2 Kings 8 Study Notes: The Shunammite’s Land and Hazael’s Rise
The Shunammite woman returns after seven years of famine, and the king restores her land. In Damascus, Elisha weeps as he foresees the harm Hazael will do to Israel, and Hazael kills Ben-hadad and takes the throne. Jehoram and Ahaziah of Judah follow Ahab’s ways, and Ahaziah visits the wounded Joram of Israel.
General
According to the text, why did Ahaziah king of Judah follow Ahab’s family into evil (2 Kings 8:25-27)?
Answer: He was joined by marriage to the family of Ahab
Jehoram’s son Ahaziah then took Judah’s throne. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri, the father of Ahab (8:25-26). The text says Ahaziah followed the ways of Ahab’s family and did evil like them, because he was related to that family by marriage (8:27). He then joined Joram, Ahab’s son and king of Israel, in war against Hazael at Ramoth-gilead; when Joram was wounded, Ahaziah went to visit him at Jezreel (8:28-29), which sets up the events of the next chapter. Family ties to Ahab’s house pulled Judah’s kings toward Ahab’s sins. The parallel account in Chronicles adds that his mother and Ahab’s house counseled him in wickedness (2 Chronicles 22:3-4), and Paul warns that keeping bad company corrupts a person’s character (1 Corinthians 15:33).
- 2 Kings 8:27 (BSB)“And Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.”Ahaziah does evil like Ahab’s house because he is related to it by marriage.
- 2 Chronicles 22:3-4 (BSB)“Ahaziah also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in wickedness. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for to his destruction they were his counselors after the death of his father.”The parallel account says Ahaziah’s mother and the house of Ahab counseled him in wickedness.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33 (BSB)“Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.””Bad company corrupts good character, as Ahab’s family corrupts Judah’s kings.
Theological
What explanation does the narrator give for Ahaziah of Judah following the path of Ahab’s house (2 Kings 8:25-27)?
Answer: He was joined by marriage to the family of Ahab
Ahaziah of Judah, whose mother Athaliah descends from Omri (8:25-26), walks in the way of Ahab’s house and does evil like it, the narrator explaining that he is related to that house by marriage (8:27). He allies with Joram of Israel against Hazael at Ramoth-gilead, then visits the wounded Joram in Jezreel (8:28-29), positioning both kings for the events of chapter 9. The marriage alliance with Ahab’s dynasty draws David’s line into Ahab’s idolatry, as the Chronicles account confirms in naming his mother and Ahab’s house as his counselors in wickedness (2 Chronicles 22:3-4), and as Paul warns that keeping bad company corrupts a person’s character (1 Corinthians 15:33).
- 2 Kings 8:27 (BSB)“And Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.”Ahaziah does evil like Ahab’s house because he is related to it by marriage.
- 2 Chronicles 22:3-4 (BSB)“Ahaziah also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in wickedness. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for to his destruction they were his counselors after the death of his father.”The parallel account says Ahaziah’s mother and the house of Ahab counseled him in wickedness.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33 (BSB)“Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.””Bad company corrupts good character, as Ahab’s family corrupts Judah’s kings.
General
What was happening at the very moment the woman arrived to request her property from the king (2 Kings 8:3-5)?
Answer: Gehazi was describing to the king Elisha’s raising of her son
Back home after seven years, the woman approached the king to ask for her property back (8:3). At that moment the king was asking Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, to recount Elisha’s mighty deeds, and Gehazi was describing how Elisha had raised a dead boy. Just then the very woman whose son it was walked in, and Gehazi told the king that this was she and her son (8:4-5). The timing was no accident. The LORD arranged events so that her request was heard at the best possible moment. People make their plans, but the LORD directs their steps (Proverbs 16:9), and God brings about good for His people through every circumstance (Romans 8:28).
- 2 Kings 8:4-5 (BSB)“Now the king had been speaking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things Elisha has done.” And Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought the dead back to life. Just then the woman whose son Elisha had revived came to appeal to the king for her house and her land. So Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is the son Elisha restored to life.””Gehazi is recounting Elisha’s raising of the boy when the woman arrives to appeal to the king.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”People plan their way, but the LORD directs their steps, as He times this meeting.
