The Meaning of 1 Kings 19:17 Explained

1 Kings 19:17

KJV: And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

YLT: 'And it hath been, him who is escaped from the sword of Hazael, put to death doth Jehu, and him who is escaped from the sword of Jehu put to death doth Elisha;

Darby: And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay; and him that escapeth the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

ASV: And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay; and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it shall come to pass, [that] him that escapeth  the sword  of Hazael  shall Jehu  slay:  and him that escapeth  from the sword  of Jehu  shall Elisha  slay. 

What does 1 Kings 19:17 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 19:15-21 - Appointing Jehovah's Instruments
Elijah was never reinstated in quite the position that he had occupied before his fatal flight. True, he was bidden to return, and work was given him to do. But that work consisted in anointing three men who were to share the ministry which he might have fulfilled, if only he had been true to his opportunities and faithful to his God. God's work must go forward, if not by us, then by others brought in to fill our place.
Hazael, king of Syria; Jehu, the rude captain; and Elisha, the young farmer. Each was as different as possible from the others; yet each had his special sphere in dealing with the idolatries and impurities that were destroying the chosen race. God's nets are not all constructed with the same size of meshes. Men may escape some of the bigger ones, who will be caught by the smaller ones. But God so orders the lives of men that once at least each encounters a mesh that cannot be evaded. What a comfort it is to think that God is at work in the world, and that, while statistics tell a sad tale, there may still be seven thousand secret disciples for every Elijah! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 19

1  Elijah, threatened by Jezebel, flees to Beersheba
4  In the desert, being weary of his life, he is comforted by an angel
9  At Horeb God appears unto him, sending him to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha
19  Elisha, taking leave of his friends, follows Elijah

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 19:17 mean?

And it shall be [that] whoever escapes the sword of Hazael will kill Jehu and whoever escapes of Jehu will kill Elisha
וְהָיָ֗ה הַנִּמְלָ֛ט מֵחֶ֥רֶב חֲזָאֵ֖ל יָמִ֣ית יֵה֑וּא וְהַנִּמְלָ֛ט יֵה֖וּא יָמִ֥ית אֱלִישָֽׁע

וְהָיָ֗ה  And  it  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַנִּמְלָ֛ט  [that]  whoever  escapes 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: מָלַט 
Sense: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.
מֵחֶ֥רֶב  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
חֲזָאֵ֖ל  of  Hazael 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲזָאֵל 
Sense: a king of Syria; sent by his master, Ben-hadad, to the prophet Elisha, to seek a remedy for Ben-hadad’s leprosy; apparently later killed Ben-hadad, assumed the throne, and soon became engaged in a war with the kings of Judah and Israel for the possession of the city of Ramoth-gilead.
יָמִ֣ית  will  kill 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
יֵה֑וּא  Jehu 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵהוּא  
Sense: the king of the northern kingdom Israel who overthrew the dynasty of Omri.
וְהַנִּמְלָ֛ט  and  whoever  escapes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: מָלַט 
Sense: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.
יֵה֖וּא  of  Jehu 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵהוּא  
Sense: the king of the northern kingdom Israel who overthrew the dynasty of Omri.
יָמִ֥ית  will  kill 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
אֱלִישָֽׁע  Elisha 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִישָׁע  
Sense: the great prophet who succeeded Elijah.