2 Reis 8

ARC · Chapter 8/25

1E fallou Eliseo áquella mulher cujo filho vivificara, dizendo: Levanta-te, e vae-te, tu e a tua familia, e peregrina onde poderes peregrinar; porque o Senhor chamou a fome, a qual tambem virá á terra por sete annos.

2E levantou-se a mulher, e fez conforme a palavra do homem de Deus: porque foi ella com a sua familia, e peregrinou na terra dos philisteos sete annos.

3E succedeu que, ao cabo dos sete annos, a mulher voltou da terra dos philisteos, e saiu a clamar ao rei pela sua casa e pelas suas terras.

4Ora o rei fallava a Geazi, moço do homem de Deus, dizendo: Conta-me, peço-te, todas as grandes obras que Eliseo tem feito.

5E succedeu que, contando elle ao rei como vivificara a um morto, eis que a mulher cujo filho vivificara clamou ao rei pela sua casa e pelas suas terras: então disse Geazi: Ó rei meu senhor, esta é a mulher, e este o seu filho a quem Eliseo vivificou.

6E o rei perguntou á mulher, e ella lh'o contou: então o rei lhe deu um eunucho, dizendo: Faze-lhe restituir tudo quanto era seu, e todas as rendas das terras desde o dia em que deixou a terra até agora.

7Depois veiu Eliseo a Damasco, estando Benhadad, rei da Syria, doente; e lh'o annunciaram, dizendo: O homem de Deus é chegado aqui.

8Então o rei disse a Hazael: Toma um presente na tua mão, e vae a encontrar-te com o homem de Deus; e pergunta por elle ao Senhor, dizendo: Hei de eu sarar d'esta doença?

9Foi pois Hazael a encontrar-se com elle, e tomou um presente na sua mão, a saber: de todo o bom de Damasco, quarenta camelos carregados; e veiu, e se poz diante d'elle, e disse: Teu filho Benhadad, rei da Syria, me enviou a ti, a dizer: Sararei eu d'esta doença?

10E Eliseo lhe disse: Vae, e dize-lhe: Certamente não sararás. Porque o Senhor me tem mostrado que certamente morrerá.

11E affirmou a sua vista, e fitou os olhos n'elle até se envergonhar: e chorou o homem de Deus.

12Então disse Hazael: Porque chora, meu senhor? E elle disse: Porque sei o mal que has de fazer aos filhos d'Israel: porás fogo ás suas fortalezas, e os seus mancebos matarás á espada, e os seus meninos despedaçarás, e as suas prenhadas fenderás.

13E disse Hazael: Pois que é teu servo, que não é mais do que um cão, para fazer tão grande coisa? E disse Eliseo: O Senhor me tem mostrado que tu has de ser rei da Syria.

14Então partiu de Eliseo, e veiu a seu senhor, o qual lhe disse: Que te disse Eliseo? E disse elle: Disse-me que certamente sararás.

15E succedeu ao outro dia que tomou um cobertor, e o molhou na agua, e o estendeu sobre o seu rosto, e morreu: e Hazael reinou em seu logar.

16E no anno quinto de Jorão, filho de Achab, rei de Israel, reinando ainda Josaphat em Judah, começou a reinar Jehorão, filho de Josaphat, rei de Judah.

17Era elle da edade de trinta e dois annos quando começou a reinar, e oito annos reinou em Jerusalem.

18E andou no caminho dos reis d'Israel, como tambem fizeram os da casa de Achab, porque tinha por mulher a filha de Achab, e fez o que parecia mal aos olhos do Senhor.

19Porém o Senhor não quiz destruir a Judah por amor de David, seu servo, como lhe tinha dito que lhe daria para sempre uma lampada a seus filhos.

20Nos seus dias se rebellaram os edomitas de debaixo do mando de Judah, e pozeram sobre si um rei.

21Pelo que Jehorão passou a Zair, e todos os carros com elle: e elle se levantou de noite, e feriu os edomitas que estavam ao redor d'elle, e os capitães dos carros; e o povo se foi para as suas tendas.

22Todavia os edomitas ficaram rebeldes de debaixo do mando de Judah até ao dia de hoje: então tambem se rebellou Libna no mesmo tempo.

23O mais dos successos de Jehorão, e tudo quanto fez, porventura não está escripto no livro das chronicas de Judah?

24E Jehorão dormiu com seus paes, e foi sepultado com seus paes na cidade de David: e Achazias, seu filho, reinou em seu logar.

25No anno doze de Jorão, filho de Achab, rei d'Israel, começou a reinar Achazias, filho de Jehorão, rei de Judah.

26Era Achazias de vinte e dois annos de edade quando começou a reinar, e reinou um anno em Jerusalem: e era o nome de sua mãe Athalia, filha de Omri, rei d'Israel.

27E andou no caminho da casa de Achab, e fez mal aos olhos do Senhor, como a casa de Achab, porque era genro da casa de Achab.

28E foi com Jorão, filho de Achab, a Ramoth de Gilead, á peleja contra Hazael, rei da Syria; e os syros feriram a Jorão.

29Então se voltou o rei Jorão para se curar em Jizreel das feridas que os syros lhe fizeram em Rama, quando pelejou contra Hazael, rei da Syria: e desceu Achazias, filho de Jehorão, rei de Judah, para ver a Jorão, filho de Achab, em Jizreel, porquanto estava doente.

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Summary

The Shunammite woman recovers her land after seven years of famine abroad, with Gehazi's testimony helping her case. Elisha prophesies to Hazael that he would become king of Syria and bring great suffering upon Israel. The chapter also summarizes the reigns of Jehoram and Ahaziah of Judah, both linked by marriage to the house of Ahab.

