2 Kings 8 Footnotes

8:7 This story dates before 6:24–7:20, because the Ben-hadad of that incident was the son of Hazael. This increases the likelihood that the Elisha stories in this section are not in strict chronological order.

8:13 Calling himself a “mere dog,” Hazael continued to express deference to Elisha with his self-deprecation. The term was commonly used in the ancient Near East for this purpose.

8:16 The “fifth year” was 848 BC. “Joram . . . Jehoram” are two separate kings, with overlapping reigns. “Joram” is a variant spelling or pronunciation of “Jehoram,” and the text uses both spellings to refer to both men.

8:17 “Reigned eight years,” until 841 BC.

8:18 This is the first king of Judah to descend to the same level of idolatry as the kings of Israel had done. And no wonder, with Ahab’s (and Jezebel’s) daughter as a wife. Her name, we discover later, is Athaliah (8:26). “Evil” is literally “The Evil” (i.e., idolatry, see note on 3:2).

8:19 This editorial comment is placed here to explain why the Lord did not treat Judah the same way he had treated Israel.

8:22 “Today” refers to the time of the source document used by the author, not the “today” of the exilic compiler of the books of Kings. “Libnah” means “white,” and it was a town on the border of the Philistine coastal plains, and probably never really considered itself a part of Judah. So, east and west, Judah is losing its political and economic dominance in the south.

8:25 The “twelfth year” was 841 BC. This Ahaziah is not to be confused by Ahaziah, king of Israel, who reigned 853–852 BC during the reign of Jehoshaphat of Judah.

8:26 “One year,” until 841 BC.