2 Kings 8:11

11 He fixed his gaze and stared at him, until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept.

2 Kings 8:11 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 8:11

And he settled his countenance steadfastly
Refrained himself as much as possible, that he might not weep, as some Jewish writers interpret it; or, as others, he turned his face on one side, and covered it with his hands, that Hazael might not see him weep; or rather he set his face on Hazael, and looked at him so wistly:

until he was ashamed;
that is, Hazael; the prophet looked him out of countenance:

and the man of God wept;
at the thought of what calamities the man before him, he looked on, would be the cause of in Israel, as the following words show.

2 Kings 8:11 In-Context

9 So Hazael went to meet him, taking a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camel loads. When he entered and stood before him, he said, "Your son King Ben-hadad of Aram has sent me to you, saying, "Shall I recover from this illness?' "

10 Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, "You shall certainly recover'; but the Lord has shown me that he shall certainly die."

11 He fixed his gaze and stared at him, until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept.

12 Hazael asked, "Why does my lord weep?" He answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel; you will set their fortresses on fire, you will kill their young men with the sword, dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their pregnant women."

13 Hazael said, "What is your servant, who is a mere dog, that he should do this great thing?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has shown me that you are to be king over Aram."