2 Kings Chapters 7-8 Commentary

Second Kings Chapters 7-8 Chapter 7 7:1 While the Israelite king thought that all was hopeless (6:33), Elisha announced that within 24 hours, not only would the siege be over, but there would be plenty of food to eat at pre-siege prices. Seven quarts of flour would sell for a shekel, and 13-14 quarts of barley (for the cattle to eat), would sell at the same price. “Elisha was not predicting cut-rate groceries in 7:1 but relative relief, which would seem substantial when compared to the situation of 6:25. Simply the fact that there was barley instead of dove’s dung is a vast improvement” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 121). Remember that during the siege eighty shekels would buy only the head of a donkey.

7:2 The personal attendant of the king couldn’t believe this prediction. “With scoffing sarcasm he insisted that the prediction was utterly impossible. Even if the Lord were to make windows in the heaves, the pour down through them grain instead of rain, this prediction could not come to pass” (Smith p. 570). This officer and his attitude reminds me of people who won’t believe that God created in the universe in six days, brought a universal flood during the days of Noah, parted the Red Sea, or was able to keep His word from being corrupted.

God would punish this man for his skepticism. He would live to see the fulfillment of this prophecy, but he would not live to enjoy this divine deliverance. “Note how the Old Testament expects and demands faith (just like the New). But it’s crucial to note what sort of faith it demands. It requires that we believe what Yahweh has promised. We are not called to have some general faith that God will do unheard of, bizarre, or unlikely things…But if God promises deliverance, however wild it might seem, we are required to believe it” (Dale Ralph Davis pp. 121-122).

7:3-5 “One wonders at first glance what verse 3 has to do with anything read so far: ‘There are four men, lepers, outside the gate’. There they are, but we’ve no idea yet what connection they have with anything in our story” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 122). Lepers were confined to quarters outside the camp (Leviticus 13:46); “but

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these probably were forced by desperation to venture near the gate of the city, looking for a handout” (Winters p. 206). Having weighed their options: 1. Enter the city and die of starvation. 2. Surrender to the Syrians who were besieging the city, and hope for mercy. “They finally decided that their best option was to surrender to the Syrians, from whom they might get some food. If the Syrians killed them, they had lost nothing because they would die anyway” (Vos p. 157).

At dusk the four approached the Syrian camp and found it completely deserted.

7:6-7 The same God who caused one Syrian army to see things that weren’t there (2 Kings 6:18) now caused another Syrian army to hear things that weren’t there.

Does God have a sense of humor? Hearing the supernaturally generated noise of approaching armies the Syrians feared the worst. “Rumors swept through the camp. Had the Hittites in the north (modern Turkey) and the Egyptians in the south been enlisted by Israel to catch Ben-Hadad and his troops in a trap? The Syrian soldiers stampeded, leaving behind all their provisions in order to retreat more rapidly. They even left their horses and donkeys, believing there was not time to hitch them up” (Dilday pp. 326-327). “The wicked flee when no one pursues” (Proverbs 28:1); (Psalms 2:4).

7:8-9 The first response of all four men is absolute selfishness. At first these diseased men gorged themselves and hid the loot they gathered from the enemy tents, yet then they came to themselves (Luke 15:17). I am impressed with these men. They were lepers and could have easily convinced themselves that this was “pay-back time” and that their suffering and exclusion from the Israelite community justified such hoarding. They could have said to themselves, “Why should we help the people in Samaria, we have lived on their handouts long enough!” Yet even having leprosy had not made these men bitter or resentful.

“This is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent”: “But deliverance needs evangelists to proclaim it…They needed to tell” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 124).

These lepers had the news which could save an entire city. Today, we have the gospel message that can save the entire world! Are we keeping silent? “To have a great gift—wealth, education, freedom—and not share it is evil. Using such gifts only for selfish purposes without regard for the needs of others is a serious sin. Never is that more true than with the gift of salvation. Do we think that we are important enough that we are the ultimate end of God’s mercy?” (Dilday p.

328). As Christians we cannot simply keep our blessings to ourselves (Ephesians 1:3), we must want others to share in the happiness that we are enjoying.

