Tanach
Melachim II 8:7-15 מלכים ב ח׳:ז׳-ט״ו
Part of: Chapter 8
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיָּבֹא אֱלִישָׁע דַּמֶּשֶׂק וּבֶן־הֲדַד מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם חֹלֶה וַיֻּגַּד־לוֹ לֵאמֹר בָּא אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃
And Elisha came to Dammeseq; and Ben-hadad the king of Aram was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come here.
And Elisha came to Dammeseq; and Ben-hadad the king of Aram was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come here.
Rashi
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־חֲזָהאֵל קַח בְּיָדְךָ מִנְחָה וְלֵךְ לִקְרַאת אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וְדָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה מֵאוֹתוֹ לֵאמֹר הַאֶחְיֶה מֵחֳלִי זֶֽה׃
And the king said to Ḥaza᾽el, Take a present in thy hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
And the king said to Ḥaza᾽el, Take a present in thy hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
וַיֵּלֶךְ חֲזָאֵל לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיִּקַּח מִנְחָה בְיָדוֹ וְכׇל־טוּב דַּמֶּשֶׂק מַשָּׂא אַרְבָּעִים גָּמָל וַיָּבֹא וַיַּעֲמֹד לְפָנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר בִּנְךָ בֶן־הֲדַד מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָם שְׁלָחַנִי אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר הַאֶחְיֶה מֵחֳלִי זֶֽה׃
So Ḥaza᾽el went to meet him, and took a present with him, and every good thing of Dammeseq, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
So Ḥaza᾽el went to meet him, and took a present with him, and every good thing of Dammeseq, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֱלִישָׁע לֵךְ אֱמׇר־[לוֹ] (לא) חָיֹה תִֽחְיֶה וְהִרְאַנִי יְהֹוָה כִּי־מוֹת יָמֽוּת׃
And Elisha said to him, Go, say to him, Thou mayst certainly recover (nonetheless, the Lord has shown me that he shall surely die.)
And Elisha said to him, Go, say to him, Thou mayst certainly recover (nonetheless, the Lord has shown me that he shall surely die.)
Rashi
חיה תחיה. כלפי חזאל אמר, שיחיה תחת בן הדד למלכות:
‘You will surely live.’ Pertaining to Chazoeil he said that he would live instead of Ben-Hadad [and occupy] the throne.6It is read [=קְרִי] as ‘לוֹ’, meaning, “say to him, ‘you will surely recover,’” but it is written [=כְּתִיב] as ‘Gא’, and the meaning is “say, ‘you will surely not recover.’” According to Rashi the קְרִי pertains to Chazoeil, and the כְּתִיב pertains to Ben-Hadad; or Elisha meant that Ben-Hadad would not die of his illness, but he would die by assassination. Alternatively, the כְּתִיב reflects what was on Elisha’s mind and the קְרִי is what he said.—Radak
וַיַּעֲמֵד אֶת־פָּנָיו וַיָּשֶׂם עַד־בֹּשׁ וַיֵּבְךְּ אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃
And he settled his countenance steadfastly, as long as he could; then the man of God wept.
And he settled his countenance steadfastly, as long as he could; then the man of God wept.
Rashi
ויעמד את פניו. פנים של צער שלו שהיה מבקש לבכות, העמיד, שלא יבכה בפני חזאל, וישם לבו לעמוד ולהתאפק:
He [Elisha] kept his face emotionless. [He held in] his expression of grief, for he wanted to cry; he held it in, so that he would not cry in front of Chazoeil. He made a concentrated effort to stand and control himself.
עד בוש. כמו בושש, ולא יכול להתאפק ויבך:
For a long time. Like “בשש [=delay],”7See commentary on 2:17 above. and he could not control himself [any longer] and he wept.
וַיֹּאמֶר חֲזָאֵל מַדּוּעַ אֲדֹנִי בֹכֶה וַיֹּאמֶר כִּֽי־יָדַעְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רָעָה מִבְצְרֵיהֶם תְּשַׁלַּח בָּאֵשׁ וּבַחֻֽרֵיהֶם בַּחֶרֶב תַּהֲרֹג וְעֹלְלֵיהֶם תְּרַטֵּשׁ וְהָרֹתֵיהֶם תְּבַקֵּֽעַ׃
And Ḥaza᾽el said, Why does my lord weep? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do to the children of Yisra᾽el: their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their infants, and rip up their women with child.
And Ḥaza᾽el said, Why does my lord weep? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do to the children of Yisra᾽el: their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their infants, and rip up their women with child.
Rashi
תרטש. לשון ביקוע המעים, ואב לכולן (ישעיהו יג יח): וקשתות נערים תרטשה:
You will dash. An expression of splitting the intestines.8Alternatively, תְּרַטֵּשׁ means “dashing against a wall or the ground.”—Radak Or, “you will cause their infants to be abandoned” by killing their parents.—Ralbag The original source9I.e., the conclusive evidence for this definition. [for the meaning of תרטש is], “and bows will split [תְּרַטַּשְׁנָה] young men.”10Yeshayahu 13:18.
והרותיהם. מעוברות שלהם:
And their pregnant women. Their pregnant women.
וַיֹּאמֶר חֲזָהאֵל כִּי מָה עַבְדְּךָ הַכֶּלֶב כִּי יַעֲשֶׂה הַדָּבָר הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלִישָׁע הִרְאַנִי יְהֹוָה אֹתְךָ מֶלֶךְ עַל־אֲרָֽם׃
And Ḥaza᾽el said, But what is thy servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord has shown me that thou shalt be king over Aram.
And Ḥaza᾽el said, But what is thy servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord has shown me that thou shalt be king over Aram.
וַיֵּלֶךְ ׀ מֵאֵת אֱלִישָׁע וַיָּבֹא אֶל־אֲדֹנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מָה־אָמַר לְךָ אֱלִישָׁע וַיֹּאמֶר אָמַר לִי חָיֹה תִֽחְיֶֽה׃
So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldst surely recover.
So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldst surely recover.
וַיְהִי מִֽמׇּחֳרָת וַיִּקַּח הַמַּכְבֵּר וַיִּטְבֹּל בַּמַּיִם וַיִּפְרֹשׂ עַל־פָּנָיו וַיָּמֹת וַיִּמְלֹךְ חֲזָהאֵל תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ {פ}
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 Ḥaza᾽el reigned in his stead.
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 Ḥaza᾽el reigned in his stead.
Rashi
המכבר. תרגום יונתן: גונבא, וכן (שופטים ד יח): ותכסהו בשמיכה, תרגום: בגונבא, והוא בגד:
A blanket. [Targum] Yonoson renders גּוּנְכָא [=blanket],11Alternatively, “a pillow.”—Radak Or, a thick garment.—Metzudas Tzion and similarly, “and she covered him with a blanket [=[בַּשְּׂמִיכָה,”12Shoftim 4:18. he renders, בְּגוּנְכָא [=a blanket], i.e., a garment.
ויפרוש על פניו. להצטנן:
He spread it over his [Ben-Hadad’s] face. To cool off.13He told Ben-Hadad that he was doing this to give him some relief of his illness, but actually, Chazoeil intended to kill him.—Radak
ויבא אלישע דמשק. להחזיר את גיחזי בתשובה (סוטה מז א):
Elisha came to Damesek. To cause Geichazi to repent.4Maseches Sotah 47a. See also Rashi in Maseches Sanhedrin 107b.5Alternatively, to carry out God’s command stated in I Melochim 19:15—Radak Or, Geichazi went to Damesek to ask Na’amon for help.