But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.
Parallel translations
- WEB but I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad.
- BSB So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael to consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.
- NKJV But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, Which shall devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad.
- NASB “So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael, And it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.
- NLT So I will send down fire on King Hazael’s palace, and the fortresses of King Ben-hadad will be destroyed.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God will send fire to destroy the royal houses of Syria's dynasty. Earthly power and palaces cannot shield the guilty from divine judgment.
Overview
Hazael and Ben-Hadad were the powerful kings of Damascus who oppressed Israel (2 Kings 8-13). 'Fire' is a recurring image in these oracles for consuming judgment, often by invading armies. The targeting of 'palaces' shows that the strongholds of the proud and violent will be brought low. God's justice reaches the highest seats of human power.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 20
- Jer 49:27And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.
- 2 Kgs 13:3And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days.
- 2 Kgs 8:7–15And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.
- 2 Kgs 13:25And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.
- 2 Kgs 6:24And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
- Jer 17:27But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
- Amos 1:14But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind:
- Judg 9:57And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
- Ezek 30:8And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed.
- 1 Kgs 19:15And 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:
- Amos 1:7But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof:
- Amos 2:5But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
- Judg 9:19–20If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
- Amos 1:10But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.
- Amos 1:12But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.
- Ezek 39:6And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
- 1 Kgs 20:1–22And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.
- Amos 2:2But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kirioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:
- Hos 8:14For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.
- 2 Chr 16:2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king’s house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
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Christ at the center
Amid judgment on injustice, Amos promises the raising up of David's fallen tent — read by James in Acts 15 as the ingathering of the nations into the kingdom of the risen Christ.
How Amos 1:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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