2 Kings 8 Commentary

“And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.”

Giezi was not yet infected; (Salien; Menochius) or if he was, (Haydock) the king spoke to him at a distance, overcoming his natural repugnance, in order to know some particulars of the life of Eliseus. (Calmet) — This he would more readily do, if Giezi had brought the glad tidings of plenty. (Tirinus) — Providence ordered that he should be present at this time, that he might bear witness to the woman. (Calmet)

“And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.”

Men. As Adarezer had brought upon himself the arms of David, perhaps by attempting to succour the Moabites, as he afterwards did the children of Ammon; (chap. x.) so the king of Damascus was ruined by coming too late to his assistance. This king may be the Adad mentioned by Nicolaus. (B. 4.) (Salien, the year of the world 2993, the 14th year of David.) See ver. 1 and 3.

“And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now. officer: or, eunuch”

Restore. “Restituere est possessorem facere fructusque reddere.” (Caius.) — Some think that the lands had been confiscated to the king, as being abandoned; or his authority was requisite, at least, to make the present occupiers give them up.

“And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.”

Damascus, the territory, (ver. 8.) to announce the king’s death, and to anoint Hazael, as God had ordered Elias, 3 Kings xix. 15. (Calmet) — Sick, at the ill success of his late expedition. (Josephus) (Tirinus)

“And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?”

Beroth, or Boroe. (Calmet) — Brass. All for the use of the temple, 1 Paralipomenon xviii. 8. The battle seems to have been fought near Beroth. (Salien)

“So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? with: Heb. in his hand”

Camels. It does not appear that Eliseus rejected these presents. (Menochius) — Thy son. The kings of Israel and Juda styled the prophet father, and this title was given by Christians of antiquity to bishops and priests.

“And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.”

Tell him: Thou shalt recover. By these words the prophet signified that the king’s disease was not mortal: and that he would recover, if no violence were used. Or he might only express himself in this manner, by way of giving Hazael to understand that he knew both what he would say and do; that he would indeed tell the king he should recover, but would be himself the instrument of his death. (Challoner) — The imperative is often used for the future tense. (Gloss iii. 3.) (John ii. 19.) The present Hebrew reads, “Thou shalt not live: for,” &c., which removes the difficulty. But the Chaldean, Septuagint, Syriac, &c., agree with the Vulgate, (Calmet) as the Protestant version also does. “Thou mayst certainly recover, howbeit the Lord,” &c. (Haydock) — Lo, “not,” in the Hebrew text, seems however preferable to the marginal reading, lu, “to him.” This mistake has been sometimes made elsewhere, and ought to be carefully examined. (Kennicott, 1 Paralipomenon xi. 20.)

“And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept. stedfastly: Heb. and set it”

Blush. This may be referred either to Hazael, who was astonished at the words and looks of the prophet, (Haydock) or to Eliseus. (Menochius) — Septuagint Complutensian, “and Hazael stood before his face, and he displayed the presents before him, till he blushed, and the,” &c. Though this has the appearance of a gloss, it is perhaps most conformable to the Hebrew and to an ancient Greek version. (Calmet) — Protestants, “he settled his countenance steadfastly, until he was ashamed.”

“And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.”

A dog. He speaks with indignation, as if he could not be so brutal; (Tirinus) or he could not yet think that he should be king. (Calmet) — He afterwards proved as cruel as the prophet had signified, chap. x. 32., and Amos i. 3. (Calmet)

“So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.”

Guards, or officers to administer justice in his name, after Joab had killed all the males, during six months, 3 Kings xi. 15. (Calmet)

“And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.”

Blanket. Hebrew macber, a word which the Septuagint retain. (Haydock) — It denotes a hairy coverlet, pillow, &c. Tiberius and Frederic II met with the like fate. (Calmet) — some think that Hazael was only guilty of imprudence; (Menochius) or that Benadad killed himself; as the Hebrew might be rendered, if the sequel did not evince that his death was caused by Hazael’s malice. (Calmet) — He might pretend that the wet cloth would give Benadad refreshment. (Haydock) — But it would bring on present death, with most exquisite torture. (Tirinus) — The names of both these kings were in great veneration among the Syrians, who paid them divine honours. (Josephus, [Antiquities?] ix. 4.) — Perhaps they might not know that the latter had been guilty of such a base murder. (Haydock)

“And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. began: Heb. reigned”

Fifth. Houbigant would read “third,” p. 100. See chap. i. 17. (Haydock) — Josaphat. That is, Josaphat being yet alive, who some time before his death made his son Joram king; as David had done before by his son Solomon. (Challoner) — The words are omitted in some copies of the Septuagint (Du Hamel) and are perhaps inserted from the end of the verse. (Haydock) — Protestants, “Jehosaphat being then king,” in his 22d year. (Haydock) — Joram had been appointed viceroy in the sixteenth year of his father’s reign, and was now raised to sit on the throne with him. Thus the Scripture may be reconciled. (Calmet)

“Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.”

