2 Kings 8:11

11 Then Elisha stared steadily at him until Hazael was ashamed. 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 Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift: 40 camel-loads of all kinds of goods from Damascus. When he came and stood before him, he said, "Your son, Ben-hadad king of Aram, has sent me to ask you, 'Will I recover from this sickness?' "

10 Elisha told him, "Go say to him, 'You are sure to 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."

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."