2 Kings 8
BBC2 Kings 8:1
- Restoration of the Shunammite’s Property (8:1-6)Before a seven-year famine came to the land (perhaps the famine of 2Ki_4:38), Elisha warned the Shunammite woman (of chap. 4) to leave with her family, including the son whom he had restored to life. She went to the land of the Philistines and then returned when the famine had ended. At this time Gehazi was in the court of the king of Israel, a place that would ordinarily have been forbidden to a leper. Just as he was relating to the king how Elisha had restored a lad to life, the woman arrived to petition that her property be restored to her. The king ordered both the property and the produce which had grown on it during the seven years of her absence to be restored to her.
2 Kings 8:7
- Elisha’s Prophecy of Hazael’s Reign (8:7-15)8:7-12 When the ailing Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, heard that Elisha had come . . . to Damascus, he sent an officer, Hazael, with a large gift to inquire if he would recover. Since Naaman was captain of the Syrian army under Ben-Hadad, the king would have been aware of Elisha’s healing power (chap. 5). Perhaps the prophet would heal him as well. The prophet’s vague answer to Hazael was, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover.’ However the LORD has shown me that he will really die.” This meant that the illness itself was not necessarily fatal, but that Ben-Hadad would not recover from it because Hazael was going to murder him. Elisha gazed so intently on Hazael that the latter became ashamed. Elisha also foresaw that Hazael would inflict terrible loss and suffering on the children of Israelso terrible that the thought of it caused him to weep. 8:13-15 Hazael answered that he was but a dog; how could he be expected to do such a gross thing? Williams paraphrases it: Can it be that I, who am only a dog, should mount the throne of Syria and accomplish such great deeds! But Elisha had been told by the LORD that Hazael would be king of Syria. Following this announcement, Hazael returned to Ben-Hadad, told him that he would . . . recover, and then treacherously smothered him with a thick cloth soaked in water. The following quotation succinctly tells how accurate Elisha’s prophecy was: Soon after [the murder of Ben-Hadad], Hazael fought against the combined forces of Jehoram and Ahaziah at Ramoth-gilead (2Ki_8:28-29; 2Ki_9:14-15). He frequently defeated Jehu in battle, devastating all his country east of the Jordan from the Arnon in the south to Bashan in the north (2Ki_10:32-33). During the reign of Jehoahaz, Jehu’s successor, he repeatedly encroached upon the territory of Israel, which was kept from complete destruction only by God’s mercy (2Ki_13:3, 2Ki_13:22-23). Hazael also moved into southwest Palestine, taking Gath; he compelled the king of Judah to pay a heavy bribe for sparing Jerusalem (2Ki_12:17-18; 2Ch_24:23-24). It was not until the death of Hazael that Israel was able to successfully check the aggression of Syria under Ben-Hadad III, the son of Hazael (2Ki_13:24-25).
2 Kings 8:16
F. King Jehoram (Joram) of Judah (8:16-24)Jehoram (Joram) the son of Jehoshaphat was king of Judah for eight years (853841 B.C.; cf. 2Ch_21:4-20). 8:16, 17 The chronology in verse 16 needs to be reconciled with that in 1Ki_22:42, 1Ki_22:51; 2Ki_3:1; and 2Ki_8:25. One explanation is that Jehoram was coregent with his father, Jehoshaphat, for five years. Another is that Jehoshaphat shared part of his reign with Asa and that the reigns of Ahaziah and Jehoram are dated from the beginning of Jehoshaphat’s sole regency. 8:18, 19 Jehoram had married Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. This marriage had doubtless been engineered by his father, Jehoshaphat, as part of his policy of conciliation with Israel. The result of it, however, was to lead the kingdom of Judah farther into the idolatrous ways of the northern kingdom. Because of this apostasy, the LORD would have destroyed Judah had it not been for his promise to David (2Sa_7:12-16). 8:20-24 During Joram’s reign, Edom revolted against him. To quell the rebellion, he marched with his army to Zair (Edom), south of the Dead Sea. The Edomites . . . surrounded him, forcing him to break through their lines to safety. His army fled home. From that time, Edom was not in complete subjection to Judah. It may have been during the reign of Jehoram that the prophet Obadiah spoke his oracle against Edom. Mention is made that Libnah, near Philistia, also revolted, thus calling attention to the inherent weakness of the kingdom of Judah during the evil reign of Joram. Libnah was a Levitical city. The reason for her revolt is given in 2Ch_21:10-11. Judah evidently regained control of the city at a later time (2Ki_19:8).
2 Kings 8:25
G. King Ahaziah of Judah (8:25-29)Ahaziah the son of Jehoram was king of Judah for one year (841 B.C., cf. 2Ch_22:1-9). 8:25-27 Ahaziah is spoken of in verse 26 as the son of Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri. Ahaziah is the same as Jehoahaz in 2 Chronicles 21 and is also called Azariah in 2Ch_22:6. Ahaziah was a nephew of Joram, king of Israel. His mother, Athaliah, was the daughter of Ahab and the sister of Israel’s Joram. The names get a bit confusing at this particular point in history! Ahab, king of Israel, had two sons who came to the throne successively, Ahaziah and Jehoram (Joram). Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, had a son named Jehoram who reigned after him. This Jehoram was followed on the throne by his son . . . Ahaziah. Thus Ahaziah and Jehoram ruled in Israel while Jehoram and Ahaziah ruled in Judah.
ISRAELJUDAHAhaziahJehoramJehoramAhaziahHere Ahaziah, . . . king of Judah, is said to have been twenty-two years old when he began to reign; in 2Ch_22:2 his age is given as forty-two years. Most evidence points to twenty-two as the correct age. The other figure is probably a copyist’s error. 8:28, 29 Ahaziah joined his uncle Joram, king of Israel, in a war against . . . Syria at Ramoth Gilead. King Joram was wounded in battle and taken to Jezreel to recover. Ahaziah visited him there while he was recovering. Joram’s father, Ahab, lost his life at Ramoth Gilead (1 Kgs. 22). Ahaziah’s grandfather, Jehoshaphat, had unwisely joined Ahab there and was almost killed as a result. But Ahaziah did not heed history’s warning (about allying himself with Israel) and was later killed as a result (chap. 9).