2 Kings 8

KJV · Chapter 8/25

1Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the Lord hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

2And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

3And it came to pass at the seven years’ end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.

4And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.

5And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.

6And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

7And Elisha came to Damascus; and Ben–hadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.

8And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

9So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben–hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

10And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die.

11And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.

12And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.

13And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

14So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.

15And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.

16And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.

17Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

18And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

19Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah for David his servant’s sake, as he promised him to give him alway a light, and to his children.

20In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

21So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.

22Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.

23And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

24And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

25In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.

26Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.

27And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son in law of the house of Ahab.

28And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramoth–gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.

29And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

📖 Chapter study

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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 8:3After the seven years, she returns and goes straight to ask the king to give back her house and her land.
  4. 2 Kings 8:4By coincidence, at that very moment the king is asking Gehazi to tell of the great works done by Elisha.
  5. 2 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 8:9Hazael goes to Elisha loaded with valuable gifts from Damascus and asks, on the king's behalf, whether he will recover.
  10. 2 Kings 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 Kings 8:11Elisha stares at Hazael for so long that it makes him uncomfortable, and then the prophet weeps.
  12. 2 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 8:14Hazael goes back to the king and lies, saying that Elisha assured him he would recover.
  15. 2 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 8:25Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, begins to reign over Judah (south) in the twelfth year of Joram, king of Israel (north).
  26. 2 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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 Kings 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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