- Romans 8:28 (BSB)“And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.”God works all things together for the good of His people, as He does in this woman’s case.
Theological
What makes the timing of the woman’s request remarkable (2 Kings 8:3-5)?
Answer: Gehazi was describing to the king Elisha’s raising of her son
Returning after seven years, the woman asks the king to restore her property (8:3). At that very moment Gehazi is recounting to the king Elisha’s great deeds, specifically the raising of her son, and she arrives in time to be identified as the mother and her son as the boy restored (8:4-5). The coincidence is providence: the LORD orders the timing of human affairs, directing the steps that people plan (Proverbs 16:9) and turning every circumstance to the good of His people (Romans 8:28).
- 2 Kings 8:4-5 (BSB)“Now the king had been speaking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things Elisha has done.” And Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought the dead back to life. Just then the woman whose son Elisha had revived came to appeal to the king for her house and her land. So Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is the son Elisha restored to life.””Gehazi is recounting Elisha’s raising of the boy when the woman arrives to appeal to the king.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”People plan their way, but the LORD directs their steps, as He times this meeting.
- Romans 8:28 (BSB)“And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.”God works all things together for the good of His people, as He does in this woman’s case.
General
When the ailing Aramean king Ben-hadad learned that Elisha had come to Damascus, what did he send Hazael to do (2 Kings 8:7-9)?
Answer: Bring a gift and ask the LORD through Elisha whether he would recover
Elisha traveled to Damascus, the capital of Aram, while its king, Ben-hadad, was sick. When the king heard the prophet was there, he told Hazael, one of his officials, to take a gift and ask the LORD through Elisha whether he would get well (8:7-8). Hazael brought a huge gift, the finest goods of Damascus carried by forty camels, and stood before Elisha with the question (8:9). There is a striking contrast here. Earlier, Ahaziah, a king of Israel, sent to ask Baal-zebub, a foreign god, whether he would recover (1:2-3). Now a foreign king sends to ask the LORD through Israel’s prophet. Naaman, the Aramean commander, had already confessed that Israel’s God is the only true God anywhere (5:15).
- 2 Kings 8:8 (BSB)“So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’””Ben-hadad sends Hazael with a gift to ask the LORD through Elisha whether he will recover.
- 2 Kings 1:2-3 (BSB)“Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.” But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’”Israel’s King Ahaziah sent to Baal-zebub with the same question, a sharp contrast with this Aramean king.
- 2 Kings 5:15 (BSB)“Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.””Naaman the Aramean had confessed that the only God is the God of Israel.
Theological
What errand does the ailing Ben-hadad give Hazael when Elisha comes to Damascus (2 Kings 8:7-9)?
Answer: Bring a gift and ask the LORD through Elisha whether he would recover
With Ben-hadad sick, the Aramean king sends Hazael with a gift to seek the LORD’s word through Elisha on whether he will recover (8:7-8), and Hazael comes with forty camels carrying the goods of Damascus (8:9). The irony is pointed: Israel’s own King Ahaziah had sent to consult Baal-zebub about his recovery (1:2-3), while Aram’s king now seeks the LORD through Israel’s prophet. Naaman’s earlier confession that Israel’s God is the only God anywhere (5:15) stands in the background.
- 2 Kings 8:8 (BSB)“So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’””Ben-hadad sends Hazael with a gift to ask the LORD through Elisha whether he will recover.
- 2 Kings 1:2-3 (BSB)“Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.” But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’”Israel’s King Ahaziah sent to Baal-zebub with the same question, a sharp contrast with this Aramean king.
- 2 Kings 5:15 (BSB)“Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.””Naaman the Aramean had confessed that the only God is the God of Israel.
General
Why did Elisha begin to weep as he stared at Hazael (2 Kings 8:11-12)?
Answer: He knew the terrible harm Hazael would one day do to Israel
Elisha fixed his eyes on Hazael until Hazael was uncomfortable, and then Elisha broke into tears (8:11). When Hazael asked why, Elisha said it was because he knew the evil Hazael would bring upon Israel: burning their fortified cities and killing their people, even the most defenseless, in cruel ways (8:12). Elisha took no pleasure in the coming judgment on his own people; it moved him to tears. Later chapters record that the LORD did begin to shrink Israel’s territory through Hazael (10:32) and handed Israel over to him because of the LORD’s anger at their sin (13:3). Jesus also wept over Jerusalem as He foresaw its coming destruction (Luke 19:41-42).
