Ch. 8 has three basic components. First, for unknown reasons God decides there will be a 7 year famine in Israel. We don't learn anything about this -- whether the people boil their children this time is not specified. All we know is that Elisha warns the woman whose son he resurrected, so she goes and lives with the Philistines until the famine is over. Then she wants her land back, so the king asks Elisha's servant what's so great about Elisha, the guy tells the resurrection story, and the king gives the woman her land back. That's it.
Then Elisha goes to Syria and King Ben-Ha'dad, who is sick, sends an envoy, who is evidently the heir apparent (with 40 camel loads of gifts, BTW) to ask Elisha is he'll recover. Elisha tells Haz'ael to say he will, but it's a lie, and Elisha is also bummed out because he knows Haz'ael will make war on Israel, although apparently he can't do anything about it. So Haz'ael goes back, tells Ben Ha'dad he'll recover, then suffocates him and becomes king.
Finally, there is succession in Judah. It appears that Judah somehow ends up with two kings at once, but whatever. There are a couple of rebellions against Judah but we don't get any details. Then king Joram dies and we get king Ahaziah, and he goes to war against Haz'ael in alliance with what must be a different Joram who is apparently king of Israel, who is wounded in battle and there it ends.
Now Eli′sha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose, and did according to the word of the man of God; she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went forth to appeal to the king for her house and her land. 4 Now the king was talking with Geha′zi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Eli′sha has done.” 5 And while he was telling the king how Eli′sha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Geha′zi said, “My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Eli′sha restored to life.” 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now.”
Death of Ben-hadad
7 Now Eli′sha came to Damascus. Ben-ha′dad the king of Syria was sick; and when it was told him, “The man of God has come here,” 8 the king said to Haz′ael, “Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord through him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?’” 9 So Haz′ael went to meet him, and took a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camel loads. When he came and stood before him, he said, “Your son Ben-ha′dad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?’” 10 And Eli′sha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover’; but the Lord has shown me that he shall certainly die.” 11 And he fixed his gaze and stared at him, until he was ashamed. And the man of God wept. 12 And Haz′ael said, “Why does my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel; you will set on fire their fortresses, and you will slay their young men with the sword, and dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their women with child.” 13 And Haz′ael said, “What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” Eli′sha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you are to be king over Syria.” 14 Then he departed from Eli′sha, and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Eli′sha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me that you would certainly recover.” 15 But on the morrow he took the coverlet and dipped it in water and spread it over his face, till he died. And Haz′ael became king in his stead.
Jehoram Reigns over Judah
16 In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel,[a] Jeho′ram the son of Jehosh′aphat, king of Judah, began to reign. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 19 Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons for ever.
20 In his days Edom revolted from the rule of Judah, and set up a king of their own. 21 Then Joram passed over to Za′ir with all his chariots, and rose by night, and he and his chariot commanders smote the E′domites who had surrounded him; but his army fled home. 22 So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. 23 Now the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 24 So Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahazi′ah his son reigned in his stead.
Ahaziah Reigns over Judah
25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahazi′ah the son of Jeho′ram, king of Judah, began to reign. 26 Ahazi′ah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athali′ah; she was a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. 27 He also walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was son-in-law to the house of Ahab.
28 He went with Joram the son of Ahab to make war against Haz′ael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead, where the Syrians wounded Joram. 29 And King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Haz′ael king of Syria. And Ahazi′ah the son of Jeho′ram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 8:16 Gk Syr: Heb Israel, Jehoshaphat being king of Judah
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