2 Kings Chapter 8

At a Glance

  • In 2 Kings 8 we move between promise and consequence, weaving together personal restoration, famine’s severity, and divine providence shaping a wider political horizon.
  • The narrative then pivots to international affairs: Elisha travels to Damascus, where Ben-Hadad lies sick.
  • Historically, this chapter threads together Shunammite crisis, royal edicts, and prophetic revelation.
  • Historical & Literary Context.
  • 2 Kings was composed in the prophetic-historical tradition, likely during the post-exilic period or late 7th century BCE, though it draws on earlier events and royal annals.

2 KINGS CHAPTER 8

Chapter Overview

In 2 Kings 8 we move between promise and consequence, weaving together personal restoration, famine’s severity, and divine providence shaping a wider political horizon. The chapter begins with the prophetic blessing tied to a single family: Elisha instructs the Shunammite woman to flee seven years into exile from famine, promising that her and her household will dwell wherever they can. Her obedience yields a remarkable reversal—upon her return after seven years she not only reclaims her home but confronts a king who is intrigued by the “great things” Elisha has done. Gehazi, the prophet’s servant, testifies to the miraculous life-restoration: the woman and her son stand as living witnesses to the power of God working through Elisha. The king, moved by this testimony, authorizes the restoration of her land and possessions, highlighting how God’s acts through prophets intersect with social justice and rightful restoration.

The narrative then pivots to international affairs: Elisha travels to Damascus, where Ben-Hadad lies sick. A drama of revelation unfolds—God shows Elisha that Ben-Hadad will recover, yet the prophet also reveals that the king will die. The encounter with Hazael, the king’s envoy, introduces a grim prophecy about future tyranny—echoes of God’s sovereignty over Israel’s fate even in the raising up of Syrian rulers. The chapter ends with the fulfillment of a divine word against Ben-Hadad’s house, coupled with the subsequent rise of Hazael as Syria’s king, and the broader implication that God’s purposes often unfold through political upheaval.

Historically, this chapter threads together Shunammite crisis, royal edicts, and prophetic revelation. It shows how personal mercy and national destiny are braided in the prophetic word. The chapter invites readers to see that obedience to God’s messenger can restore what famine and injustice threaten, while God’s sovereignty can recalibrate nations through the unlikely instruments of kings and courtiers.

Historical & Literary Context

2 Kings was composed in the prophetic-historical tradition, likely during the post-exilic period or late 7th century BCE, though it draws on earlier events and royal annals. This chapter sits within the Deuteronomistic history’s broader arc, continuing the pattern of divine judgment and mercy tied to covenant faithfulness. The genre blends narrative history with prophetic speech, using Elisha as a central figure who mediates God’s justice and mercy.

In 2 Kings 8, the structure alternates between personal miracle stories (the Shunammite’s restoration, famine) and political-military intrigue (Syria, Ben-Hadad, Hazael). This juxtaposition is characteristic of the book’s aim: to illustrate that the God of Israel is actively at work in both intimate human lives and the wider geopolitical arena. The seven-year exile motif echoes the theme of exile and restoration that reverberates throughout Kings, underscoring that God’s redemptive purposes unfold across time and circumstance, not merely within the borders of a single nation or family.

Key Themes

- God’s providence in daily life: The famine decree and the Shunammite woman’s seven-year exile show that divine plans affect ordinary people in concrete ways, including economic loss and eventual restoration.

- Restoration and justice: The king’s restoration of land and possessions to the woman emphasizes God’s concern for righting wrongs and preserving the vulnerable through secular authority.

- Prophetic authority and credibility: Gehazi’s testimony to the king demonstrates how prophetic deeds validate the messenger and reveal God’s workings beyond a single miracle.

- Sovereignty in human politics: God directs the fates of kings and kingdoms through revelation, showing that political events are under divine oversight even when they seem distant from Israel.

Modern Application

This chapter invites readers to trust God in times of scarcity and to recognize that obedience to God’s messengers can yield tangible restoration. When famine threatens livelihood, stepping out in faith—like the Shunammite woman—may lead to unexpected opportunity and protection. It also challenges contemporary readers to advocate for those who have lost land, resources, or livelihoods, understanding that justice—though sometimes mediated through secular authorities—reflects God’s character.

The presence of Gehazi in dialogue with the king models how faithful storytelling about God’s deeds can influence leadership decisions. Communities today can cultivate spaces where testimonies of God’s provision are shared with those in power, prompting mercy and corrective action. Finally, the prophetic element—God’s clear knowledge of Ben-Hadad’s fate and the dawning of Hazael’s kingship—reminds believers that life unfolds under God’s sovereign plan, even when it involves unsettling change. Trust in God’s timing, and seek discernment to respond faithfully when political waters shift.

- 2 Kings 4 (Elisha’s miracle stories and Shunammite hospitality)

- 2 Kings 6-7 (God’s provision and the expansion of mercy beyond Israel)

- 2 Kings 8:1-6 (the Shunammite’s restoration and the king’s due justice)

- Isaiah 50-55 (themes of famine, deliverance, and God’s providence in difficult times)

- Elisha (to illuminate prophetic authority and compassionate action)

- Gehazi (to consider the credibility and limits of testimony)

- Ahab/Jezebel era kings (to discuss political sovereignty and divine judgment)

Chapter Text

1

Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

2

And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

3

And it came to pass at the seven years’ end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.

4

And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.

5

And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.

6

And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

7

And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.

8

And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

9

So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

10

And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.

11

And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.

12

And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.

13

And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

14

So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.

15

And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.

16

And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Je hoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.

17

Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

18

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

19

Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant’s sake, as he promised him to give him alway a light, and to his children.

20

In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

21

So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.

22

Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.

23

And 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

And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

25

In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.

26

Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.

27

And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son in law of the house of Ahab.

28

And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramothgilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.

29

And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

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