- 2 Kings 8:11 (BSB)“Elisha fixed his gaze steadily on him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the man of God began to weep.”Elisha stares at Hazael and begins to weep.
- 2 Kings 10:32 (BSB)“In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory”The LORD later reduces Israel’s territory through Hazael, fulfilling what Elisha foresaw.
- 2 Kings 13:3 (BSB)“So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad.”In His anger the LORD gives Israel into Hazael’s hands, confirming Elisha’s word.
- Luke 19:41-42 (BSB)“As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.”Jesus weeps over Jerusalem as He foresees its judgment, showing the same grief.
Theological
What reason does Elisha give for weeping before Hazael (2 Kings 8:11-12)?
Answer: He knew the terrible harm Hazael would one day do to Israel
Elisha’s steady gaze unsettles Hazael, and the prophet weeps (8:11). He explains that he knows the evil Hazael will inflict on Israel, the burning of strongholds and the brutal slaughter of its people, including the most defenseless (8:12). The prophet announces judgment with grief, not detachment. The word is fulfilled as the LORD begins to cut back Israel through Hazael (10:32) and gives Israel into his hand in His anger (13:3). Jesus’ tears over Jerusalem’s coming ruin (Luke 19:41-42) show the same sorrow over judgment on God’s people.
- 2 Kings 8:11 (BSB)“Elisha fixed his gaze steadily on him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the man of God began to weep.”Elisha stares at Hazael and begins to weep.
- 2 Kings 10:32 (BSB)“In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory”The LORD later reduces Israel’s territory through Hazael, fulfilling what Elisha foresaw.
- 2 Kings 13:3 (BSB)“So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad.”In His anger the LORD gives Israel into Hazael’s hands, confirming Elisha’s word.
- Luke 19:41-42 (BSB)“As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.”Jesus weeps over Jerusalem as He foresees its judgment, showing the same grief.
General
What did Hazael tell Ben-hadad, and what did he do the next day (2 Kings 8:14-15)?
Answer: He said the king would recover, then smothered him to death
Hazael went back to Ben-hadad and told him only that Elisha said he would surely recover (8:14). On the following day Hazael dipped a thick cloth in water and laid it across the king’s face, and Ben-hadad died. Hazael then became king in his place (8:15). Elisha had foreseen that Hazael would be king, but Elisha did not tell him to kill anyone. Hazael chose deceit and murder, and he was fully responsible for them. God’s foreknowledge never makes Him the author of sin. God’s law forbids murder (Exodus 20:13), and the LORD hates bloodshed and lies (Psalm 5:6).
- 2 Kings 8:14-15 (BSB)“So Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he replied, “He told me that you would surely recover.” But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king’s face. So Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned in his place.”Hazael gives Ben-hadad a partial report and the next day smothers him and takes the throne.
- Exodus 20:13 (BSB)“You shall not murder.”God’s law forbids murder, the sin Hazael commits.
- Psalm 5:6 (BSB)“You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.”The LORD abhors bloodshed and deceit, both of which mark Hazael’s rise to power.
Theological
How does Hazael report Elisha’s answer, and what does he then do (2 Kings 8:14-15)?
Answer: He said the king would recover, then smothered him to death
Hazael reports only that Ben-hadad will recover (8:14), and the next day he smothers the king with a soaked cloth and takes the throne (8:15). He deceives his master and then murders him. Elisha foretold Hazael’s kingship but commanded no violence; the LORD’s foreknowledge and sovereign purpose do not make Him the author of Hazael’s sin, and Hazael bears full guilt for his choices. Murder is forbidden by God’s law (Exodus 20:13), and the LORD detests bloodshed and treachery (Psalm 5:6).
- 2 Kings 8:14-15 (BSB)“So Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he replied, “He told me that you would surely recover.” But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king’s face. So Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned in his place.”Hazael gives Ben-hadad a partial report and the next day smothers him and takes the throne.
