2 Kings 8:9

Verse

So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

American Standard Version (1901)

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 Ben-hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this sickness?

Bible in Basic English

So Hazael went to see him, taking with him forty camels with offerings on their backs of every sort of good thing from Damascus; and when he came before him, he said, Your son Ben-hadad, king of Aram, has sent me to you, saying, Will I get better from this disease?

Douay-Rheims 1899

And Hazael went to meet him, taking with him presents, and all the good things of Damascus, the burdens of forty camels. And when he stood before him, he said: Thy son Benadad the king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying: Can I recover of this my illness?

Free Bible Version

So Hazael went to meet Elisha. He took with him a gift of all the best things from Damascus—forty camel-loads of goods. He came in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad, king of Aram, has sent me to you to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

Geneva Bible 1599

So Hazael went to meete him, and tooke the present in his hand, and of euery good thing of Damascus, euen the burden of fourtie camels, and came and stood before him, and sayde, Thy sonne Ben-hadad King of Aram hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recouer of this disease?

King James (Authorized) Version

Translation for Translators

So Hazael went to talk with Elisha. He took with him forty camels that were carrying many kinds of goods that were produced in Damascus. When Hazael met him, he said to him, “Your friend Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, sent me to ask you whether you think he will recover from his illness.”

Unlocked Literal Bible

So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift with him of every kind of good thing of Damascus, carried by forty camels. So Hazael came and stood before Elisha and said, “Your son Ben Hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?'”

Noah Webster Bible

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 Ben-hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

World English Bible

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, “Your son Benhadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”

Young's Literal Translation

And Hazael goeth to meet him, and taketh a present in his hand, even of every good thing of Damascus, a burden of forty camels, and he cometh in and standeth before him, and saith, 'Thy son Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, hath sent me unto thee, saying, Do I revive from this sickness?'

Context

Hazael Murders Ben-hadad

⁸So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”⁹So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

Summary

In this verse, Elisha instructs Hazael to deliver a message to King Ben-Hadad of Aram, predicting that the king will recover from his illness but will still die. This prophecy reveals the sovereignty of God over the lives of kings and nations, demonstrating His foreknowledge and control over future events. Elisha's role as a prophet is highlighted as he serves as a messenger of God's word, speaking truth even to powerful rulers. The verse also underscores the consequences of sin and disobedience, as King Ben-Hadad's ultimate fate is sealed despite his temporary recovery.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

forty camels' burden--The present, consisting of the rarest and most valuable produce of the land, would be liberal and magnificent. But it must not be supposed it was actually so large as to require forty camels to carry it. The Orientals are fond of display, and would, ostentatiously, lay upon forty beasts what might very easily have been borne by four. Thy son Ben-hadad--so called from the established usage of designating the prophet "father." This was the same Syrian monarch who had formerly persecuted him (see Kg2 6:13-14).