2 Re 8:18 Commento

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 he walked in the way of the king's of Israel, as did the house of Ahab,.... Imitated them in idolatry: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; whose name was Athaliah, Kg2 8:26, and by her he was drawn into idolatrous practices; of such bad consequence are marriages with idolaters; it is very much that so good a king as Jehoshaphat his father was should contract such an affinity; he suffered for it in more instances than one: and he did evil in the sight of the Lord; was guilty of idolatry, than which nothing was more displeasing to the Lord; for he made high places, and compelled his subjects to commit idolatry, Ch2 21:11.

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 daughter of Ahab was his wife - This was the infamous Athaliah; and through this marriage Jehoshaphat and Ahab were confederates; and this friendship was continued after Ahab's death.

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).

daughter of Ahab--Athaliah, through whose influence Jehoram introduced the worship of Baal and many other evils into the kingdom of Judah (see 2Ch. 21:2-20). This apostasy would have led to the total extinction of the royal family in that kingdom, had it not been for the divine promise to David (Sa2 7:16). A national chastisement, however, was inflicted on Judah by the revolt of Edom, which, being hitherto governed by a tributary ruler (Kg2 3:9; Kg1 22:47), erected the standard of independence (Ch2 21:9).

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.

Joram had married a daughter of Ahab, namely Athaliah (Kg2 8:26), and walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, transplanting the worship of Baal into his kingdom. Immediately after the death of Jehoshaphat he murdered his brothers, apparently with no other object than to obtain possession of the treasures which his father had left them (Ch2 21:2-4). This wickedness of Joram would have been followed by the destruction of Judah, had not the Lord preserved a shoot to the royal house for David's sake. For ניר לו לתת see Kg1 11:36. The following word לבניו serves as an explanation of ניר לו, "a light with regard to his sons," i.e., by the fact that he kept sons (descendants) upon the throne.