The Meaning of 2 Kings 8:12 Explained

2 Kings 8:12

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Hazael saith, 'Wherefore is my lord weeping?' and he saith, 'Because I have known the evil that thou dost to the sons of Israel -- their fenced places thou dost send into fire, and their young men with sword thou dost slay, and their sucklings thou dost dash to pieces, and their pregnant women thou dost rip up.'

Darby: And Hazael said, Why does my lord weep? And he said, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do to the children of Israel: their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou kill with the sword, and wilt dash in pieces their children, and rip up their women with child.

ASV: 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 strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their women with child.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Kings 8:12 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 8:1-15 - The Power Behind The Throne
Nothing happens in our life or in the world apart from the divine appointment or permission. Behind every event and incident there is a divine providence. The Shunammite who had done so much for Elisha was remembered and cared for, years afterward. The King has a wonderful memory for those who fed him when he was hungry, and ministered to him when he was in need. "When saw we thee"¦? Inasmuch as"¦," Matthew 25:37. This conversation between the king and Gehazi might have seemed an accident, but it was a providence. If we abide in the will of God, life will be sown with divine coincidences.
Here is another instance: Elisha comes to Damascus, evidently at God's bidding, just when Benhadad is sick. That sickness would not be mortal, but he would die prematurely from another cause. Would that men of God today had more of this gift of weeping over sinners and their destiny! No one resented hearing D.L. Moody talk of hell, because his voice always faltered. The prophet read Hazael's destiny from the Book of God-not from his set face-and how astounding it was! Ah, what depths of wickedness there are of which we are capable! "Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins." [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 8

1  The Shunammite, having left her country seven years, to avoid the famine,
5  for Elisha's miracle's sake has her land restored by the king
7  Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad and succeeds him
16  Jehoram's wicked reign in Judah
20  Edom and Libnah revolt
23  Ahaziah succeeds Jehoram
25  Ahaziah's wicked reign
28  He visits Joram, being wounded, at Jezreel

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 8:12 mean?

And said Hazael why my lord is weeping and He answered because I know - that you will do to the sons of Israel the evil their strongholds you will set on fire and their young men with the sword you will kill and their children you will dash and their pregnant [women] rip open
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חֲזָאֵ֔ל מַדּ֖וּעַ ؟ אֲדֹנִ֣י בֹכֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֡אמֶר כִּֽי־ יָדַ֡עְתִּי אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־ תַּעֲשֶׂה֩ לִבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל רָעָ֗ה מִבְצְרֵיהֶ֞ם תְּשַׁלַּ֤ח בָּאֵשׁ֙ וּבַחֻֽרֵיהֶם֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב תַּהֲרֹ֔ג וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם תְּרַטֵּ֔שׁ וְהָרֹתֵיהֶ֖ם תְּבַקֵּֽעַ

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
חֲזָאֵ֔ל  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.
מַדּ֖וּעַ  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
؟ אֲדֹנִ֣י  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
בֹכֶ֑ה  is  weeping 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
וַיֹּ֡אמֶר  and  He  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יָדַ֡עְתִּי  I  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֵ֣ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תַּעֲשֶׂה֩  you  will  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לִבְנֵ֨י  to  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
רָעָ֗ה  the  evil 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
מִבְצְרֵיהֶ֞ם  their  strongholds 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִבְצָר 
Sense: fortification, fortress, fortified city, stronghold.
תְּשַׁלַּ֤ח  you  will  set 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
בָּאֵשׁ֙  on  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וּבַחֻֽרֵיהֶם֙  and  their  young  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: youth, young man.
בַּחֶ֣רֶב  with  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
תַּהֲרֹ֔ג  you  will  kill 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם  and  their  children 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עֹולֵל 
Sense: child, boy.
תְּרַטֵּ֔שׁ  you  will  dash 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: רָטַשׁ  
Sense: to dash to pieces.
וְהָרֹתֵיהֶ֖ם  and  their  pregnant  [women] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: הָרֶה 
Sense: pregnant.
תְּבַקֵּֽעַ  rip  open 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּקַע  
Sense: to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear.