1 Kings 19:15 Then the LORD said to him, "Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

◄ 1 Kings 19:15 ►

New International Version
The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.

New Living Translation
Then the LORD told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram.

English Standard Version
And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

King James Bible
And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

New King James Version
Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.

New American Standard Bible
The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram.

NASB 1995
The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram;

NASB 1977
And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram;

Legacy Standard Bible
And Yahweh said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and you will arrive and anoint Hazael king over Aram;

Amplified Bible
The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram (Syria);

Christian Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;

Contemporary English Version
The LORD said: Elijah, you can go back to the desert near Damascus. And when you get there, appoint Hazael to be king of Syria.

English Revised Version
And the LORD said unto him, Go return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD told him, "Go back to the wilderness near Damascus, the same way you came. When you get there, anoint Hazael as king of Aram.

Good News Translation
The LORD said, "Return to the wilderness near Damascus, then enter the city and anoint Hazael as king of Syria;

International Standard Version
The LORD replied to him, "Go! Return to Damascus, and when you get there, anoint Hazael as king over Aram,

Majority Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to him, ?Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

NET Bible
The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came and then head for the Desert of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria.

New Heart English Bible
The LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way, and you will come to the way of the wilderness of Damascus, and when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Aram.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

World English Bible
Yahweh said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And YHWH says to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and you have gone in, and anointed Hazael for king over Aram,

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto him, 'Go turn back on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus, and thou hast gone in, and anointed Hazael for king over Aram,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah will say to him, Go, turn back to thy way of the desert of Damascus: and come and anoint Hazael for king over Aram:

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said to him: Go, and return on thy way through the desert to Damascus: and when thou art come thither, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Lord said to him: “Go, and return on your way, through the desert, to Damascus. And when you have arrived there, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Syria.

New American Bible
The LORD said to him: Go back! Take the desert road to Damascus. When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And the LORD said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; then go and anoint Hazael to be king over Aram;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH said to him: “Return! Go your way to the wilderness of Darmsuq, and go anoint Khazail to be king over Edom

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the LORD said unto him: 'Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Aram;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Lord said to him, Go, return, and thou shalt come into the way of the wilderness of Damascus: and thou shalt go and anoint Azael to be king over Syria.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The LORD Speaks to Elijah at Horeb
…14“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.” 15Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 3:10
Therefore, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

2 Kings 8:13
“But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”

Acts 9:15
“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.

Jeremiah 1:7
But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak.

Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!”

Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Acts 13:2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

1 Samuel 16:1
Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”

2 Kings 9:1-3
Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. / When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. / Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!”

Luke 4:25-27
But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land. / Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon. / And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. Yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

Romans 11:2-4
God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel: / “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”? / And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

2 Kings 2:1
Shortly before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal,

Acts 22:21
Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

Genesis 12:1
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.

2 Kings 19:7
Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’”

Treasury of Scripture

And the LORD said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when you come, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

wilderness of Damascus.

Genesis 14:15
And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

2 Kings 8:7
And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.

Acts 9:2,3
And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem…

anoint

Isaiah 45:1
Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

Jeremiah 1:10
See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Jeremiah 27:2
Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

Hazael

2 Kings 8:8-15,28
And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? …

2 Kings 9:14
So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had kept Ramothgilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria.

Amos 1:4
But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.

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Anoint Anointed Aram Arrive Arrived Damascus Desert Hazael Haz'ael Holy Oil Syria Turn Waste Way Wilderness

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1 Kings 19

1. Elijah, threatened by Jezebel, flees to Beersheba
4. In the desert, being weary of his life, he is comforted by an angel
9. At Horeb God appears unto him, sending him to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha
19. Elisha, taking leave of his friends, follows Elijah

Berean Study Bible

Then the LORD said to him
This phrase indicates a direct communication from God to Elijah, emphasizing the personal relationship between the prophet and the Divine. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "YHWH," the sacred name of God, which underscores His eternal and unchanging nature. This divine instruction comes at a pivotal moment in Elijah's life, reminding us that God speaks into our moments of despair and uncertainty with clarity and purpose.

Go back the way you came
God instructs Elijah to return the way he came, which is significant both geographically and spiritually. The Hebrew verb "shuv" (שׁוּב) means to return or turn back, often used in the context of repentance or returning to God. This command suggests a retracing of steps, not just physically but also spiritually, as Elijah is called to revisit his journey and mission with renewed purpose.

and go to the Desert of Damascus
The "Desert of Damascus" is a geographical location that holds historical and prophetic significance. Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities, was a major center in the ancient Near East. The desert, or wilderness, often symbolizes a place of testing and encounter with God in the Bible. Elijah's journey to this place signifies a transition from isolation to engagement with God's unfolding plan.

