Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, November 26th, 2025
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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New Living Translation

2 Kings 8:15

But the next day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and held it over the king's face until he died. Then Hazael became the next king of Aram.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ben-Hadad;   Elisha;   Falsehood;   Hazael;   Homicide;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Murder;   Syria;  

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The next day Hazael took a heavy cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king’s face. Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned in his place.
Hebrew Names Version
It happened on the next day, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Haza'el reigned in his place.
King James Version
And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
English Standard Version
But the next day he took the bed cloth and dipped it in water and spread it over his face, till he died. And Hazael became king in his place.
New Century Version
But the next day Hazael took a blanket and dipped it in water. Then he put it over Ben-Hadad's face, and he died. So Hazael became king in Ben-Hadad's place.
New English Translation
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.
Amplified Bible
But the next day Hazael took the bedspread and dipped it in water and covered the king's face, so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.
New American Standard Bible
But on the following day, he took the cover and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face, so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And on the morow he tooke a thick cloth and dipt in it water, and spread it on his face, & hee dyed: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened that on the following day, he took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it on his face; so he died. And Hazael became king in his place.
Contemporary English Version
But the very next day, Hazael got a thick blanket; he soaked it in water and held it over Benhadad's face until he died. Hazael then became king.
Complete Jewish Bible
The next day he took a blanket, dipped it in water and spread it on his face, so that he died; and Haza'el took his place as king.
Darby Translation
And it came to pass the next day, that he took the coverlet and dipped [it] in water, and spread it over his face, so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his stead.
Easy-to-Read Version
But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth and dipped it in water. Then he held it on Ben-Hadad's face until he died. Then Hazael became the new king.
George Lamsa Translation
And on the morrow, Hazael took a thick cloth and dipped it in water and spread it on the kings face, so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his stead.
Good News Translation
But on the following day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and smothered the king. And Hazael succeeded Benhadad as king of Syria.
Lexham English Bible
On the next day, he took the bed cover, dipped it in the water, and spread it over his face so that he died. Then Hazael became king in his place.
Literal Translation
And it happened on the next day, he took a plaited cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, and he died. And Hazael reigned in his place.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But on the nexte daye he toke ye bed couerynge, and dypte it in water, and spred it ouer him, and he dyed, & Hasael was kynge in his steade.
American Standard Version
And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
Bible in Basic English
Now on the day after, Hazael took the bed-cover, and making it wet with water, put it over Ben-hadad's face, causing his death: and Hazael became king in his place.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And on the morowe it fortuned, that he toke a thycke cloth, and dipt it in water, and spread it on his face: & he died, and Hazael raigned in his steade.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his stead.
King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe on the morrow, that he tooke a thicke cloth, and dipt it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died, and Hazael reigned in his stead.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it came to pass on the next day that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and put it on his face, and he died: and Azael reigned in his stead.
English Revised Version
And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, So that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
Berean Standard Bible
But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king's face. So Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned in his place.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne `the tother day hadde come, Azael took the cloth on the bed, and bischedde with watir, and spredde abrood on the face of hym; and whanne he was deed, Azael regnede for hym.
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass on the morrow, that he taketh the coarse cloth, and dippeth in water, and spreadeth on his face, and he dieth, and Hazael reigneth in his stead.
Update Bible Version
And it came to pass on the next day, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped [it] in water, and spread [it] on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
World English Bible
It happened on the next day, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his place.
New King James Version
But it happened on the next day that he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his place.
New Life Bible
But the next day Hazael took the bed covering and put it in water. Then he spread it on Ben-hadad's face so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.
New Revised Standard
But the next day he took the bed-cover and dipped it in water and spread it over the king's face, until he died. And Hazael succeeded him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But it came to pass on the morrow, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face, that he died, - and, Hazael, reigned, in his stead.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And on the next day, he took a blanket, and poured water on it, and spread it upon his face: and he died, and Hazael reigned in his stead.
Revised Standard Version
But on the morrow he took the coverlet and dipped it in water and spread it over his face, till he died. And Haz'ael became king in his stead.
THE MESSAGE
But the very next day, someone took a heavy quilt, soaked it in water, covered the king's face, and suffocated him. Now Hazael was king.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
On the following day, he took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it on his face, so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

Contextual Overview

7 Elisha went to Damascus, the capital of Aram, where King Ben-hadad lay sick. When someone told the king that the man of God had come, 8 the king said to Hazael, "Take a gift to the man of God. Then tell him to ask the Lord , ‘Will I recover from this illness?'" 9 So Hazael loaded down forty camels with the finest products of Damascus as a gift for Elisha. He went to him and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?'" 10 And Elisha replied, "Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.' But actually the Lord has shown me that he will surely die!" 11 Elisha stared at Hazael with a fixed gaze until Hazael became uneasy. Then the man of God started weeping. 12 "What's the matter, my lord?" Hazael asked him. Elisha replied, "I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn their fortified cities, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women!" 13 Hazael responded, "How could a nobody like me ever accomplish such great things?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has shown me that you are going to be the king of Aram." 14 When Hazael left Elisha and went back, the king asked him, "What did Elisha tell you?" And Hazael replied, "He told me that you will surely recover." 15 But the next day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and held it over the king's face until he died. Then Hazael became the next king of Aram.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

And it came: 2 Kings 8:13, 1 Samuel 16:12, 1 Samuel 16:13, 1 Samuel 24:4-7, 1 Samuel 24:13, 1 Samuel 26:9-11, 1 Kings 11:26-37

on the morrow: Psalms 36:4, Micah 2:1

that he took a thick cloth: There is a considerable degree of ambiguity in this passage. The pronoun he is generally referred to Hazael; but Dr. Geddes and others are decidedly of the opinion, that we should understand by it Ben-hadad; who, encouraged by the favourable answer of Elisha, as reported by Hazael, adopted a violent remedy to allay the heat of his fever, and put over his face the keever, or fly-net. (See note on 1 Samuel 19:13), dipped in water, which suddenly checked the perspiration, and occasioned his death.

so that he died: 2 Kings 9:24, 2 Kings 15:10-14, 2 Kings 15:25, 2 Kings 15:30, 1 Kings 15:28, 1 Kings 16:10, 1 Kings 16:18, Isaiah 33:1

Hazael: 2 Kings 8:13, 1 Kings 19:15

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 8:10 - he shall surely die

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass on the morrow,.... In such haste was Hazael to be king, as the prophet said he would be:

that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died; not that Benhadad took or ordered such a cloth to be dipped and laid on his own face, to allay the violent heat in him; but Hazael did this, and perhaps under such a pretence; but his real design was to strike in the heat, or suffocate him; for such a thick cloth, one of the bedclothes, made of goats' hair, as is supposed, being dipped in water, would suck in a great deal; and being laid on his face, would press hard, and he not able to throw it off, it would let in much water into his mouth and nostrils, and suffocate him, without leaving any marks of violence, which might render his death suspicious:

and Hazael reigned in his stead; having an interest in the army, of which he was general, and perhaps had done some exploits which had recommended him to the regard of the people.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A thick cloth - Probably, a cloth or mat placed between the head and the upper part of the bedstead, which in Egypt and Assyria was often so shaped that pillows (in our sense) were unnecessary.

The objection that Elisha is involved in the guilt of having suggested the deed, has no real force or value. Hazael was no more obliged to murder Benhadad because a prophet announced to him that he would one day be king of Syria, than David was obliged to murder Saul because another prophet anointed him king in Saul’s room 1 Samuel 16:1-13.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 8:15. A thick cloth — The versions, in general, understand this of a hairy or woollen cloth.

So that he died — He was smothered, or suffocated.


 
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