2 Kings 8:4 Kommentar

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.

And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God,.... Elisha's servant, just at the same time the woman made her application to him; so that this was before he was dismissed from the service of the prophet, and consequently before the affair of Naaman's cure, and so before the siege of Samaria: saying, tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done; the miracles he wrought, as the dividing of the waters of Jordan, and healing those near Jericho; the affair of procuring water for the armies of the three kings in Edom he needed not to relate, since Jehoram was an eyewitness thereof; the next was the multiplying the widow's cruse of oil, when he in course came to those that were done for the Shunammite woman.

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 king talked with Gehazi - This is supposed to have happened before the cleansing of Naaman, for is it likely that the king would hold conversation with a leprous man; or that, knowing Gehazi had been dismissed with the highest disgrace from the prophet's service, he could hold any conversation with him concerning his late master, relative to whom he could not expect him to give either a true or impartial account? Some think that this conversation might have taken place after Gehazi became leprous; the king having an insatiable curiosity to know the private history of a man who had done such astonishing things: and from whom could he get this information, except from the prophet's own confidential servant? It agrees better with the chronology to consider what is here related as having taken place after the cure of Naaman. As to the circumstance of Gehazi's disease, he might overlook that, and converse with him, keeping at a reasonable distance, as nothing but actual contact could defile.

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).

the king talked with Gehazi--Ceremonial pollution being conveyed by contact alone, there was nothing to prevent a conference being held with this leper at a distance; and although he was excluded from the town of Samaria, this reported conversation may have taken place at the gate or in one of the royal gardens. The providence of God so ordained that King Jehoram had been led to inquire, with great interest, into the miraculous deeds of Elisha, and that the prophet's servant was in the act of relating the marvellous incident of the restoration of the Shunammite's son when she made her appearance to prefer her request. The king was pleased to grant it; and a state officer was charged to afford her every facility in the recovery of her family possession out of the hands of the occupier.

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.

And just at that time the king was asking Gehazi to relate to him the great things that Elisha had done; and among these he was giving an account of the restoration of the Shunammite's son to life.