When you arrive
This phrase implies a future action that requires obedience and trust. Elijah is called to move forward in faith, trusting that God has prepared the way. The journey itself is an act of faith, as Elijah must rely on God's guidance and provision to reach his destination.

you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram
The act of anointing is deeply symbolic in the Hebrew tradition, signifying God's choice and empowerment for a specific role or task. The Hebrew word "mashach" (מָשַׁח) means to anoint, and it is the root of the word "Messiah," meaning "anointed one." Hazael's anointing as king over Aram (modern-day Syria) indicates God's sovereignty over all nations, not just Israel. This command also foreshadows the unfolding of God's judgment and redemption plan, as Hazael would play a significant role in the history of Israel and its neighbors.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) Go, return.--The charge conveys indirectly a double rebuke. His cry of disappointment, "Lord . . . I am not better than my fathers," implying that he stood out beyond all others, to meet the stern requirements of the time, is met by the charge to delegate the task of vengeance for God to others; the complaint, "I, even I alone, am left," by the revelation of the faithful remnant--the seven thousand who had not bowed to Baal--unknown to him, perhaps to one another, but known and loved by God.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way [Heb. to thy way, as in Genesis 19:2; Genesis 32:2; Numbers 24:25, etc.] to the wilderness of Damacus [The construct case with ה local. Keil refers to Deuteronomy 4:41; Joshua 12:1; and Ewald 216 b. This cannot mean "through the desert to Damascus," for he could not possibly go any other way, nor yet "to the desert (through which he had just come) to Damascus," for he was then in the heart of the desert. He was to find a hiding place - we find the king of Damascus at war with Ahab, ch. 20. - or possibly a sphere for work, - he would be near Hazael - in the rugged desert which stretches south and east of the Syrian capital. (See Stanley, "Sinai and Palestine," p. 410; Porter's "Five Years in Damascus," vol. 2. p. 254 sqq.) Here, too, the prophet would be at no great distance from his own country. See on 1 Kings 17:3]: and Wheel thou comest, anoint [Heb. and thou shalt come and anoint. LXX. καὶ ἥξεις καὶ χρίσεις. The A.V. increases the difficulty. In the Hebrew the time of the anointing is indefinite. This commission has long been a crux interpretum. For neither Hazael, nor Jehu, nor Elisha, so far as we have any record, was ever anointed by Elijah. Elisha was called by him to the prophetic office. Hazael, it is barely possible, may have been anointed secretly, like David (1 Samuel 16:2, 13), but all that we gather from Scripture is, that he was called in an indirect way, and certainly not anointed, by Elisha (2 Kings 8:12-15). Jehu was certainly anointed, but it was neither by Elisha nor Elijah (2 Kings 9:1, 6), but by one of the sons of the prophets. All we can say, consequently, is that the command was obeyed in the spirit, and no doubt in the best possible time and way. There may have been good reasons, of which we know nothing, why Elijah should devolve the appointment of the two kings upon his successor, and we can readily understand that the word "anoint" was, as in Judges 9:8, Isaiah 61:1, never meant to be construed literally. For in the first place, we have no record elsewhere of the anointing of any prophet; and secondly, it is remarkable that when Elijah might so easily have anointed Elisha, he did nothing of the kind. It is clear, therefore, that he understood the word to mean "appoint." And the root idea of anointing, it must be remembered, was the setting apart for the service of God (Exodus 29:6). Hence it was (Bahr) that vessels (Exodus 30:26 sqq.), and even stones (Genesis 28:18), were anointed. And when we find that these three persons were set apart sooner or later, and in different ways, to fulfil the high purposes of God, that ought to suffice us. The author of this history clearly found no difficulty in reconciling this account and that of 2 Kings 8:9. It has also been objected to this charge (Rawlinson) that it is no "explanation or application of the preceding parable." But this is precisely what it appears to have been intended to be. The prophet is here taught by word much the same lesson that had been conveyed by signs, in the preceding vision. No doubt there are additional particulars - the vision dealt only with principles, the charge descends to details and prescribes duties - but still the great lesson that souls are to be won, that God's kingdom is to be advanced, not by wrath and vengeance, by fire and sword, but by meekness and gentleness, through the reason and the conscience, is proclaimed. Hazael and Jehu, each was God's instrument to punish; each was like the sweeping siena or the devouring fire, each was an engine of destruction; but by neither of these were the hearts Of men turned to the Lord. It was the sword of Elisha, the sword of his mouth (cf. Isaiah 11:4; Isaiah 49:2; Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:16), should constrain men to hide their faces and humble themselves before God] Hazael [the seer of God. This name, viewed in connection with Elijah's vision of God, is noticeable] to be king over Syria:

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Then the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

said
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to him,
אֵלָ֔יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“Go
לֵ֛ךְ (lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

back
שׁ֥וּב (šūḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

by the way you came,
לְדַרְכְּךָ֖ (lə·ḏar·kə·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - common singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

to the Desert
מִדְבַּ֣רָה (miḏ·ba·rāh)
Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

of Damascus.
דַמָּ֑שֶׂק‪‬ (ḏam·mā·śeq)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1834: Damascus -- a city in Aram (Syria)

When you arrive,
וּבָ֗אתָ (ū·ḇā·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

you are to anoint
וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֧ (ū·mā·šaḥ·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 4886: To rub with oil, to anoint, to consecrate, to paint

Hazael
חֲזָאֵ֛ל (ḥă·zā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2371: Hazael -- 'God sees', a king of Aram (Syria)

as king
לְמֶ֖לֶךְ (lə·me·leḵ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

over
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Aram.
אֲרָֽם׃ (’ă·rām)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 758: Aram -- Syria

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OT History: 1 Kings 19:15 Yahweh said to him Go return (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)