KJV ORIGINAL
And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
The next day, he took a thick cloth, soaked it in water, and spread it over his face until he died. Then Hazael became king in his place.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse describes Hazael murdering his master, the king of Syria, by suffocating him with a wet cloth so he could take the throne.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred around 841 BC when Hazael, a servant of Ben-hadad king of Syria, assassinated his master after the prophet Elisha had predicted that Hazael would become king. Ben-hadad had sent Hazael to inquire of Elisha whether he would recover from his illness, but instead of waiting for natural death, Hazael hastened it through murder.
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