2 Kings 1:8

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

And they said unto him - A hairy man, with a leathern girdle girt about his loins. And he said - Elijah the Tishbite, it was.

Parallel Translations

Update Bible Version
And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girded with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

New Living Translation
They replied, "He was a hairy man, and he wore a leather belt around his waist." "Elijah from Tishbe!" the king exclaimed.

English Revised Version
And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

New Century Version
They answered, "He was a hairy man and wore a leather belt around his waist." Ahaziah said, "It was Elijah the Tishbite."

New English Translation
They replied, "He was a hairy man and had a leather belt tied around his waist." The king said, "He is Elijah the Tishbite."

Webster's Bible Translation
And they answered him, [He was] a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It [is] Elijah the Tishbite.

World English Bible
They answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a belt of leather about his loins. He said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Amplified Bible
They answered him, "He was a hairy man with a [wide] leather band bound around his loins." And Ahaziah said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

English Standard Version
They answered him, "He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei seiden, An heeri man, and gird with a girdil of skyn in the reynes. Which seide to hem, It is Elie of Thesbi.

Berean Standard Bible
"He was a hairy man," they answered, "with a leather belt around his waist." "It is Elijah the Tishbite," said the king.

Contemporary English Version
"He was hairy and had a leather belt around his waist," they answered. "It must be Elijah!" replied Ahaziah.

American Standard Version
And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Bible in Basic English
And they said in answer, He was a man clothed in a coat of hair, with a leather band about his body. Then he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Complete Jewish Bible
"He was a hairy man," they answered him, "with a leather belt around his waist." He said, "It was Eliyahu from Tishbe."

Darby Translation
And they said to him, He was a man in a hairy [garment], and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Easy-to-Read Version
They answered Ahaziah, "This man was wearing a hairy coat with a leather belt around his waist." Then Ahaziah said, "That was Elijah the Tishbite."

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they answered him: 'He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins.' And he said: 'It is Elijah the Tishbite.'

King James Version (1611)
And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loynes: and he said, It is Eliiah the Tishbite.

New Life Bible
They answered, "He was a man with much hair. He wore a piece of leather around his body." Ahaziah said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

New Revised Standard
They answered him, "A hairy man, with a leather belt around his waist." He said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And they said vnto him, He was an hearie man, and girded with a girdle of lether about his loynes. Then sayde he, It is Eliiah the Tishbite.

George Lamsa Translation
And they answered him, He was a hairy man and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said to them, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Good News Translation
"He was wearing a cloak made of animal skins, tied with a leather belt," they answered. "It's Elijah!" the king exclaimed.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But they said: A hairy man, with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said: It is Elias, the Thesbite.

Revised Standard Version
They answered him, "He wore a garment of haircloth, with a girdle of leather about his loins." And he said, "It is Eli'jah the Tishbite."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they aunswered him: It was an heery man, and girt with a girdell of leather about his loynes. And he saide: It is Elias the Thesbite.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they said to him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a leathern girdle about his loins. And he said, This is Eliu the Thesbite.

Christian Standard Bible®
They replied, “A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.”

Hebrew Names Version
They answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a belt of leather about his loins. He said, It is Eliyah the Tishbi.

King James Version
And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Lexham English Bible
They answered him, "A hairy man with a leather belt girded around his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

Literal Translation
And they said to him, A hairy man, and a girdle of leather was girded about his loins. And he said, He is Elijah the Tishbite.

Young's Literal Translation
And they say unto him, `A man -- hairy, and a girdle of skin girt about his loins;' and he saith, `He [is] Elijah the Tishbite.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They sayde vnto him: He had a rough heer vpon him, and a letheren gyrdell aboute his loynes. He sayde: It is Elias the Tishbite.

THE MESSAGE
"Shaggy," they said, "and wearing a leather belt." He said, "That has to be Elijah the Tishbite!"

