2 Kings 8:12-15

8:12 Hazael asked, “Why are you crying, my master?” He replied, “Because I know the trouble you will cause the Israelites. You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, smash their children to bits, and rip open their pregnant women.” 8:13 Hazael said, “How could your servant, who is as insignificant as a dog, accomplish this great military victory?” ¹  Elisha answered, “The Lord has revealed to me that you will be the king of Syria.” ²  8:14 He left Elisha and went to his master. Ben Hadad ³  asked him, “What did Elisha tell you?” Hazael ⁴  replied, “He told me you would surely recover.” 8:15 The next day Hazael ⁵  took a piece of cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over Ben Hadad’s ⁶  face until he died. Then Hazael replaced him as king.

[8:13]  ¹ tn Heb “Indeed, what is your servant, a dog, that he could do this great thing?” With his reference to a dog, Hazael is not denying that he is a “dog” and protesting that he would never commit such a dastardly “dog-like” deed. Rather, as Elisha’s response indicates, Hazael is suggesting that he, like a dog, is too insignificant to ever be in a position to lead such conquests.

[8:13]  ² tn Heb “The Lord has shown me you [as] king over Syria.”

[8:14]  ³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ben Hadad) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Hazael) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Hazael) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Ben Hadad) has been specified in the translation for clarity.