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7:10-11 God uses ordinary people, in fact, here He uses people with some serious handicaps. Just because you consider yourself ordinary and inadequate doesn’t mean you are therefore excused from the responsibility of talking to others about the gospel. God doesn’t require that we be walking encyclopedias of theological knowledge, or champion debaters, or persuasive salesmen, He only expects us to be faithful conveyers of the message. “The discovery of God’s work is placed in the hands of the unclean and the unnamed. Surely we feel this text grabbing us by the lapels and pulling us down to kneel and praise. Here Yahweh uses neither the healthy nor the prominent” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 125). Again, God does not always use the most qualified, the most informed, the most worthy, or the most alert. For a moment consider how the modern survivalist movement is so contrary to Christian principles. On the one hand we have people hoarding food and other supplies (self-first), and getting away from other people, living in isolation. On the other hand the Bible teaches us to go into the world, share, give, and help others.

7:12-15 The Israelite king thought that the whole thing was a trap, intended to lure the Israelite army out into the open. The King does not even consider any other alternative. “Having heard Elisha’s prophecy the day before, he is not yet able to give Yahweh credit for a strange and miraculous departure. So one can have God’s miracle (6-7) and the report of good news via the lepers (10-11), but if no one goes out from the doomed city to see, to risk, all will be of no use” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 124). Fortunately, his servants had some common sense and said, “Let’s send out a reconnaissance patrol, if they get captured, no harm done, for they will eventually die anyway if they stay in the city”. This patrol not only found the Syrian camp empty, but the entire route of the Syrian retreat was littered with clothing and gear that the army had jettisoned in their headlong flight. This trail of supplies reached all the way to the Jordan River!

7:16-20 Both of Elisha’s predictions came to pass. Observe that when God predicts something He is often very specific. Two measures of barley sold for a shekel and a measure of fine flour sold for a shekel. The officer who had doubted the truthfulness of Elisha’s prophecy was trampled to death as he attempted to control the crowd which poured out of the city. “We may be sure, however, that in the midst of all the rush and confusion few, if any, took the trouble to thank Elisha or Elisha’s God for this miraculous intervention on their behalf (Psalms 78:29-32; 106:15)” (Whitcomb p. 81). “His death stands as a testimony to the truthfulness of God’s word through the prophet. It also reminds the book’s readers to believe God’s word, hope in God’s provision, and count on God’s deliverance” (House p. 281). It should also remind us that those 3

who doubt and question God and His word will receive nothing (James 1:6-8; Hebrews 12:25). “True, that word had contradicted all appearances and stood opposed to the most likely human projections. But it would prove true because Yahweh had spoken it” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 126).

Chapter 8 8:1 “When the woman from Shunem extended her generous hospitality to Elisha, she was making an investment that yielded a pretty good return! In 2 Kings 4:8-37 Elisha offered to secure royal favors for her, she miraculously bore a child in spite of her barrenness, and her son was raised from the dead. This passage tell us about two additional benefits that came to her because of her kindness to the prophet. First, Elisha warned her of an approaching famine and advised her to take prudent action. Second, when the famine was over, Gehazi told the King who she was, and the king restored the property she had abandoned when she fled the famine” (Dilday p. 330).

8:2-3 As with Isaac centuries before, this woman fled to Philistia (Genesis 26:1).

“It is difficult for those of us who have grown up in the midst of prosperity and plenty to imagine the serious consequences of a famine. In a country where our chief concern seems to be trying the latest fad diet to see if it will help us lose weight, it is hard to identify with the suffering of hunger” (Dilday p. 330). After seven years this woman returns only to find that her property had either been taken over by the crown or by a private party.

8:4-6 Consider the providential timing of these verses. As the woman is on her way to appeal to the king for the restoration of her property, it just so happens that the king had summoned the servant of Elisha, Gehazi, and wanted to hear all about the great things that Elisha had done. Just as Gehazi was telling the king about the time that Elisha had raised the Shunammite’s son from the dead— behold the actual mother appears! “The king was so overwhelmed by the sequence of events that he appointed an official to deal with the case, with the result that she got more than she had requested: the land and the revenues from it since she had fled” (Vos p. 159). “This is the woman, he tells the king. And this is the kid. He was dead as dirt—I know. This is the kid Elisha brought back to life!” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 131).

God’s providential workings are extremely powerful. God can create the best possible circumstances for someone to hear the gospel message (Philemon 10ff.

