Bible Strands
1 Kings 19:17
Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God speaks to Elijah on Mount Horeb, issuing a final command to complete his prophetic commission after the wilderness flight. The directive follows the anointing orders of 1 Kings 19:16 and immediately precedes the revelation of the seven thousand faithful in 1 Kings 19:18.
The words — הַנִּמְלָט (ha-nim-lat) means “the one who escapes,” and חֶרֶב (che-rev) translates literally to “sword.” The phrasing constructs a closed loop of execution where survival from one ruler’s violence guarantees death at the hands of the next appointed agent.
The thread — The text anticipates Hazael’s military oppression of Israel detailed in 2 Kings 8:12 and 2 Kings 13:3–22. It establishes the succession of judgment that Elisha’s prophetic ministry initiates and Jehu’s royal authority carries out.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to acknowledge that divine sovereignty employs historical violence to dismantle idolatrous systems. It demands acceptance that prophetic and royal offices function as instruments of covenant enforcement rather than models for personal conduct.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 8:12 “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”
- 2 Kings 13:3 So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad.
- 2 Kings 13:22 And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz.
- 2 Kings 10:32 In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory
- Hosea 6:5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth, and My judgments go forth like lightning.
- 2 Kings 2:23 From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
- 2 Kings 9:14 Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram,
- Isaiah 11:4 but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.
- Isaiah 24:17 Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth.
- Jeremiah 1:10 See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”