2 Kings 8:20 Komentář

The passages of story recorded in this chapter oblige us to look back. I. We read before of a Shuuammite woman that was a kind benefactor to Elisha; now here we are told how she fared the better for it, afterwards, in the advice Elisha gave her, and the favour the king showed her for his sake (Kg2 8:1-6). II. We read before of the designation of Hazael to be king of Syria (Kg1 19:15), and here we have an account of his elevation to that throne and the way he forced for himself to it, by killing his master (Kg2 8:7-15). III. We read before of Jehoram's reigning over Judah in the room of his father Jehoshaphat (Kg1 22:50), now here we have a short and sad history of his short and wicked reign (Kg2 8:16-24), and the beginning of the history of the reign of his son Ahaziah (Kg2 8:25-29).

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 8 This chapter gives an account of some advice Elisha had formerly given to the Shunammite woman, and of the success of it, Kg2 8:1 and of the sickness of the king of Syria, who sent to Elisha, then being at Damascus, by Hazael, to know whether he should recover; by whom a message was returned, and Hazael was told by the prophet he should be king of Syria, and exercise great cruelty in Israel, Kg2 8:7 and of the bad reign of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, over Judah, Kg2 8:16 and of the reign of his son Ahaziah, Kg2 8:25.

In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah,.... Who had been tributary to Judah ever since the times of David, for the space of one hundred and fifty years: and made a king over themselves; for though they are said to have kings, those were only deputy kings, as in Kg1 22:47 and now the prediction of Isaac began to be accomplished, Gen 27:40.

Account of the sojourning of the Shunammite in the land of the Philistines, during the seven years famine, Kg2 8:1, Kg2 8:2. She returns, and solicits the king to let her have back her land; which, with its fruits, he orders to be restored to her, Kg2 8:3-6. Elisha comes to Damascus, and finds Ben-hadad sick; who sends his servant Hazael to the prophet to inquire whether he shall recover, Kg2 8:7-9. Elisha predicts his death, tells Hazael that he shall be king, and shows him the atrocities he will commit, Kg2 8:10-14. Hazael returns, stifles his master with a wet cloth, and reigns in his stead, Kg2 8:15. Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, becomes king over Judah; his bad reign, Kg2 8:16-19. Edom and Libnah revolt, Kg2 8:20-22. Jehoram dies, and his son Ahaziah reigns in his stead, Kg2 8:23, Kg2 8:24. His bad reign, Kg2 8:25-27. He joins with Joram, son of Ahab, against Hazael; Joram is wounded by the Syrians, and goes to Jezreel to be healed, Kg2 8:28, Kg2 8:29.

THE SHUNAMMITE'S LAND RESTORED. (Kg2 8:1-6) Then spake Elisha unto the woman--rather "had spoken." The repetition of Elisha's direction to the Shunammite is merely given as an introduction to the following narrative; and it probably took place before the events recorded in chapters 5 and 6. the Lord hath called for a famine--All such calamities are chastisements inflicted by the hand of God; and this famine was to be of double duration to that one which happened in the time of Elijah (Jam 5:17) --a just increase of severity, since the Israelites still continued obdurate and incorrigible under the ministry and miracles of Elisha (Lev 26:21, Lev 26:24, Lev 26:28).

Elisha's Influence Helps the Shunammite to the Possession of her House and Field. - Kg2 8:1, Kg2 8:2. By the advice of Elisha, the woman whose son the prophet had restored to life (Kg2 4:33) had gone with her family into the land of the Philistines during a seven years' famine, and had remained there seven years. The two verses are rendered by most commentators in the pluperfect, and that with perfect correctness, for they are circumstantial clauses, and ותּקם is merely a continuation of דּבּר, the two together preparing the way for, and introducing the following event. The object is not to relate a prophecy of Elisha of the seven years' famine, but what afterwards occurred, namely, how king Joram was induced by the account of Elisha's miraculous works to have the property of the Shunammite restored to her upon her application. The seven years' famine occurred in the middle of Joram's reign, and the event related here took place before the curing of Naaman the Syrian (2 Kings 5), as is evident from the fact that Gehazi talked with the king (Kg2 8:4), and therefore had not yet been punished with leprosy. But it cannot have originally stood between Kg2 4:37 and Kg2 4:38, as Thenius supposes, because the incidents related in Kg2 4:38-44 belong to the time of this famine (cf. Kg2 4:38), and therefore precede the occurrence mentioned here. By the words, "the Lord called the famine, and it came seven years" (sc., lasting that time), the famine is described as a divine judgment for the idolatry of the nation.

Nevertheless the divine chastisement was not omitted. The ungodliness of Joram was punished partly by the revolt of the Edomites and of the city of Libnah from his rule, and partly by a horrible sickness of which he died (Ch2 21:12-15). Edom, which had hitherto had only a vicegerent with the title of king (see Kg2 3:9 and Kg1 22:48), threw off the authority of Judah, and appointed its own king, under whom it acquired independence, as the attempt of Joram to bring it back again under his control completely failed. The account of this attempt in Kg2 8:21 and Ch2 21:9 is very obscure. "Joram went over to Zair, and all his chariots of war with him; and it came to pass that he rose up by night and smote the Edomites round about, and indeed the captains of the war-chariots, and the people fled (i.e., the Judaean men of war, not the Edomites) to their tents." It is evident from this, that Joram had advanced to Zair in Idumaea; but there he appears to have been surrounded and shut in, so that in the night he fought his way through, and had reason to be glad that he had escaped utter destruction, since his army fled to their homes. צעירה is an unknown place in Idumaea, which Movers, Hitzig, and Ewald take to be Zoar, but without considering that Zoar was in the land of Moab, not in Edom. The Chronicles have instead שׂריו עם, "with his captains," from a mere conjecture; whilst Thenius regards צעירה as altered by mistake from שׂעירה ("to Seir"), which is very improbable in the case of so well-known a name as שׂעיר. הסּביב is a later mode of writing for הסּובב, probably occasioned by the frequently occurring word סביב. "To this day," i.e., to the time when the original sources of our books were composed. For the Edomites were subjugated again by Amaziah and Uzziah (Kg2 14:7 and Kg2 14:22), though under Ahaz they made incursions into Judah again (Ch2 28:17). - At that time Libnah also revolted. This was a royal city of the early Canaanites, and at a later period it was still a considerable fortress (Kg2 19:8). It is probably to be sought for in the ruins of Arak el Menshiyeh, two hours to the west of Beit-Jibrin (see the Comm. on Jos 10:29). This city probably revolted from Judah on the occurrence of an invasion of the land by the Philistines, when the sons of Joram were carried off, with the exception of the youngest, Jehoahaz (Ahaziah: Ch2 21:16-17).