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. read more
Thou mayest certainly recover : howbeit the Lord hath showed me that he shall surely die - That is, God has not determined thy death, nor will it be a necessary consequence of the disease by which thou art now afflicted; but this wicked man will abuse the power and trust thou hast reposed in him, and take away thy life. Even when God has not designed nor appointed the death of a person, he may nevertheless die, though not without the permission of God. This is a... read more
He settled his countenance steadfastly - Of whom does the author speak? Of Hazael, or of Elisha? Several apply this action to the prophet: he had a murderer before him and he saw the bloody acts he was about to commit, and was greatly distressed; but he endeavored to conceal his feelings: at last his face reddened with anguish, his feelings overcame him, and he burst out and wept. The Septuagint, as it stands in the Complutensian and Antwerp Polyglots, makes the text very plain: ... read more
I know the evil that thou wilt do - We may see something of the accomplishment of this prediction, 2 Kings 10:32 , 2 Kings 10:33 ; 2 Kings 13:3 , 2 Kings 13:7 . read more
But what , is thy servant a dog , that he should do this great things - I believe this verse to be wrongly interpreted by the general run of commentators. It is generally understood that Hazael was struck with horror at the prediction; that these cruelties were most alien from his mind; that he then felt distressed and offended at the imputation of such evils to him; and yet, so little did he know his own heart, that when he got power, and had opportunity, he did... read more
A thick cloth - The versions, in general, understand this of a hairy or woollen cloth. So that he died - He was smothered, or suffocated. read more
Elisha is still the protagonistes of the historical drama. The writer brings together in the present section two more occasions of a public character in which he was concerned, and in which kings also bore a part. One of the occasions is domestic, and shows the interest which Jehoram took in the miracles of the prophet, and in those who were the objects of them ( 2 Kings 8:1-6 ). The other belongs to Syrian, rather than to Israelite, history, and proves that the influence of Elisha was not... read more
THE SEQUEL OF THE STORY OF THE SHUNAMMITE . THE KILLING OF BENHADAD BY HAZAEL ; AND THE WICKED REIGNS OF JEHORAM AND AHAZIAH IN JUDAH . read more
And Elisha came to Damascus. It was a bold step, whatever the circumstances that led to it. Not very long previously the Syrian king had made extraordinary efforts to capture Elisha, intending either to kin him or to keep him confined as a prisoner ( 2 Kings 6:18-19 ). Elisha had subsequently helped to baffle his plans of conquest, and might be thought to have caused the disgraceful retreat of the Syrian army from the walls of Samaria, which he had certainly prophesied ( 2 Kings 7:1 ).... read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 8:7
Elisha came to Damascus - That he might lead Gehazi to repentance; according to Jarchi and some others. read more