Advanced Commentary

(ex.: John 3:14-18)

Table of Contents Bible Dictionary
Arts
Questions
Resources/Books

Context
8:1 Now Elisha <0477> advised <01696> the woman <0802> whose <0834> son <01121> he had brought back to life <02421>, “You <0859> and your family <01004> should go <01980> and live <01481> somewhere <0834> else for a while, for <03588> the Lord <03068> has decreed <07121> that a famine <07458> will overtake <0935> the land <0776> for <0413> seven <07651> years <08141>.” 8:2 So the woman <0802> did <06213> as the prophet <0430> <0376> said <01697>. She and her <01931> family <01004> went <01980> and lived <01481> in the land <0776> of the Philistines <06430> for seven <07651> years <08141>. 8:3 After <07097> seven <07651> years <08141> the woman <0802> returned <07725> from the land <0776> of the Philistines <06430> and went <03318> to ask <06817> the king <04428> to give <06817> her back <06817> her house <01004> and field <07704>. 8:4 Now the king <04428> was talking <01696> to <0413> Gehazi <01522>, the prophet’s <0430> <0376> servant <05288>, and said <0559>, “Tell <05608> me all <03605> the great <01419> things which <0834> Elisha <0477> has done <06213>.” 8:5 While Gehazi <01931> was <01961> telling <05608> the king <04428> how <0834> Elisha had brought <02421> the dead <04191> back to life <02421>, the woman <0802> whose <0834> son <01121> he had brought back to life <02421> came to ask <06817> the king <04428> for <05921> her house <01004> and field <07704>. Gehazi <01522> said <0559>, “My master <0113>, O king <04428>, this <02063> is the very woman <0802> and this <02088> is her son <01121> whom <0834> Elisha <0477> brought back to life <02421>!” 8:6 The king <04428> asked <07592> the woman <0802> about it, and she gave <05608> him the details <05608>. The king <04428> assigned <05414> a <0259> eunuch <05631> to take care of her request and ordered <0559> him, “Give <07725> her back <07725> everything <03605> she owns, as well as the amount <03605> of crops <08393> her field <07704> produced from the day <03117> she left <05800> the land <0776> until <05704> now <06258>.” 8:7 Elisha <0477> traveled <0935> to Damascus <01834> while King <04428> Ben Hadad <01130> of Syria <0758> was sick <02470>. The king was told <05046>, “The prophet <0430> <0376> has come <0935> here <02008> <05704>.” 8:8 So the king <04428> told <0559> Hazael <02371>, “Take <03947> a gift <04503> and go <01980> visit <07125> the prophet <0430> <0376>. Request <01875> from him an oracle from <0854> the Lord <03069>. Ask <0559> him, ‘Will I recover <02421> from this <02088> sickness <02483>?’” 8:9 So Hazael <02371> went <01980> to visit <07125> Elisha. He took <03947> along a gift <04503>, as well as forty <0705> camel <01581> loads <04853> of all <03605> the fine things <02898> of Damascus <01834>. When he arrived <0935>, he stood <05975> before <06440> him and said <0559>, “Your son <01121>, King <04428> Ben Hadad <01130> of Syria <0758>, has sent <07971> me to <0413> you with this question <0559>, ‘Will I recover <02421> from this <02088> sickness <02483>?’” 8:10 Elisha <0477> said <0559> to <0413> him, “Go <01980> and tell <0559> him, ‘You will surely recover <02421> <02421>,’ but the Lord <03068> has revealed <07200> to me that <03588> he will surely die <04191> <04191>.” 8:11 Elisha just stared <05975> at <06440> him until <05704> Hazael became uncomfortable <0954>. Then the prophet <0430> <0376> started crying <01058>. 8:12 Hazael <02371> asked <0559>, “Why <04069> are you crying <01058>, my master <0113>?” He replied <0559>, “Because <03588> I know <03045> the trouble <07451> you will cause <06213> the Israelites <03478> <01121>. You will set <07971> fire <0784> to their fortresses <04013>, kill <02026> their young men <0970> with the sword <02719>, smash <07376> their children <05768> to bits <07376>, and rip open <01234> their pregnant women <02030>.” 8:13 Hazael <02371> said <0559>, “How <04100> could your servant <05650>, who <03588> is as insignificant as a dog <03611>, accomplish <06213> this <02088> great <01419> military victory <01697>?” Elisha <0477> answered <0559>, “The Lord <03068> has revealed <07200> to <0854> me that you will be the king <04428> of <05921> Syria <0758>.” 8:14 He left <01980> Elisha <0477> and went <0935> to his master <0113>. Ben Hadad asked <0559> him, “What <04100> did Elisha <0477> tell <0559> you?” Hazael replied <0559>, “He told <0559> me you would surely <02421> recover <02421>.” 8:15 The next day <04283> Hazael took <03947> a piece of cloth <04346>, dipped <02881> it in water <04325>, and spread <06566> it over <05921> Ben Hadad’s face <06440> until he died <04191>. Then Hazael <02371> replaced <08478> him as king <04427>. 8:16 In the fifth <02568> year <08141> of the reign <04428> of Israel’s <03478> King <04428> Joram <03141>, son <01121> of Ahab <0256>, Jehoshaphat’s <03092> son <01121> Jehoram <03088> became king over <04427> Judah <03063>. 8:17 He was thirty-two <08147> <07970> years <08141> old <01121> when he became king <04427> <01961> and he reigned <04427> for eight <08083> years <08141> in Jerusalem <03389>. 8:18 He followed <01980> in the footsteps <01870> of the kings <04428> of Israel <03478>, just as <0834> Ahab’s <0256> dynasty <01004> had done <06213>, for <03588> he married <0802> <01961> Ahab’s <0256> daughter <01323>. He did <06213> evil <07451> in the sight <05869> of the Lord <03068>. 8:19 But the Lord <03068> was unwilling <014> <03808> to destroy <07843> Judah <03063>. He preserved Judah <03063> for the sake <04616> of his servant <05650> David <01732> to whom <0834> he had promised <0559> a perpetual <03117> <03605> dynasty <05216>. 8:20 During <03117> his reign Edom <0123> freed <06586> themselves from <08478> Judah’s <03063> control <03027> and set up <04427> their own king <04428>. 8:21 Joram <03141> crossed over <05674> to Zair <06811> with <05973> all <03605> his chariots <07393>. The Edomites <0123>, who <01931> had surrounded <05437> him, attacked <06965> at night <03915> and defeated <05221> him and his chariot <07393> officers <08269>. The Israelite army <05971> retreated <05127> to their homeland <0168>. 8:22 So Edom <0123> has remained free <06586> from <08478> Judah’s <03063> control <03027> to <05704> this very day <03117>. At that same time <06256> Libnah <03841> also <06586> rebelled.

• 2Ki 8:1-6 -- Elisha Again Helps the Shunammite Woman
• 2Ki 8:7-15 -- Elisha Meets with Hazael
• 2Ki 8:16-24 -- Jehoram's Reign over Judah

• Hazael

  [ebd] whom God beholds, an officer of Ben-hadad II., king of Syria, who ultimately came to the throne, according to the word of the Lord to Elijah (1 Kings 19:15), after he had put the king to death (2 Kings 8:15). His interview w...
  [isbe] HAZAEL - ha-za'-el, ha'-za-el, haz'-a-el (chaza'-el and chazah'-el; Hazael; Assyrian haza'ilu): 1. In Biblical History: Comes first into Biblical history as a high officer in the service of Ben-hadad II, king of Syria (2 Ki ...
  [smith] (whom God sees), a king of Damascus who reigned from about B.C. 886 to B.C. 840. He appears to have been previously a person in a high position at the court of Ben-hadad, and was sent by his master to Elisha to inquire if he ...
  [nave] HAZAEL, king of Syria. Anointed king by Elijah, 1 Kin. 19:15. Conquests by, 2 Kin. 8:28, 29; 9:14; 10:32, 33; 12:17, 18; 13:3, 22; 2 Chr. 22:5, 6. Conspires against, murders, and succeeds to the throne of Ben-hadad, 2 Kin. ...
  

• Elisha

  [ebd] God his salvation, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, who became the attendant and disciple of Elijah (1 Kings 19:16-19). His name first occurs in the command given to Elijah to anoint him as his successor (1 Kings 19:16). ...
  [isbe] ELISHA - e-li'-sha 'elisha`, "God is salvalion"; Septuagint Eleisaie; New Testament Elisaios, Eliseus, (Lk 4:27 the King James Version)): I. HIS CALL AND PREPARATION 1. His Call 2. His Preparation 3. The Parting Gift of Elij...
  [smith] (God his salvation), son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah; the attendant and disciple of Elijan, and subsequently his successor as prophet of the kingdom of Israel. The earliest mention of his name is in the command to Elijah in th...
  [nave] ELISHA, successor to the prophet Elijah. Elijah instructed to anoint, 1 Kin. 19:16. Called by Elijah, 1 Kin. 19:19. Ministers to Elijah, 1 Kin. 19:21. Witnesses Elijah's translation, receives a double portion of his spirit...
  

• KINGS, BOOKS OF

  [isbe] KINGS, BOOKS OF - || I. TITLE II. SCOPE III. CHARACTER OF BOOKS AND POSITION IN THE HEBREW CANON 1. Purpose 2. Character of Data IV. HISTORICAL VALUE 1. Treatment of Historical Data 2. Chronology 3. Value of Assyrian Records...
  

• ELIJAH

  [ebd] whose God is Jehovah. (1.) "The Tishbite," the "Elias" of the New Testament, is suddenly introduced to our notice in 1 Kings 17:1 as delivering a message from the Lord to Ahab. There is mention made of a town called Thisbe, ...
  [isbe] ELIJAH - e-li'-ja ('eliyahu or (4 times) 'eliyah, "Yah is God"; Septuagint Eleiou, New Testament Eleias or Elias, the King James Version of New Testament Elias): I. THE WORKS OF ELIJAH 1. The Judgment of Drought 2. The Ordea...
  

• BENHADAD

  [isbe] BENHADAD - ben-ha'-dad (ben-hadhadh; Septuagint huios Hader): The Name I. BENHADAD I 1. The Kingdom of Syria Founded 2. Syria and Judah 3. Shortsightedness of Asa II. BENHADAD II 1. Hadad-'idri of the Monuments 2. Expedition...
  [smith] (son of Hadad), the name of three kings of Damascus. BENHADAD I., King of Damascus, which in his time was supreme in Syria. He made an alliance with Asa, and conquered a great part of the north of Israel. (1 Kings 15:18) H...
  

• Ben-hadad

  [ebd] the standing title of the Syrian kings, meaning "the son of Hadad." (See HADADEZER.) (1.) The king of Syria whom Asa, king of Judah, employed to invade Israel (1 Kings 15:18). (2.) Son of the preceding, also king of Syria. H...
  [nave] BEN-HADAD 1. King of Syria, 1 Kin. 15:18-20; 2 Chr. 16:2-4. 2. A king of Syria, who reigned in the time of Ahab, son of Ben-hadad I, 1 Kin. 20; 2 Kin. 5; 6; 7; 8:7-15. 3. Son of Hazael and king of Syria, 2 Kin. 13:3, 24, 2...
  

• Gehazi

  [ebd] valley of vision, Elisha's trusted servant (2 Kings 4:31; 5:25; 8:4, 5). He appears in connection with the history of the Shunammite (2 Kings 4:14, 31) and of Naaman the Syrian. On this latter occasion he was guilty of dupli...
  [isbe] GEHAZI - ge-ha'-zi (gechazi, except in 2 Ki 4:31; 5:25; 8:4,5, where it is gechazi, perhaps "valley of vision"): The confidential servant of Elisha. Various words are used to denote his relation to his master. He is generall...
  [smith] (valley of vision), the servant or boy of Elisha. He was sent as the prophet?s messenger on two occasions to the good Shunammite, (2 Kings 4:1) ... (B.C. 889-887); obtained fraudulently money and garments from Naaman, was ...
  [nave] GEHAZI Servant of Elisha, 2 Kin. 4:12, 29, 31. Greed of, and the judgment of leprosy upon, 2 Kin. 5:20-27. Mentions to King Jehoram the miracles of Elisha, his master, 2 Kin. 8:4, 5.
  

• Jehoram

  [ebd] Jehovah-exalted. (1.) Son of Toi, king of Hamath, sent by his father to congratulate David on the occasion of his victory over Hadadezer (2 Sam. 8:10). (2.) A Levite of the family of Gershom (1 Chr. 26:25). (3.) A priest sen...
  [smith] (whom Jehovah has exalted). Son of Ahab king of Israel, who succeeded his brother Ahaziah B.C. 896, and died B.C. 884. The alliance between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, commenced by his father and Jehoshaphat, was very ...
  [nave] JEHORAM 1. King of Judah, 1 Kin. 22:50; 2 Kin. 8:16; 1 Chr. 3:11; 2 Chr. 21:5. Ancestor of Jesus, Matt. 1:8. Marries Athaliah, whose wicked counsels influence his reign for evil, 2 Kin. 8:18, 19; 2 Chr. 21:6-13. Slays his...
  

• Lies and Deceits

  [nave] LIES AND DECEITS Ex. 23:1; Lev. 6:2-7; Lev. 19:11, 12, 16 Ex. 20:16. Job 13:4; Job 21:34; Job 27:4; Job 31:5, 6, 33; Job 36:4; Psa. 5:6, 9; Psa. 10:7; Psa. 12:2, 3; Psa. 28:3; Psa. 31:18; Psa. 34:13 1 Pet. 3:10. Psa. 36:3; P...
  

• Israel

  [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...
  

• Joram

  [ebd] =Jeho'ram. (1.) One of the kings of Israel (2 Kings 8:16, 25, 28). He was the son of Ahab. (2.) Jehoram, the son and successor of Jehoshaphat on the throne of Judah (2 Kings 8:24).
  [isbe] JORAM - jo'-ram (yoram, "Yahweh is exalted"; compare JEHORAM): (1) Son of Toi (or Tou, according to Septuagint, Codex Vaticanus, and 1 Ch 18:9,10), sent by his father to greet David (2 Sam 8:10) = "Hadoram" (1 Ch 18:9,10) a ...
  [smith] (whom Jehovah has exalted). Son of Ahab king of Israel. (2 Kings 8:16,25,28,29; 9:14,17,21-23,29) [JEHORAM, 1] Son of Jehosphaphat; king of Judah. (2 Kings 8:21,23,24; 1 Chronicles 3:11; 2 Chronicles 22:5,7; Matt...
  [nave] JORAM 1. A son of Toi, 2 Sam. 8:9, 10. Called Hadoram, 1 Chr. 18:10. 2. Called also Jehoram. King of Israel, 2 Kin. 1:17; 3:1. King of Syria sends Naaman to, that he may be healed of his leprosy, 2 Kin. 5:1-27. Has war w...
  

• JEHORAM; JORAM

  [isbe] JEHORAM; JORAM - je-ho'-ram, written also in the abbreviated form, (yehoram, yoram, "Yahweh is high"; the Revised Version (British and American) retains "Joram" for Hebrew yehoram in 2 Ki 9:15-24): (1) Ninth king of Israel (...
  

• SHUNAMMITE

  [isbe] SHUNAMMITE - shoo'-na-mit (shunammith, shunammith; Codex Vaticanus Somaneitis; Codex Alexandrinus Soumanites): Applied to natives of Shunem. (1) Abishag, who was brought to minister to the aged king David, love for whom led ...
  

• Shunem

  [ebd] two resting-places, a little village in the tribe of Issachar, to the north of Jezreel and south of Mount Gilboa (Josh. 19:18), where the Philistines encamped when they came against Saul (1 Sam. 28:4), and where Elisha was h...
  

• Judge

  [nave] JUDGE Appointed by Persians, Ezra 7:25. Kings and other rulers as, 2 Sam. 8:15; 15:2; 1 Kin. 3:16-28; 10:9; 2 Kin. 8:1-6; Psa. 72:1-4; Matt. 27:11-26; Acts 23:34, 35; 24; 25:11, 12. Priests and Levites as, Deut. 17:9; 2 Ch...
  

• Property

  [nave] PROPERTY. In Real Estate Gen. 23:17, 18; 26:20. Rights in, violated, Gen. 21:25-30; 26:18-22. Dedicated, Lev. 27:16-25. See: Land. Dwellings. Alienated for debt, Lev. 25:29, 30; by absence, 2 Kin. 8:1-6; in villages, i...
  

• Land

  [nave] LAND Appeared on third creative day, Gen. 1:9. Original title to, from God, Gen. 13:14-17; 15:7; Ex. 23:31; Lev. 25:23. Bought and sold, Gen. 23:3-18; 33:19; Acts 4:34; 5:1-8. Sale and redemption of, laws concerning, Lev....
  

• RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY

  [isbe] RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY - re-la'-shun-ships: I. CONSANGUINITY 1. In General 2. Parents and Children 3. Brothers and Sisters 4. Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Kinsmen II. AFFINITY 1. Husband and Wife 2. Father-in-Law, etc. 3. Brother-...
  

• King

  [nave] KING Called King of kings, Ezra 7:12; Ezek. 26:7; Dan. 2:37. Divinely authorized, Deut. 17:15; 1 Sam. 9:16, 17; 16:12; 1 Chr. 22:10; 2 Chr. 2:11, 12; Prov. 8:15; Dan. 2:21, 37; 4:17; 5:20; Hos. 8:4; 13:11. How chosen: By d...
  

• Famine

  [ebd] The first mentioned in Scripture was so grievous as to compel Abraham to go down to the land of Egypt (Gen. 26:1). Another is mentioned as having occurred in the days of Isaac, causing him to go to Gerar (Gen. 26:1, 17). But...
  [isbe] FAMINE - fam'-in (ra`abh; limos): 1. Natural Causes 2. Famines Mentioned 3. Divine Relations 4. Figurative Uses The common Old Testament word for "famine" is ra`abh; re`abhon also occurs (Gen 42:19,33; Ps 37:19), and kaphan ...
  [smith] In the whole of Syria and Arabia, the fruits of the earth must ever be dependent on rain; the watersheds having few large springs, and the small rivers not being sufficient for the irrigation of even the level lands. If there...
  [nave] FAMINE Pharaoh forewarned of, in dreams, Gen. 41. Described, Deut. 28:53-57; Isa. 5:13; 9:18-21; 17:11; Jer. 5:17; 14:1-6; 48:33; Lam. 1:11, 19; 2:11-22; 4:4-10; Joel 1:17-20. Sent as a judgment, Lev. 26:19-29; Deut. 28:23...
  

• Jehoram's Sin and Punishment

  

• Why did godly men in the OT have more than one wife?
  A number of godly men in the Old Testament had more than one wife, and beyond this, some had concubines (such as Hagar in Genesis 16:1ff.), who did not have the same status as a wife. I think we must acknowledge that God did ...

Back to Commentary Page