The Meaning of 2 Kings 5:7 Explained

2 Kings 5:7

KJV: And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, at the king of Israel's reading the letter, that he rendeth his garments, and saith, 'Am I God, to put to death and to keep alive, that this one is sending unto me to recover a man from his leprosy? for surely know, I pray you, and see, for he is presenting himself to me.'

Darby: And it came to pass when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his garments, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeks an occasion against me.

ASV: And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, when the king  of Israel  had read  the letter,  that he rent  his clothes,  and said,  [Am] I God,  to kill  and to make alive,  that this man  doth send  unto me to recover  a man  of his leprosy?  wherefore  consider,  I pray you, and see  how he seeketh a quarrel  against me. 

What does 2 Kings 5:7 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 5:1-14 - The Cure For Leprosy
From Assyrian monuments we learn that at this period Syria regained her independence from under the yoke of Assyria, and probably it was during this struggle that Naaman gained his great victories. Note the suggestiveness of the phrase, "The Lord had given," which teaches that the hand of God was guiding heathen as well as Hebrew history. The realm of God's providence is as long as time, and as broad as the earth.
The destruction of this poor child's home and her captivity must, at the time, have seemed to be an unexplainable disaster from which there could be no relief; and yet it enabled her to bring about a great deliverance, which has shone on the page of Scripture, giving inspiration to tens of thousands. She rose above her sorrows, and by faith wrought victory out of defeat. By preferring his own way to God's, Naaman came dangerously near returning home unhealed. We must adopt God's method of salvation, however humbling to our pride. "I thought," will wreck us; "To thee, O Lamb of God, I come," will save us. Note the combination of warrior's strength with the flesh of a little child-strength married to purity and simplicity. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 5

1  Naaman, by the report of a captive maid, is sent to Samaria to be cured of leprosy
8  Elisha, sending him to Jordan cures him
15  He refusing Naaman's gifts grants him some of the earth
20  Gehazi, abusing his master's name unto Naaman, is smitten with leprosy

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 5:7 mean?

And it came to pass when read the king of Israel - the letter that he tore his clothes and said [am] God I to kill and make alive that this [man] sends to me to heal him a man of his leprosy upon thus consider please and see how seeks a quarrel he with me
וַיְהִ֡י כִּקְרֹא֩ מֶֽלֶךְ־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל אֶת־ הַסֵּ֜פֶר וַיִּקְרַ֣ע בְּגָדָ֗יו וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַאֱלֹהִ֥ים אָ֙נִי֙ לְהָמִ֣ית וּֽלְהַחֲי֔וֹת כִּֽי־ זֶה֙ שֹׁלֵ֣חַ אֵלַ֔י לֶאֱסֹ֥ף אִ֖ישׁ ؟ מִצָּֽרַעְתּ֑וֹ כִּ֤י אַךְ־ דְּעֽוּ־ נָא֙ וּרְא֔וּ כִּֽי־ מִתְאַנֶּ֥ה ה֖וּא לִֽי

וַיְהִ֡י  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כִּקְרֹא֩  when  read 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
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.
הַסֵּ֜פֶר  the  letter 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
וַיִּקְרַ֣ע  that  he  tore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרַע  
Sense: to tear, tear in pieces.
בְּגָדָ֗יו  his  clothes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַאֱלֹהִ֥ים  [am]  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לְהָמִ֣ית  to  kill 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וּֽלְהַחֲי֔וֹת  and  make  alive 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
זֶה֙  this  [man] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
שֹׁלֵ֣חַ  sends 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֵלַ֔י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לֶאֱסֹ֥ף  to  heal  him 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
אִ֖ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
؟ מִצָּֽרַעְתּ֑וֹ  of  his  leprosy 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צָרַעַת  
Sense: leprosy.
כִּ֤י  upon 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אַךְ־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
דְּעֽוּ־  consider 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
נָא֙  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
וּרְא֔וּ  and  see 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
כִּֽי־  how 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מִתְאַנֶּ֥ה  seeks  a  quarrel 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָנָה  
Sense: to meet, encounter, approach, be opportune.
לִֽי  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular