2 Kings 12:17 At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.

◄ 2 Kings 12:17 ►

New International Version
About this time Hazael king of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem.

New Living Translation
About this time King Hazael of Aram went to war against Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem.

English Standard Version
At that time Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath and took it. But when Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem,

Berean Standard Bible
At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.

King James Bible
Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

New King James Version
Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it; then Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

New American Standard Bible
Then Hazael the king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and Hazael was intent on going up against Jerusalem.

NASB 1995
Then Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

NASB 1977
Then Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

Amplified Bible
Then Hazael king of Aram (Syria) went up, fought against Gath [in Philistia], and captured it. And Hazael resolved to go up to Jerusalem.

Christian Standard Bible
At that time King Hazael of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem.

American Standard Version
Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

Contemporary English Version
About the same time, King Hazael of Syria attacked the town of Gath and captured it. Next, he decided to attack Jerusalem.

English Revised Version
Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
At this time King Hazael of Aram fought against Gath and conquered it. He was also determined to attack Jerusalem.

Good News Translation
At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked the city of Gath and conquered it; then he decided to attack Jerusalem.

International Standard Version
Later, King Hazael of Aram invaded and attacked Gath, captured it, and then set out to approach Jerusalem.

Majority Standard Bible
At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.

NET Bible
At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem.

New Heart English Bible
Then Hazael king of Aram went up, and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

World English Bible
Then Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
Then Hazael king of Aram goes up and fights against Gath, and captures it, and Hazael sets his face to go up against Jerusalem;

Young's Literal Translation
Then go up doth Hazael king of Aram, and fighteth against Gath, and captureth it, and Hazael setteth his face to go up against Jerusalem;

Smith's Literal Translation
Then Hazael king of Aram will go up and war against Gath, and he will take it: and Hazael will set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Geth, and took it and set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Hazael, the king of Syria, ascended and fought against Gath, and he captured it. And he directed his face, so that he might ascend against Jerusalem.

New American Bible
Then Hazael, king of Aram, came up and attacked Gath. When he had taken it, Hazael resolved to go on to attack Jerusalem.

New Revised Standard Version
At that time King Hazael of Aram went up, fought against Gath, and took it. But when Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem,

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Then Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Then Khezael King of Edom went up and fought with Gath and defeated it, and Khezael set his face to go up against Jerusalem.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then Hazael king of Aram went up, and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Then went up Azael king of Syria, and fought against Geth, and took it: and Azael set his face to go against Jerusalem.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Death of Joash
17At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem. 18So King Joash of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his fathers—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah—along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram. So Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

2 Chronicles 24:23-24
In the spring, the army of Aram went to war against Joash. They entered Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people, and they sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. / Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.

Isaiah 7:1-2
Now in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city. / When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim, the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.

2 Kings 16:5
Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to wage war against Jerusalem. They besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him.

2 Kings 18:9-10
In the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, which was the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it. / And at the end of three years, the Assyrians captured it. So Samaria was captured in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel.

2 Kings 18:13
In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah.

2 Kings 19:32-36
So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city, declares the LORD. / I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’” ...

2 Kings 20:12
At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about Hezekiah’s illness.

2 Kings 24:2
And the LORD sent Chaldean, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim in order to destroy Judah, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servants the prophets.

2 Kings 25:1-2
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it. / And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

2 Samuel 8:6
Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

1 Kings 15:18-20
So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace. He entrusted it to his servants and sent them with this message to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus: / “Let there be a treaty between me and you as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.” / And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and the whole land of Naphtali, including the region of Chinnereth.

1 Kings 20:1
Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.

1 Kings 22:1
Then three years passed without war between Aram and Israel.

2 Chronicles 28:5
So the LORD his God delivered Ahaz into the hand of the king of Aram, who attacked him and took many captives to Damascus. Ahaz was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force.

Isaiah 36:1
In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah.

Treasury of Scripture

Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

2 Kings 8:12-15
And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child…

against Gath

1 Samuel 27:2
And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

1 Kings 2:39,40
And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath…

1 Chronicles 8:13
Beriah also, and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath:

set his face

Jeremiah 42:15
And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;

Luke 9:51,53
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, …

to Jerusalem

2 Chronicles 24:23,24
And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus…

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Aram Attack Attacked Captured Captureth Face Fighteth Fought Gath Hazael Haz'ael Jerusalem Purpose Syria Time Turned

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2 Kings 12

1. Jehoash reigns well all the days of Jehoiada
4. He gives order for the repair of the temple
17. Hazael is diverted from Jerusalem by a present of the hallowed treasures
19. Jehoash being slain, Amaziah succeeds him

Berean Study Bible

At that time
This phrase situates the events within a specific historical context. The period referred to is during the reign of Jehoash (Joash) of Judah, a time marked by both internal reforms and external threats. Historically, this was a tumultuous period for the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, with frequent conflicts and shifting alliances. The phrase underscores the immediacy and urgency of the events that follow, highlighting the constant threat faced by the kingdom of Judah.

Hazael king of Aram
Hazael was a significant figure in the history of the Near East, known for his aggressive military campaigns. The Arameans, under Hazael's leadership, were a formidable power. Hazael's rise to power is noted in 2 Kings 8:13, where he is anointed by the prophet Elisha, fulfilling God's judgment against the house of Ahab. His mention here emphasizes the fulfillment of prophetic words and the sovereignty of God over the nations.

went up and fought against Gath
Gath was one of the five major Philistine cities, often mentioned in the context of Israel's enemies. The phrase "went up" indicates a military campaign, as Gath was located in the lowlands, requiring an ascent from Aram. The capture of Gath by Hazael signifies a strategic victory, as controlling Gath would have provided a foothold for further incursions into Judah and Israel. This highlights the persistent threat of surrounding nations and the vulnerability of the Israelite territories.

and captured it
The capture of Gath demonstrates Hazael's military prowess and the weakening state of the Philistine cities. This event is a reminder of the cyclical nature of conquest and loss in the ancient Near East, where cities frequently changed hands. It also serves as a backdrop to the subsequent threat to Jerusalem, illustrating the expanding influence of Aram under Hazael.

Then Hazael turned to attack Jerusalem
Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, was the spiritual and political center of the kingdom. Hazael's decision to turn his attention to Jerusalem indicates a direct threat to the heart of Judah. This phrase underscores the gravity of the situation faced by Jehoash and his people. Historically, Jerusalem was a well-fortified city, but the mention of an impending attack would have been a cause for alarm, prompting reliance on divine intervention and strategic diplomacy, as seen in the subsequent verses.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17-21) Conclusion of the epitome of the reign, broken off at 2Kings 12:4.

(17) Then.--At that time, viz., after the events just related. Hazae?s invasion of the south followed upon his successes against Jehoahaz, who became king of the northern kingdom in the very year when Jehoash took in hand the restoration of the Temple. (Comp. 2Kings 12:6 with 2Kings 13:1; 2Kings 13:3.) It appears from 2Chronicles 24:23 that the high priest Jehoiada was dead, and Jehoash had already swerved from his counsels. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 17, 18. - The war of Joash with Hazael. A considerable gap occurs between vers. 16 and 17. We learn from Chronicles some particulars of the interval. Not long after the completion of the repairs, Jehoiada, who had lived to a good old age in complete harmony with the monarch, expired. His piety, and his good services, as preserver of the house of David, as restorer of the temple-worship, and joint-repairer with Joash of the temple itself, were regarded as entitling him to extraordinary funeral honors; and by general consent he was interred within the city of Jerusalem, in the sepulchers of the kings (2 Chronicles 24:16). His removal led to a fresh religious revolution. "The Jewish aristocracy, who perhaps had never been free from the licentious and idolatrous taint introduced by Rehoboam and confirmed by Athaliah, and who may well have been galled by the new rise of the priestly order, presented themselves before Joash, and offered him the same obsequious homage that bad been paid by the young nobles to Rehoboam. He... feeling himself released from personal obligations by the death of his adopted father, threw himself into their hands. Athaliah was avenged almost upon the spot where she had been first seized by her enemies" (Stanley, 'Jewish Church,' vol. 2. p. 345). Joash began by allowing the reintroduction of idolatry and grove-worship (2 Chronicles 24:18), and then, when remonstrated with by Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, who had succeeded his father in the office of high priest, had the remonstrant set upon by the people and slain. The writer of Chronicles closely connects this murderous deed with the Syrian war, which followed it within a year (2 Chronicles 24:23), and was generally regarded as a Divine judgment. Verse 17. - Then Hazael King of Syria went up, and fought against Gath. Hitherto Judah had been safe from any attack on the part of Syria, since Israel had been interposed between the two powers. Now, however, that Hazael had conquered from Jehu the entire trans-Jordanic territory (2 Kings 10:33), the case was wholly altered - Judah and Syria had become conterminous along the line of the lower Jordan, and Syria could invade Judaea at any moment. It is surprising that Gath should have been the special object of attack, since Oath (Abu-Gheith) lay remote from the Syrian frontier, in the southwestern part of Judaea, and could only be reached from Syria by an enemy who was not afraid of leaving Jerusalem behind him. Gath, when last mentioned, was a Judaean city, and was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:8); but it was originally Philistine (1 Samuel 5:17), and the Philistines had recovered it before the time of Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:6). To which power it belonged when Hazael made war upon it is uncertain. And took it - probably took it by storm, and plundered it, but did not attempt an occupation - and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. If Gath be Abu-Gheith, as appears probable, it would be distant from Jerusalem not less than forty miles in a direct line. If Hazael, however, was returning to the trans-Jordanic country taken from Israel, it would lie in his way, and might naturally tempt him to make a dash at it, more especially as he was flushed with victory.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

At that time
אָ֣ז (’āz)
Adverb
Strong's 227: At that time, place, therefore

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

king
מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Aram
אֲרָ֔ם (’ă·rām)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 758: Aram -- Syria

marched up
יַעֲלֶ֗ה (ya·‘ă·leh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

and fought
וַיִּלָּ֥חֶם (way·yil·lā·ḥem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3898: To feed on, to consume, to battle

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

Gath
גַּ֖ת (gaṯ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1661: Gath -- 'wine press', a Philistine city

and captured it.
וַֽיִּלְכְּדָ֑הּ (way·yil·kə·ḏāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3920: To catch, to capture, occupy, to choose, to cohere

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

decided
וַיָּ֤שֶׂם (way·yā·śem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

to attack
לַעֲל֖וֹת (la·‘ă·lō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

Jerusalem.
יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

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OT History: 2 Kings 12:17 Then Hazael king of Syria went up (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)