2 Kings 8:7-15

Elisha Predicts Evil from Hazael

7 Then Elisha came to ¹Damascus. Now ²Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and it was told him, saying, "³The man of God has come here *."

8 The king said to ⁴Hazael, "⁵Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and ⁶inquire of the LORD by him, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?' "

9 So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, even every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels' loads; and he came and stood before him and said, "⁷Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?' "

10 Then Elisha said to him, "⁸Go, say to him, 'You will surely recover,' but the ⁹LORD has shown me that he will certainly die."

11 He fixed his gaze steadily on him ¹⁰until he was ashamed, and ¹¹the man of God wept.

12 Hazael said, "Why does my lord weep?" Then he answered, "Because ¹²I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword, and their little ones you ¹³will dash in pieces, and their women with child you will rip up."

13 Then Hazael said, "But what is your servant, ¹⁴who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" And Elisha answered, "¹⁵The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram."

14 So he departed from Elisha and returned to his master, who said to him, "What did Elisha say to you?" And he answered, "He told me that ¹⁶you would surely recover."

15 On the following day, he took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it on his face, ¹⁷so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

2 Kings 8:7-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 8

This chapter gives an account of some advice Elisha had formerly given to the Shunammite woman, and of the success of it, 2Ki 8:1-6 and of the sickness of the king of Syria, who sent to Elisha, then being at Damascus, by Hazael, to know whether he should recover; by whom a message was returned, and Hazael was told by the prophet he should be king of Syria, and exercise great cruelty in Israel, 2Ki 8:7-15 and of the bad reign of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, over Judah, 2Ki 8:16-24 and of the reign of his son Ahaziah, 2Ki 8:25-29.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Kings 11:24
• 2. 2 Kings 6:24
• 3. 2 Kings 5:20
• 4. 1 Kings 19:15, 17
• 5. 1 Kings 14:3
• 6. 2 Kings 1:2
• 7. 2 Kings 5:13
• 8. 2 Kings 8:14
• 9. 2 Kings 8:15
• 10. 2 Kings 2:17
• 11. Luke 19:41
• 12. 2 Kings 10:32, 33; 2 Kings 12:17; 2 Kings 13:3, 7
• 13. 2 Kings 15:16; Nahum 3:10
• 14. 1 Samuel 17:43; 2 Samuel 9:8
• 15. 1 Kings 19:15
• 16. 2 Kings 8:10
• 17. 2 Kings 8:10

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "made his face stand fast and he set"
• [b]. Lit "said"
• [c]. Lit "said"
• [d]. Lit "said"