2 Kings 8:12

Hebrew Bible

10 Elisha said to him, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover,’ but the Lord has revealed to me that he will surely die.” 11 Elisha just stared at him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the prophet started crying. 12 Hazael asked, “Why are you crying, my master?” He replied, “Because I know the trouble you will cause the Israelites. You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, smash their children to bits, and rip open their pregnant women. 13 Hazael said, “How could your servant, who is as insignificant as a dog, accomplish this great military victory?” Elisha answered, “The Lord has revealed to me that you will be the king of Syria.” 14 He left Elisha and went to his master. Ben Hadad asked him, “What did Elisha tell you?” Hazael replied, “He told me you would surely recover.”

Amos 1:13

Hebrew Bible

11 This is what the Lord says: “Because Edom has committed three crimes—make that four—I will not revoke my decree of judgment. He chased his brother with a sword; he wiped out his allies. In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; in his fury he relentlessly attacked them. 12 So I will set Teman on fire; fire will consume Bozrah’s fortresses.” 13 This is what the Lord says: “Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes—make that four—I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women so they could expand their territory. 14 So I will set fire to Rabbah’s city wall; fire will consume her fortresses. War cries will be heard on the day of battle; a strong gale will blow on the day of the windstorm. 15 Ammon’s king will be deported; he and his officials will be carried off together.”The Lord has spoken!

 Notes and References

"... The soldiers of Ashurbanipal appear in a gruesome scene forcing their way into the tents of Arabs and apparently cutting open the bellies of pregnant women. This madness can perhaps be understood if one reads the description of their dreadful campaign in the desert. In the Bible the slaughter of infants and the disemboweling of pregnant women occurs as a literary motif. (Compare 2 Kings 8:12, 15:16; Amos 1:13, Hosea 14:1) We find it also in a song about the campaign of an Assyrian king, which is generally accepted as a parody ... Administrative texts also refer to deportations. Lists of people originating from different locations have been published in State Archives of Assyria, Vol. XI, together with many illustrations of deported people from Assyrian palace reliefs. A list of people from Que (= Cilicia), punctiliously subdivided, includes women and children ..."

Stol, Marten Women in the Ancient Near East (pp. 335-336) De Gruyter, 2016

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