New American Standard Bible
And they said to him, "He was a hairy man with a leather belt worn around his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

New King James Version
So they answered him, "A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
They answered him, "He was a hairy man with a leather girdle bound about his loins." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

Legacy Standard Bible
And they said to him, "He was a hairy man with a leather girdle girded about his loins." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

Contextual Overview

¹ Then Moab revolted against Israel, after the death of Ahab. ² And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber, which was in Samaria, and became sick, - so he sent messengers, and said unto them - Go enquire of Baalzebub, god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness. ³ But, the messenger of Yahweh, spake unto Elijah the Tishbite, Rise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, - and say unto them - Is it, because there is no God in Israel, that, ye, are going to enquire of Baalzebub, god of Ekron? ⁴ Wherefore, Thus, saith Yahweh, From the bed whereunto thou hast gone up, shalt thou not come down, for thou shalt, surely die. And Elijah departed. ⁵ And, when the messengers returned unto him, he said unto them - How is it that ye have returned? ⁶ And they said unto him - A man, came up to meet us, and said unto us - Go, return unto the king who sent you, and ye shall say unto him, Thus, saith Yahweh - Is it, because there is no God in Israel, that, thou, art sending to enquire of Baalzebub, god of Ekron? Therefore, from the bed whereunto thou hast gone up, shalt thou not come down, for thou shalt, surely die. ⁷ And he said unto them, What was the manner of the man who came up to meet you, - and spake unto you these words? ⁸ And they said unto him - A hairy man, with a leathern girdle girt about his loins. And he said - Elijah the Tishbite, it was.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

an hairy man: That is, he wore a rough garment, either made of camels' hair, as that of John Baptist, or of a skin, dressed with the hair on. Sir J. Chardin informs us, in a manuscript note on this place, cited by Mr. Harmer, that the eastern dervishes and fakeers are clothed just as Elijah was, with a hairy garment, girded with a leathern girdle. Isaiah 20:2, Zechariah 13:4, Matthew 3:4, Matthew 11:8, Luke 1:17, Revelation 11:3

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 1:3 - Elijah 2 Kings 2:8 - his mantle Mark 1:6 - clothed Luke 7:25 - A man Hebrews 11:37 - in sheepskins

Cross-References

Genesis 1:5
and God called the light, day, but the darkness, called he, night. So it was evening - and it was morning, one day.

Genesis 1:10
And God called, the dry-ground, land, but the gathering together of the waters, called he seas. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:13
So it was evening - and it was morning, a third day.

Genesis 1:19
So it was evening - and it was morning, a fourth day.

Genesis 1:23
So it was evening - and it was morning, a fifth day.

Genesis 1:31
And God saw every thing which he had made, and lo! it was very good. So it was evening - and it was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 5:2
Male and female, created he them, - and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day they were created.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they answered him, he was an hairy man,.... Either the hair of his head and beard were grown very long, having been much neglected for a great while; or he had an hairy garment on, either of goats' hair, such as the Chinese wear f, whose women spin it, see

Exodus 35:26 and of which garments are made; or of camels' hair, such as John the Baptist wore, who came in his spirit and power, and imitated him in his dress, being also, as Elijah here,

girt with a girdle of leather about his loins: for more expeditious travelling, not for warmth, the climate being hot:

and he said, it is Elijah the Tishbite; for he had seen him formerly in his father's court in this dress.

f Semedo's History of China, part 1. ch. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

An hairy man - Either in allusion to his shaggy cloak of untanned skin; or, more probably, an expression descriptive of the prophet’s person, of his long flowing locks, abundant beard, and general profusion of hair. His costume was that of a thorough ascetic. Generally the Jews wore girdles of linen or cotton stuff, soft and comfortable. Under the girdle they wore one or two long linen gowns or shirts, and over these they had sometimes a large shawl. Elijah had only his leather girdle and his sheepskin cape or “mantle.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 1:8. He was a hairy man — That is, he wore a rough garment, either made of camels' hair, as his successor John Baptist's was, or he wore a skin dressed with the hair on. Some think that the meaning is, he had very long hair and a long beard. The ancient prophets all wore rough garments, or upper coats made of the skins of beasts: They wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, says the apostle, Hebrews 11:37.