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God can also catch the wicked in their own schemes (like Haman, in the book of Esther). God will provide for His own people! This woman could have thought, “Great, this is what I get for obeying God—I return to Israel and I have lost everything!” We need to learn to trust God and stop panicking and often what looks like a problem can quickly turn into a great victory if we will just do the right thing. God was providentially priming the king for her request and God can providentially “prime” unbelievers for the gospel. “This act was in striking contrast to the notorious land-grabbing of Jehoram’s father, Ahab. The story provides another illustration of Elisha’s spirit. He was never too busy with international affairs to take time to think of an individual who needed help” (Dilday p. 331). More to the point, God is never too busy running the entire universe that He doesn’t have time for someone that the world feels is very unimportant. When you read so many accounts of famine and droughts in Canaan, it makes you wonder why God chose this place for His people.

Someone has noted that cultures in tropical climates, where people face very little struggle with their environment, seldom produce as many leaders as cultures where people often must struggle to survive. Ye let us remember, that Canaan was a land flowing with milk and honey, and yet could become a wasteland because of God’s judgment. The land didn’t fail the Israelites, rather, often such famines came because the people were failing God. There are several possible explanations for the appearance here of Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, who is evidently living in Samaria and engaging in relaxed and friendly conversation with the king of Israel. 1. Some think that this event took place before Naaman was healed of his leprosy and Gehazi cursed with it (chapter 5). 2. Others think that Gehazi was one of the lepers in chapter 7, and that this conversation took place in the open market near the city gate, where public and judicial matters were often settled.

Of course, all of this information makes the King very accountable. “How will he respond to this massive testimony of the grace of God? Clearly he’s interested in the stories, is apparently fascinated with the testimony, but remains unchanged.

So we have a king who was curious but not committed, attracted to Elisha’s works but not submissive to Elisha’s Lord; it was fascination not faith” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 132). Many are charmed by the truth but not converted by the truth (Luke 11:32).

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Elisha Predicts Syria’s New King 8:7-8 The events in this section are the fulfillment of 1 Kings 19:15. The longlived Ben-Hadad has fallen ill, he is now an old man and has ruled Syria for nearly forty years. Here we see that among the Syrian’s Elisha was highly respected at this time. Syria’s king seems aware that the Lord’s prophet is superior to any other prophetic competitors. “They knew he was the one who had foreseen their troop movements, blinded their army, delivered Samaria from their siege, and healed Naaman” (Dilday p. 333). While our enemies are healthy, they often resent us and our stand for the truth, yet I have found that when something really important is on the line, such enemies often turn to us for help.

8:9 “Hazael” (HAZ a el), was apparently one of Ben-Hadad’s officials. He had been sent to meet Elisha with a number of gifts. 8:10 The way to interpret this passage is that Ben-Hadad would have recovered from his illness, if Hazael hadn’t killed him. Elisha evidently knew that Hazael would murder his master though he did not tell him this. “Yes: if left to normal circumstances of healing, the king would recover; and no: Elisha, who was at that moment anointing Hazael as king, knew that this treacherous man would use the king’s illness to affect his coupd’etat” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 133).

8:11 “With a fixed gaze Elisha stared at Hazael perhaps hoping to embarrass him out of the deed. Hazael, secretly glad at the news of Ben-Hadad’s fate, could not help feeling ashamed because Elisha seemed to read his mind. God’s revelation to His prophet of what Hazael would do to Israel brought tears to Elisha’s eyes” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 553). “We see Yahweh’s attitude (Ezekiel 33:11) and Jesus’ attitude (Luke 19:41-44)…I think that the shower of fire and brimstone was wet with the tears of God as it fell, for God has ‘no pleasure in the death of him that dieth’” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 135).

8:12-13 Compare with 2 Kings 10:32; 13:3-7,22. Apparently, the humility of Hazael at this point isn’t sincere, for he will do all these things to the Israelites.

God will use him as a scourge in His land to punish Israel for their sins. It is interesting that people can so often claim that they would never do such and such a thing—and yet they almost immediately do that very thing. 8:14 Immediately Hazael starts on the wrong path. He only delivers half of the message and then he kills the king on the next day (15). It would appear that he suffocated the king so that it would look like he died from natural causes.

Hazael will rule from 841-801 B.C., during the reigns of Joram, Jehu, and Jehoahaz in Israel and Ahaziah, Athaliah, and Joash in Judah.