- Exodus 20:13 (BSB)“You shall not murder.”God’s law forbids murder, the sin Hazael commits.
- Psalm 5:6 (BSB)“You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.”The LORD abhors bloodshed and deceit, both of which mark Hazael’s rise to power.
General
When Hazael protested that he was a mere dog who could never do such a thing, what did Elisha reveal to him (2 Kings 8:13)?
Answer: The LORD had shown him that Hazael would one day rule Aram
Hazael asked how he, a person as lowly as a dog, could ever do something so terrible (8:13). Elisha answered that the LORD had shown him that Hazael would become king of Aram. Years earlier, the LORD had told Elijah to anoint (set apart by pouring oil) Hazael to rule Aram (1 Kings 19:15), and now that word was moving toward fulfillment. Hazael’s protest stands in sharp contrast to what he does the very next day (8:15). The prophet Jeremiah wrote that nothing is more deceptive than the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9).
- 2 Kings 8:13 (BSB)““But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.””Hazael protests, and Elisha says the LORD has shown him that Hazael will be king.
- 1 Kings 19:15 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.”The LORD had commissioned Elijah to anoint Hazael king over Aram.
- Jeremiah 17:9 (BSB)“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”The heart is deceitful beyond understanding, as the gap between Hazael’s protest and his deeds shows.
Theological
What does Elisha disclose in reply to Hazael’s protest that he is a mere dog (2 Kings 8:13)?
Answer: The LORD had shown him that Hazael would one day rule Aram
Hazael protests that he, a mere dog, could not do such monstrous deeds (8:13), and Elisha replies that the LORD has revealed Hazael’s future rule over Aram. The revelation brings toward fulfillment the commission given to Elijah at Horeb to anoint Hazael to rule over Aram (1 Kings 19:15). The gap between Hazael’s disclaimer and what he does next (8:15) illustrates the deceitfulness of the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9), while the LORD remains sovereign over who rules in Damascus.
- 2 Kings 8:13 (BSB)““But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.””Hazael protests, and Elisha says the LORD has shown him that Hazael will be king.
- 1 Kings 19:15 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.”The LORD had commissioned Elijah to anoint Hazael king over Aram.
- Jeremiah 17:9 (BSB)“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”The heart is deceitful beyond understanding, as the gap between Hazael’s protest and his deeds shows.
General
True or False: The king gave the woman back her house and land but kept the crops her field had produced while she was gone (2 Kings 8:6).
Answer: False
This is false. After the woman confirmed Gehazi’s account, the king assigned an officer to her and ordered that everything that was hers be returned, together with all the produce of her field for the whole time she had been away (8:6). She received more than she asked for. The LORD moved the king’s heart to act generously. The Bible says a king’s heart is like a stream of water in the LORD’s hand, and He turns it wherever He wants (Proverbs 21:1). The psalmist says the LORD watches over the lives of the upright and that they will have enough even when famine comes (Psalm 37:18-19).
- 2 Kings 8:6 (BSB)“When the king asked the woman, she confirmed it. So the king appointed for her an officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers, along with all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the country until now.””The king orders everything restored to the woman, including the produce of her field.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs the king’s heart, as He moves this king to restore the woman’s property.
- Psalm 37:18-19 (BSB)“The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever. In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.”The LORD cares for the blameless and satisfies them in famine, as He provides for this woman.
Theological
True or False: The king returned the woman’s property but withheld the field’s produce from her years away (2 Kings 8:6).
Answer: False
This is false. Once the woman confirms the account, the king appoints an officer and orders the restoration of all her property, along with the full produce of the field for the years of her absence (8:6). The restoration exceeds her request. The LORD, who turns the king’s heart wherever He pleases (Proverbs 21:1), provides for the one who trusted His prophet’s word, in keeping with the promise that the blameless will be satisfied even in famine (Psalm 37:18-19).
- 2 Kings 8:6 (BSB)“When the king asked the woman, she confirmed it. So the king appointed for her an officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers, along with all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the country until now.””The king orders everything restored to the woman, including the produce of her field.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs the king’s heart, as He moves this king to restore the woman’s property.
- Psalm 37:18-19 (BSB)“The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever. In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.”The LORD cares for the blameless and satisfies them in famine, as He provides for this woman.
