The Meaning of 1 Kings 19:15 Explained

1 Kings 19:15

KJV: 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:

YLT: 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,

Darby: And Jehovah said to him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when thou comest, anoint Hazael king over Syria;

ASV: 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;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does 1 Kings 19:15 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 19:15-21 - Appointing Jehovah's Instruments
Elijah was never reinstated in quite the position that he had occupied before his fatal flight. True, he was bidden to return, and work was given him to do. But that work consisted in anointing three men who were to share the ministry which he might have fulfilled, if only he had been true to his opportunities and faithful to his God. God's work must go forward, if not by us, then by others brought in to fill our place.
Hazael, king of Syria; Jehu, the rude captain; and Elisha, the young farmer. Each was as different as possible from the others; yet each had his special sphere in dealing with the idolatries and impurities that were destroying the chosen race. God's nets are not all constructed with the same size of meshes. Men may escape some of the bigger ones, who will be caught by the smaller ones. But God so orders the lives of men that once at least each encounters a mesh that cannot be evaded. What a comfort it is to think that God is at work in the world, and that, while statistics tell a sad tale, there may still be seven thousand secret disciples for every Elijah! [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 19:15 mean?

And said Yahweh to him go return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus and when you arrive and anoint - Hazael [as] king over Syria
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו לֵ֛ךְ שׁ֥וּב לְדַרְכְּךָ֖ מִדְבַּ֣רָה דַמָּ֑שֶׂק‪‬ וּבָ֗אתָ וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֧ אֶת־ חֲזָאֵ֛ל לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־ אֲרָֽם

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵלָ֔יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לֵ֛ךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
שׁ֥וּב  return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לְדַרְכְּךָ֖  on  your  way 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
מִדְבַּ֣רָה  to  the  Wilderness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
דַמָּ֑שֶׂק‪‬  of  Damascus 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דּוּמֶּשֶׂק 
Sense: an ancient trading city, capital of Syria, located in the plain east of Hermon, 30 (205 km) miles northeast of Jerusalem.
וּבָ֗אתָ  and  when  you  arrive 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֧  and  anoint 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מָשַׁח  
Sense: to smear, anoint, spread a liquid.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
חֲזָאֵ֛ל  Hazael 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲזָאֵל 
Sense: a king of Syria; sent by his master, Ben-hadad, to the prophet Elisha, to seek a remedy for Ben-hadad’s leprosy; apparently later killed Ben-hadad, assumed the throne, and soon became engaged in a war with the kings of Judah and Israel for the possession of the city of Ramoth-gilead.
לְמֶ֖לֶךְ  [as]  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֲרָֽם  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.