2 Kings 3:14

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Elisha said,“As certainly as the LORD of Heaven’s Armies lives(whom I serve), if I did not respect King Jehoshaphat of Judah, I would not pay attention to you or acknowledge you.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלִישָׁ֗ע חַי־יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָמַ֣דְתִּי לְפָנָ֔יו כִּ֗י לוּלֵ֛י פְּנֵ֛י יְהוֹשָׁפָ֥ט מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֖ה אֲנִ֣י נֹשֵׂ֑א אִם־אַבִּ֥יט אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְאִם־אֶרְאֶֽךָּ׃

Transliteration

wa-yōʾmer ʾĔlîšāʿ, ḥay-YHWH ṣĕbāʾôt whom I-ʿāmadtî before-him, that if-not pĕnê Yĕhôšāpāṭ king-of-Yĕhûdāh I nōśēʾ, if-I-ʾabbîṭ toward-you and-if-I-ʾerʾekkā.

Grammar Details

• *wa-yōʾmer*: conjunction + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *ʾĔlîšāʿ*: proper name - Elisha
• *ḥay-YHWH*: construct relationship - as YHWH lives
• *ṣĕbāʾôt*: masculine plural noun - hosts/armies
• *ʿāmadtî*: qal perfect, 1st common singular - I have stood
• *lûlê*: conditional particle - if not/were it not for
• *pĕnê*: construct plural noun - face of/presence of
• *Yĕhôšāpāṭ*: proper name - Jehoshaphat
• *Yĕhûdāh*: proper name - Judah
• *nōśēʾ*: qal participle, masculine singular - lifting up/regarding
• *ʾabbîṭ*: hiphil imperfect, 1st common singular - I would look
• *ʾerʾekkā*: qal imperfect, 1st common singular with 2nd masculine singular suffix - I would see you

Word Meanings

• *ḥay-YHWH*: as the LORD lives/by the life of the LORD
• *ṣĕbāʾôt*: of hosts/armies/heavenly forces
• *nōśēʾ*: regard/respect/pay attention to
• *ʾabbîṭ*: look at/pay attention to
• *ʾerʾekkā*: see you/notice you/acknowledge you

Referenced Verses

• 1 Kgs 17:1 : 1 Elijah Visits a Widow in Sidonian Territory Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab,“As certainly as the LORD God of Israel lives(whom I serve), there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.”
• 2 Kgs 5:16 : 16 But Elisha replied,“As certainly as the LORD lives(whom I serve), I will take nothing from you.” Naaman insisted that he take it, but he refused.
• 2 Chr 17:3-9 : 3 The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps at the beginning of his reign. He did not seek the Baals, 4 but instead sought the God of his ancestors and obeyed his commands, unlike the Israelites. 5 The LORD made his kingdom secure; all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he became very wealthy and greatly respected. 6 He was committed to following the LORD; he even removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah. 7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah. 8 They were accompanied by the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah, and by the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the scroll of the law of the LORD. They traveled to all the cities of Judah and taught the people.
• 2 Chr 19:3-4 : 3 Nevertheless you have done some good things; you removed the Asherah poles from the land and you were determined to follow God.” 4 Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. He went out among the people from Beer Sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and encouraged them to follow the LORD God of their ancestors.
• Ps 15:4 : 4 He despises a reprobate, but honors the LORD’s loyal followers. He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise.
• Jer 1:18 : 18 I, the LORD, hereby promise to make you as strong as a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. You will be able to stand up against all who live in the land, including the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and all the people of the land.
• Dan 5:17-23 : 17 Daniel Interprets the Handwriting on the Wall But Daniel replied to the king,“Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else! However, I will read the writing for the king and make known its interpretation. 18 As for you, O king, the most high God bestowed on your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty. 19 Due to the greatness that he bestowed on him, all peoples, nations, and language groups were trembling with fear before him. He killed whom he wished, he spared whom he wished, he exalted whom he wished, and he brought low whom he wished. 20 And when his mind became arrogant and his spirit filled with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and his honor was removed from him. 21 He was driven from human society, his mind was changed to that of an animal, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until he came to understand that the most high God rules over human kingdoms, and he appoints over them whomever he wishes. 22 “But you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, although you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You brought before you the vessels from his temple, and you and your nobles, together with your wives and concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone– gods that cannot see or hear or comprehend! But you have not glorified the God who has in his control your very breath and all your ways!
• Matt 22:16 : 16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, saying,“Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality.
• 1 Kgs 18:15 : 15 But Elijah said,“As certainly as the LORD of Heaven’s Armies lives(whom I serve), I will make an appearance before him today.”
• 1 Kgs 21:20 : 20 When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him,“So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah replied,“I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the LORD.
• 1 Sam 15:26-31 : 26 Samuel said to Saul,“I will not go back with you, for you have rejected the LORD’s orders, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel!” 27 When Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed the edge of his robe and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him,“The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to one of your colleagues who is better than you! 29 The Preeminent One of Israel does not go back on his word or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind.” 30 Saul again replied,“I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me so I may worship the LORD your God.” 31 So Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the LORD.
• 1 Kgs 14:5-9 : 5 But the LORD had told Ahijah,“Look, Jeroboam’s wife is coming to find out from you what will happen to her son, for he is sick. Tell her such-and-such. When she comes, she will be in a disguise.” 6 When Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said,“Come on in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you pretending to be someone else? I have been commissioned to give you bad news. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam,‘This is what the LORD God of Israel has said:“I raised you up from among the people and made you ruler over my people Israel. 8 I tore the kingdom away from the Davidic dynasty and gave it to you. But you are not like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me wholeheartedly by doing only what I approve. 9 You have sinned more than all who came before you. You went and angered me by making other gods, formed out of metal; you have completely disregarded me. 10 So I am ready to bring disaster on the dynasty of Jeroboam. I will cut off every last male belonging to Jeroboam in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. I will burn up the dynasty of Jeroboam, just as one burns manure until it is completely consumed. 11 Dogs will eat the members of your family who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.”’ Indeed, the LORD has announced it! 12 “As for you, get up and go home. When you set foot in the city, the boy will die. 13 All Israel will mourn him and bury him. He is the only one in Jeroboam’s family who will receive a decent burial, for he is the only one in whom the LORD God of Israel found anything good. 14 The LORD will raise up a king over Israel who will cut off Jeroboam’s dynasty. It is ready to happen! 15 The LORD will attack Israel, making it like a reed that sways in the water. He will remove Israel from this good land he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they angered the LORD by making Asherah poles. 16 He will hand Israel over to their enemies because of the sins which Jeroboam committed and which he made Israel commit.” 17 So Jeroboam’s wife got up and went back to Tirzah. As she crossed the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 All Israel buried him and mourned for him, in keeping with the LORD’s message that he had spoken through his servant, the prophet Ahijah.