Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Take a present in thine hand - But what an immense present was this-forty camels' burden of every good thing of Damascus! The prophet would need to have a very large establishment at Damascus to dispose of so much property.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Hazael was no doubt a high officer of the court. The names of Hazael and Benhadad occur in the Assyrian inscription on the Black Obelisk now in the British Museum. Both are mentioned as kings of Damascus, who contended with a certain Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, and suffered defeat at his hands. In one of the battles between this king and Benhadad, “Allah of Jezreel” is mentioned among the allies of the latter. This same Shalmaneser took tribute from Jehu. This is the point at which the Assyrian records first come in direct contact with those of the Jews.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And the king said to Hazael,.... The captain general of his army:

take a present in thine hand, and go and meet the man of God, who, perhaps, was not as yet come into the city, only into the region of Damascus: or rather "with thee"; so the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions; and which Noldius^F6Ebr. Concord. Part. p. 189. No. 362. approves of, since a burden of forty camels, 2 Kings 8:9 could not be carried in the hand:

and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, shall I recover of this disease? he did not desire him to pray the Lord that he might recover, only was curious to know whether he should or not, see 2 Kings 1:2.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

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?

Enquire of the Lord, … — In his health he bowed down in the house of Rimmon; but now he tends to enquire of the God of Israel. Among other instances of the change of mens minds by affliction or sickness, this is one; that it often gives them other thoughts of God's ministers, and teacheth them to value those whom they before hated and despised.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Kings 8:8 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?

Ver. 8. Take a present.] For so he thought to purchase the prophet’s favour, as they were wont to do their soothsayers’ and sorcerers’.

Shall I recover of this disease?] Shall I have thy prayers that I may? He could tell what this prophet had once done for Naaman, [2 Kings 5:14] and therefore thus seeks to him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Take a present in thine hand; by which he thought to purchase his favour, and the healing of his disease.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

8.Inquire of the Lord by him — It is noticeable that this heathen king sends in his sickness to inquire, not of his own gods, but of the prophet of Jehovah. This was doubtless owing to his knowledge of what Elisha had done for Naaman, the captain of his host. In the days of his health and prosperity he had not heeded the lesson of Naaman’s cure, but in the hour of sickness he consults the same wonderful physician.

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

2 Kings 8:8. The king said, Go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord, &c. — In his health he bowed down in the house of Rimmon, but now he sends to inquire of the God of Israel. It is not long since he sent a great force to seize and treat Elisha as an enemy; yet now he courts and inquires of him as a prophet: thus affliction brings those to God, who, in their prosperity, made light of him: it opens men’s eyes, and rectifies their mistakes: and among other instances of the change it produces in their minds, this is one, and not the least considerable, that it often gives them other thoughts of God’s ministers, and teaches them to value those whom they before hated and despised. Affliction, however, has not this good effect upon all: it only blinds and hardens some. We lately saw even a king of Israel sending, in his sickness, to inquire of the god of Ekron, as if there had been no God in Israel. How does the conduct of this heathen, in similar circumstances, reprove and condemn the idolatrous and incorrigible Israelite! Thus does God sometimes fetch that honour to himself from strangers, which is denied him, and alienated from him, by his own professing people.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Hazael. One of Ben-hadad"s servants.

present. It does not say that Elisha accepted it.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

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

The king said unto Hazael ... It is an interesting confirmation of the sacred history, that the names of king Ben-hadad and his minister Hazael, as inscribed on the famous obelisk of Nimroud, were first deciphered by the late Dr. Hincks. On the arrival of the prophet being known, Ben-hadad, who was sick, sent to inquire the issue of his disease; and, according to the practice of the pagans in consulting their soothsayers, ordered a liberal present in remuneration of the service. The consultation of Elisha by the pagan king of Syria needs occasion no surprise; for it is probable, or rather certain, from the time of Naaman's cure (2 Kings 5:1-27), that the fame of the Hebrew prophet was diffused throughout that country. But besides, among the Shemitish nations in particular, there was, with all the diversity of gods, a general community of religious sentiment. The people of one region never hesitated to realize the prophets or priests of another.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) Hazael.—See Note on 2 Kings 8:15. In 1 Kings 19:15; 1 Kings 19:17 the name is written Hăzâh’êl; here it is spelt with an etymological allusion, Hăzâh’êl, i.e., “El hath seen” (foreseen). Hazael appears to have been the highest officer in Ben-hadad s court; Josephus says, “the trustiest of his domestics.”

Take a present in thine hand.—Comp. Numbers 22:7; 1 Samuel 9:7; 2 Kings 5:5; 1 Kings 14:3.

Go, meet the man of God.—Literally, go to meet him. This does not imply, as some have supposed, that Elisha was still on the road to Damascus, nor even that he happened to be at the time on his way to the palace, for how could Ben-hadad know that? What is meant is “Go to the place where the prophet is to be found; seek an interview with him.”

Enquire of the Lord by him.—A different construction is used in 2 Kings 1, 2.

By him.—Literally, from with him. (Comp. Note on 2 Kings 1:15.)

Shall I recover of this disease?—Comp. 2 Kings 1:2.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Hazael

1 Kings 19:15

Take

5:5; 1 Samuel 9:7; 1 Kings 14:3

enquire

1:2,6; 3:11-13; 1 Kings 14:1-4; Luke 13:23; Acts 16:30