2 Kings 8:10-20

10 Elisha told him, "Go say to him, 'You are sure to[a] recover.' But the Lord has shown me that he is sure to die."
11 Then Elisha stared steadily at him until Hazael was ashamed. The man of God wept,
12 and Hazael asked, "Why is my lord weeping?" He replied, "Because I know the evil you will do to the people of Israel. You will set their fortresses on fire. You will kill their young men with the sword. You will dash their little ones to pieces. You will rip open their pregnant women."[b]
13 Hazael said, "How could your servant, a mere dog, do this monstrous thing?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Aram."
14 Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, "What did Elisha say to you?" He responded, "He told me you are sure to recover."
15 The next day Hazael took a heavy cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king's face. Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned instead of him.[c]

Judah's King Jehoram

16 In the fifth year of Israel's King Joram son of Ahab, Jehoram[d] son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah, replacing his father.[e][f]
17 He was 32 years old when he became king; he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab's daughter was his wife. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight.
19 The Lord was unwilling to destroy Judah because of His servant David, since He had promised to give a lamp[g] to David and to his sons forever.
20 During Jehoram's reign, Edom rebelled against Judah's control and appointed their own king.

2 Kings 8:10-20 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.

Footnotes 7

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