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Jehoram in Judah 8:16-19 Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat becomes king in Judah and will reign for eight years, which means that he died at the age of 40. The bad news is that he had married the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel and thus did evil in the sight of the Lord. “Marriage has such consequences” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 137). He will reign from 848-841 B.C. Unfortunately Jehoram’s godly father had less of an influence on him than his ungodly wife, yet because of God’s promise to David (2 Samuel 7), He did not cut off the Davidic dynasty or destroy the Judean nation. Since the writer has focused upon the events in the lives of Elijah and Elisha in the northern king, he now returns to what had been happening in Judah. This passage picks up where 1 Kings 22:50 ends. One wonder what Jehoshaphat was thinking in allowing his son to marry the daughter of Ahab, “long on piety and short on sense…But the contagion spread. Now the northern infidelity reigns in the southern kingdom---and apostasy never dies a natural death” (Dale Ralph Davis pp. 138,139).

8:20-21 Jehoram suffered important territorial losses. At the same time both Edom and Libnah (LIB nuh) revolted. Edom may have entertained ideas of revolt ever since Jehoram’s father Jehoshaphat had suffered defeat at the hands of the Moabites (2 Kings 3). Jehoram mustered his forces at Zair (ZAY ihr) a city northeast of Hebron near the Edomite border. What happened is not clear. The account in verse 21 suggests that a superior Edomite army surrounded Jehoram and his chariots. In a desperate counterattack during the night, Jehoram broke through the enemy lines and retreated back to Judah, leaving his infantry to disband in defeat. This account is also found in 2 Chronicles 21:8-9. The city of Libnah was located in the western foothills of the Shephelah (western foothills in Judah), and was a frontier town at the edge of the Philistine plain. The loss of these two dependencies weakened Judah’s control of important commercial routes.

8:22 When Second Kings was written, Edom was still in revolt. In addition, the Arabians and Philistines also revolted (2 Chronicles 17:11).

8:23 “Jehoram” is also called by the name “Joram”. In Second Chronicles we are told that this king contracted an incurable disease of the bowels and died (2 Chron. 21:15, 18-19). “He died of a terrible intestinal disease, ‘with no one to regret him’ (2 Chronciles 21:20)” (Vos p. 161).

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Ahaziah of Judah In this section of Scripture things can get kind of confusing as to names of various kings. Both Israel and Judah had kings named Jehoram (Joram), who reigned at the same time. In addition, both nations also had kings named Ahaziah. One ruled in the northern kingdom, the son of Ahab, who was dead by this time (2 Kings chapter 1). This Ahaziah ruled in Judah and followed Jehoram king of Judah.

8:24-26 Ahaziah’s mother was Athaliah the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Since Jehoram was forty years old when he died, his son Ahaziah must have been born when he was only twelve years old. He was actually the youngest son and all of his other brothers had been killed (2 Chron. 22:1). We also learn that Athaliah encouraged him to do what was wrong (2 Chron. 22:3).

8:27-28 He agreed to accompany his uncle, the other Jehoram, king of Israel, in a joint military campaign against the Syrians at the city of Ramoth Gilead.

Ironically this was the same disputed city where, Ahab, Ahaziah’s grandfather, had been mortally wounded. Evidently, Athaliah saw to it that her son not only supported Baal worship but also supported the political policies of the northern kingdom. Remember, at this time Jezebel (her mother) is still alive. Thus, mother and daughter are presently ruling Israel and Judah. Joram was wounded in battle and returned to his palace in Jezreel. Later, King Ahaziah traveled to visit his recuperating ally, and while he was there, he and Jehoram will be killed

by Jehu (2 Kings 9:14ff). Thus the story of Ahab’s dynasty will end in Jezreel, in the very place where Ahab appropriated Naboth’s vineyard, the very act that set in motion the events that culminated in the destruction of his apostate family.

Closing Point: “Ahab, through the influence and evangelical zeal of Queen Jezebel, had decimated the prophets of Jehovah and turned Israel to the abominations of Baal.

Jezebel’s daughter appears equally energetic in corrupting Judah—and, like Ahab, her husband became another willing puppet. Jehoshaphat’s alliance with the wicked Ahab was proving far-reaching in its consequences. One does not dabble in immoral and false practices without infecting generations yet unborn” (Winters pp. 212-213).

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This chapter ends with Joram on leave in Jezreel and Ahaziah visiting him.

“Little did they know what was planned for them. From their comfy surroundings in Jezreel they will walk right into the judgment of God. Maybe you need to read on into 2 Kings 9 to appreciate this moment at the end of chapter 8. The stage is set. The characters are in place. Judgment is ready. All that’s needed is a little anointing oil” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 143).

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