Explanation

The restoration of the Shunammite's land shows how God does not forget acts of faith and hospitality, even years later. The prophecy about Hazael is disturbing because Elisha weeps as he announces it, knowing the future suffering it would cause Israel — showing that genuine prophets feel compassion for the evil they announce, not pleasure. The reigns of Jehoram and Ahaziah in Judah, both corrupted by the influence of the house of Ahab through marriage (Ahaziah was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab), show how political marriage alliances brought spiritual contamination even to the generally more faithful Southern Kingdom.

Fun facts

  • Athaliah, mother of Ahaziah and daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, will become one of the darkest figures in the history of Judah in the next chapter, showing how the negative spiritual influence of one generation can spread through marriages between the two kingdoms.
  • Elisha's weeping as he announces Hazael's future violent reign is a rare moment in which a prophet expresses deep human emotion in the face of a prophecy he himself was delivering.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Reis 8:1Right at the moment the king asks Gehazi to tell of Elisha's works, the very woman from the miracle walks in seeking justice over her land. Gehazi's testimony becomes proof in her own favor, and the king restores everything, including the income from the period she was away.
  2. 2 Reis 8:2The woman follows Elisha's advice to the letter and goes to live with her family in Philistine territory during the seven years of famine.
  3. 2 Reis 8:3After the seven years, she returns and goes straight to ask the king to give back her house and her land.
  4. 2 Reis 8:4By coincidence, at that very moment the king is asking Gehazi to tell of the great works done by Elisha.
  5. 2 Reis 8:5While Gehazi is telling the very story of the child brought back to life, the woman herself walks in asking for her land back — Gehazi recognizes her on the spot as the real person from the story.
  6. 2 Reis 8:6The king confirms the story with the woman and orders an official to restore everything that was hers, including the income from the land accumulated during the years she was away.
  7. 2 Reis 8:7Elisha travels to Damascus, the Syrian capital, right when Ben-hadad the king is sick — and news of the prophet's arrival spreads fast.
  8. 2 Reis 8:8The king sends Hazael to bring a gift to Elisha and ask, in the Lord's name, whether he will recover from this illness.
  9. 2 Reis 8:9Hazael goes to Elisha loaded with valuable gifts from Damascus and asks, on the king's behalf, whether he will recover.
  10. 2 Reis 8:10Elisha tells Hazael to say to the king that he will recover, but secretly reveals that God has already shown him the king will in fact die.
  11. 2 Reis 8:11Elisha stares at Hazael for so long that it makes him uncomfortable, and then the prophet weeps.
  12. 2 Reis 8:12Elisha already knows, by the revelation he received, that this same Hazael will become king of Syria and inflict heavy suffering on Israel. He weeps not for what Hazael is now, but for what he will become once he has power.
  13. 2 Reis 8:13Hazael calls himself a mere dog, incapable of committing the atrocities Elisha foresaw, but the prophet reveals that he will become king of Syria.
  14. 2 Reis 8:14Hazael goes back to the king and lies, saying that Elisha assured him he would recover.
  15. 2 Reis 8:15The next day Hazael kills the king by smothering him with a wet cloth over his face, and takes the throne of Syria in his place.
  16. 2 Reis 8:16Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, begins to reign over Judah (southern kingdom) in the fifth year of Joram of Israel (north), while Jehoshaphat himself was still alive.
  17. 2 Reis 8:17Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem, the capital of Judah (south).
  18. 2 Reis 8:18Jehoram follows the way of the kings of Israel (north), like the house of Ahab, because he was married to a daughter of Ahab — and he does what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.
  19. 2 Reis 8:19Even with a bad king on the throne, the Lord does not destroy Judah (south), because of the promise made to David to always give him “a light” — a descendant on the throne.
  20. 2 Reis 8:20Edom had been subjugated since the days of David. The rebellion recorded here marks the start of an independence the kingdom of Judah will never fully reverse again, a sign of the gradual weakening of Judah's control over its neighbors.
  21. 2 Reis 8:21Jehoram attacks by night the Edomites surrounding him, together with the chariot captains, but the rest of his own army flees home instead of continuing to fight.
  22. 2 Reis 8:22Despite Jehoram's attack, Edom remains independent of Judah (south) to this day, when the book was written, and the city of Libnah also rebels around the same time.
  23. 2 Reis 8:23The closing formula points to the chronicles of the kings of Judah (southern kingdom), the historical source used to close out Jehoram's reign.
  24. 2 Reis 8:24Jehoram dies and is buried with his ancestors in the City of David; his son Ahaziah takes the throne of Judah (south) in his place.
  25. 2 Reis 8:25Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, begins to reign over Judah (south) in the twelfth year of Joram, king of Israel (north).
  26. 2 Reis 8:26Ahaziah was twenty-two years old and reigned only one year in Jerusalem; his mother, Athaliah, was a granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel (north) — linking the two royal houses.
  27. 2 Reis 8:27Ahaziah follows the way of the house of Ahab and does what is evil, because he was a son-in-law of Ahab's own family through his mother.
  28. 2 Reis 8:28Ahaziah of Judah (south) joins Joram of Israel (north) in a war against Hazael of Syria at Ramoth-gilead, where Joram is wounded.
  29. 2 Reis 8:29Joram returns to Jezreel to recover from his wounds, and Ahaziah goes down to visit him there — the scene that sets up Jehu's coup in the next chapter.

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