General
Judah’s King Jehoram followed Ahab’s family into evil. Why did the LORD still not destroy Judah (2 Kings 8:16-19)?
Answer: For David’s sake, having promised David a lasting lamp
Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram took the throne of Judah (the southern kingdom, ruled by David’s family). He followed the evil ways of Israel’s kings, as Ahab’s family had done, for his wife was Ahab’s daughter, and what he did was evil in the LORD’s sight (8:16-18). Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah, because of David, His servant, and His promise to keep a lamp burning for David’s line for all time (8:19). In Kings, the lamp promised to David pictures a son of David raised up to reign in Jerusalem (1 Kings 15:4). In Jehoram’s days Edom and Libnah broke free of Judah’s rule (8:20-22), yet David’s line went on: Jehoram’s son Ahaziah succeeded him (8:24). God had promised David that his house and kingdom would endure forever (2 Samuel 7:16) and had already promised David a lamp in his royal city when the kingdom was torn from Solomon’s line (1 Kings 11:36). God’s faithfulness does not depend on the faithfulness of people (2 Timothy 2:13).
- 2 Kings 8:18-19 (BSB)“And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD. Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”Jehoram does evil, yet the LORD spares Judah because of His promise of a lamp for David.
- 2 Samuel 7:16 (BSB)“Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.””God promised David that his house and throne would endure forever, the promise behind the lamp.
- 1 Kings 11:36 (BSB)“I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name.”God had earlier kept a lamp for David in Jerusalem when the kingdom was divided.
- 1 Kings 15:4 (BSB)“Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and to make Jerusalem strong.”For David’s sake the LORD gave Abijam a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him.
- 2 Timothy 2:13 (BSB)“if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”God remains faithful even when people are faithless, as He is to David despite Jehoram.
Theological
What reason does the text give for the LORD sparing Judah under the evil Jehoram (2 Kings 8:16-19)?
Answer: For David’s sake, having promised David a lasting lamp
Jehoram of Judah follows the path of Israel’s kings, as Ahab’s house did, for he has married Ahab’s daughter, and he does evil in the LORD’s sight (8:16-18). Nevertheless the LORD refuses to destroy Judah for David’s sake, having pledged that David’s line would never lack a lamp (8:19). Elsewhere in Kings the lamp is a son raised up to succeed in Jerusalem (1 Kings 15:4). Though Edom and Libnah throw off Judah’s rule (8:20-22), David’s line continues as Ahaziah succeeds his father (8:24). The Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:16) holds even when a Davidic king is wicked, as it had in the division of the kingdom (1 Kings 11:36). The preservation of David’s line rests on God’s own faithfulness, not on the king’s merit (2 Timothy 2:13).
- 2 Kings 8:18-19 (BSB)“And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD. Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”Jehoram does evil, yet the LORD spares Judah because of His promise of a lamp for David.
- 2 Samuel 7:16 (BSB)“Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.””God promised David that his house and throne would endure forever, the promise behind the lamp.
- 1 Kings 11:36 (BSB)“I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name.”God had earlier kept a lamp for David in Jerusalem when the kingdom was divided.
- 1 Kings 15:4 (BSB)“Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and to make Jerusalem strong.”For David’s sake the LORD gave Abijam a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him.
- 2 Timothy 2:13 (BSB)“if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”God remains faithful even when people are faithless, as He is to David despite Jehoram.
General
What answer did Elisha give Hazael about Ben-hadad’s illness (2 Kings 8:10)?
Answer: Tell him he would recover, though the LORD showed he would die
Elisha told Hazael to go and tell Ben-hadad he would certainly get well, but added that the LORD had revealed to him that the king would in fact die (8:10). Readers take this two-part answer in different ways: many understand that the illness itself would not be fatal, though Ben-hadad would die by another cause (8:15), while others take the first part as Elisha ironically naming the very message Hazael would go on to give the king (8:14). Either way, the LORD knew the outcome in advance and revealed it to His prophet. God is the one who removes kings and sets them up (Daniel 2:21), bringing one down and lifting up another (Psalm 75:7).
