflicted; but this wicked man will abuse the power and trust thou hast reposed in him, and take away thy life. Even when God has not designed nor appointed the death of a person, he may nevertheless die, though not without the permission of God. This is a farther proof of the doctrine of contingent events: he might live for all his sickness, but thou wilt put an end to his life.


 
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