The Shunammite, having left her country seven years, to avoid the forewarned famine, for Elisha's miracle's sake has her land restored by the king, 1-6. Hazael, being sent with a present by Ben-hadad to Elisha at Damascus, after he had heard the prophecy, kills his master and succeeds him, 7-15. Jehoram's wicked reign in Judah, 16-19. Edom and Libnah revolt, 20-22. Ahaziah succeeds Jehoram, 23, 24. Ahaziah's wicked reign, 25-27. He goes to Jezreel and visits Joram, who was wounded, 28, 29.
1 Then Elisha spoke to the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, "Arise, and go—you and your household—and sojourn wherever you can sojourn, for the LORD has called for a famine, and it shall also come upon the land seven years." 2 And the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God. And she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines. And she went forth to cry to the king for her house and for her land. 4 And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, "Tell me, I pray you, all the great things that Elisha has done." 5 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." 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to 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."
7 And Elisha came to Damascus. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And it was told to him, saying, "The man of God has come here." 8 And the king said to Hazael, "Take a present in your hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, 'Shall I recover of this disease?'" 9 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, "Your son Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, 'Shall I recover of this disease?'" 10 And Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, 'You may certainly recover,' but the LORD has shown me that he shall surely die." 11 And he settled his countenance steadfastly until he was ashamed. And the man of God wept. 12 And Hazael said, "Why does my lord weep?" And he answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: you will set their strongholds on fire and you will slay their young men with the sword, dash their children, and rip up their women with child." 13 And Hazael said, "But what, is your servant a dog that he should do this great thing?" And Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Syria." 14 So he departed from Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, "What did Elisha say to you?" And he answered, "He told me that you should surely recover." 15 And it came to pass on the next day, that he took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it on his face so that he died. And Hazael reigned in his stead.
16 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. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 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. 19 Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give a light to him and to his children always.
20 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah and made a king over themselves. 21 So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him. And he rose by night and smote the Edomites who encompassed him and the captains of the chariots, and the people fled into their tents. 22 Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. 23 And the rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
24 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.
25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. 26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old 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. 27 And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab did, for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.
28 And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramoth-gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram. 29 And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.
Matthew Henry Commentary - 2nd Kings, Chapter 8[➚]