- 2 Kings 8:10 (BSB)“Elisha answered, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.’ But the LORD has shown me that in fact he will die.””Elisha says Ben-hadad will recover, yet the LORD has shown that he will die.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”God removes kings and establishes them, as He does with Ben-hadad and Hazael.
- Psalm 75:7 (BSB)“but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”God brings down one ruler and exalts another, the change of power about to take place in Aram.
Theological
How does Elisha answer Hazael’s question about Ben-hadad’s recovery (2 Kings 8:10)?
Answer: Tell him he would recover, though the LORD showed he would die
Elisha instructs Hazael to tell Ben-hadad that he will surely recover, while adding that the LORD has revealed the king will certainly die (8:10). Readers take the two parts differently: many understand that the illness is not fatal though Ben-hadad will die by other means (8:15), while others take the first part as Elisha ironically naming the very message Hazael will go on to give the king (8:14). What is clear is the LORD’s foreknowledge of the king’s end and His sovereignty over the rise and fall of rulers (Daniel 2:21; Psalm 75:7).
- 2 Kings 8:10 (BSB)“Elisha answered, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.’ But the LORD has shown me that in fact he will die.””Elisha says Ben-hadad will recover, yet the LORD has shown that he will die.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”God removes kings and establishes them, as He does with Ben-hadad and Hazael.
- Psalm 75:7 (BSB)“but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”God brings down one ruler and exalts another, the change of power about to take place in Aram.
General
After Elisha warned the mother of the boy he had raised that famine would grip the land for seven years, where did she and her family go (2 Kings 8:1-2)?
Answer: To Philistine territory on the coast
Elisha had told the woman from Shunem, the mother of the boy he had raised (4:32-37), to leave with her household and live wherever she could, because the LORD had decreed a famine that would last seven years (8:1). She did as Elisha said and spent seven years in Philistine territory, along the coast west of Judah (8:2). The LORD who sent the famine also warned and protected this faithful woman through His prophet. Scripture says the LORD summoned famine upon a land (Psalm 105:16), and that He watches over people who revere Him, to preserve their lives when food runs out (Psalm 33:18-19). Long before, Isaac had also gone to the Philistines during a famine (Genesis 26:1).
- 2 Kings 8:1-2 (BSB)“Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed that a seven-year famine will come to the land.” So the woman had proceeded to do as the man of God had instructed. And she and her household lived as foreigners for seven years in the land of the Philistines.”Elisha warns the woman of a seven-year famine, and she lives among the Philistines.
- Psalm 105:16 (BSB)“He called down famine on the land and cut off all their supplies of food.”The LORD calls down famine on a land, as He decreed this seven-year famine.
- Psalm 33:18-19 (BSB)“Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”The LORD watches over those who fear Him to keep them alive in famine, as He preserves this woman.
- Genesis 26:1 (BSB)“Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.”Isaac likewise went to the Philistines during a famine.
Theological
Where does the Shunammite woman go to live during the seven-year famine Elisha foretold (2 Kings 8:1-2)?
Answer: To Philistine territory on the coast
Elisha instructs the Shunammite, the mother of the boy he had raised (4:32-37), to leave with her household because the LORD has ordained seven years of famine (8:1). She acts on the prophet’s word and sojourns seven years in Philistine territory (8:2). The famine is the LORD’s decree, and the same LORD preserves a faithful woman through His word. He summons famine on a land (Psalm 105:16) and watches over people who revere Him to preserve them through it (Psalm 33:18-19); Isaac’s sojourn among the Philistines in a famine (Genesis 26:1) offers an earlier parallel.
- 2 Kings 8:1-2 (BSB)“Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed that a seven-year famine will come to the land.” So the woman had proceeded to do as the man of God had instructed. And she and her household lived as foreigners for seven years in the land of the Philistines.”Elisha warns the woman of a seven-year famine, and she lives among the Philistines.
- Psalm 105:16 (BSB)“He called down famine on the land and cut off all their supplies of food.”The LORD calls down famine on a land, as He decreed this seven-year famine.
- Psalm 33:18-19 (BSB)“Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”The LORD watches over those who fear Him to keep them alive in famine, as He preserves this woman.
- Genesis 26:1 (BSB)“Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.”Isaac likewise went to the Philistines during a famine.