Achimelech is also called the father of Abiathar, as these two had both names indiscriminately, 1 Kings xxi. 2. During the contest between the families of Saul and of David, two high priests were acknowledged, in their respective dominions. Sadoc was also permitted to officiate at Gabaon, during the reign of David; and, as Abiathar took part against Solomon, he was invested with the whole authority, and thus were accomplished the predictions made to Phinees and to Heli, Numbers xxv. 12., and 1 Kings ii. 35. (Calmet) — Yet Salien considers Abiathar as the sole pontiff, from the time that his father was murdered by Saul. Sadoc, in the mean while, was his arch-priest or delegate, at Gabaon; (Haydock) though Abulensis and Josephus acknowledge both as high priests, (1 Paralipomenon xxiv. 3,) officiating by turns. (Menochius) — Scribe, or secretary. (Challoner) See Judges v. 14. — Septuagint, “counsellor.” He is called Susa, in Chronicles. (Haydock)

“And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.”

Achab, Athalia. She led her husband into all wickedness. (Tirinus) (2 Paralipomenon xxi.)

“Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give him alway a light, and to his children. light: Heb. candle, or, lamp”

Light, or lamp, posterity and regal power, 3 Kings xi. 36. (Haydock)

“In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.”

King. The one under Josaphat was dependant, chap. iii. 9., and 3 Kings xxii. 48. Thus the prediction of Jacob was verified, (Genesis xxvii. 40.; Calmet) and Joram punished. (Haydock)

“So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.”

Seira, or Idumea, Genesis xiv. 6. — Defeated. The Syriac and Arabic explain it in a contrary sense, as the Hebrew may well signify, and the sequel seems to prove, as the Edomites became independent. Hebrew, “He rose….and attacked Edom that surrounded him, (with superior numbers) and the princes… and the people (of Israel) fled.” But the text will also bear the sense of the Vulgate, which is conformable to 2 Paralipomenon xxi. 9., which does not say the people, &c., though these words may be understood of the Edomites. Joram could not derive such advantage from his victory, as to reduce the nation under his obedience. (Calmet)

“Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.”

Day, when Jeremias, the author, lived. (Tostat) — Lobna, a frontier town bordering on Idumea. It was a strong place assigned to the priests; but strangers had probably again taken possession of it, and caused it now to revolt. The kings of Juda had retaken it when Sennacherib laid siege to the place. See chap. xix. 8., and Josue x. 30., and xxi. 13.

“And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.”

Slept, after a lingering and painful illness of two years’ continuance. Joram was not buried in the tomb of the other kings, nor were perfumes burnt over his corpse; (Calmet) as his memory was abhorred, 2 Paralipomenon xxi.

“In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.”

Twelfth, more correctly than “the eleventh,” chap. ix. 29. (Houbigant)

“Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel. daughter: or, granddaughter”

Twenty. In 2 Paralipomenon xxii. 2., we read forty, by mistake of the transcribers, as Ochozias, (Joachaz, or Azarias, 2 Paralipomenon xxi. 17.) would thus be older than his father, who died at the age of forty, 2 Paralipomenon xxi. 20. All the original versions, and many copies of the Septuagint read “twenty-two” in both passages; and those who would admit no mistake, are forced to have recourse to explanations which can give no satisfaction. De Dieu would include in the reign of Ochozias the six years of Athalia’s usurpation, and the thirteen of Joas, during his minority. Others would date from the separation of the two kingdoms, &c. But would the Holy Ghost cause the same fact to be recorded in two places in such a different manner? The best chronologists acknowledge a mistake in the Hebrew text of Paralipomenon. (Cajetan; Salien; Petau; Tirinus, &c.; Calmet) as the letters which denote these numbers are not unlike (Mariana:) c (20) might easily be exchanged for m (40.) (Haydock) — Daughter. That is, grand-daughter; for she was daughter of Achab, son of Amri, ver. 18., (Challoner) unless she was only adopted by Achab. (Worthington)

“And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramothgilead ; and the Syrians wounded Joram.”

Galaad. The same city had proved fatal to Achab, 3 Kings xxii. Joram took it, but received (Calmet) many wounds; so that he left Jehu to attack the citadel. The latter was anointed king, and acknowledged by the army. He immediately proceeded to Jezrahel, and put his master to death. (Haydock)