8:1 dwell as an alien wherever you can People often migrated in times of famine to escape hunger (see Gen 12:10; 26:1; Ruth 1:1).

8:2 the land of the Philistines Philistia was on the southern part of Israel’s Mediterranean coast. The woman’s sojourn into Philistine territory suggests that the famine was not widespread.

Philistines

8:3 appeal to the king for her household and for her properties The circumstances of the woman’s loss are unclear, but apparently another party had claimed her land while she was gone. The Shunammite’s direct appeal to the king and the absence of a third party in the narrative suggest that the royal government had seized the property. See note on 2 Kings 6:26.

8:4 Gehazi Elisha’s servant, whom he struck with leprosy in 5:27.

the man of God Refers to Elisha. Compare note on 1:9.

8:5 this is the woman The woman’s case is settled favorably because Gehazi happened to be telling the king how Elisha restored her son to life at the moment she comes to appeal.

8:7 to Damascus The capital city of Aram (Syria).

Ben-Hadad king of Aram See note on 6:24.

8:8 Take a gift in your hand Taking a gift to a prophet when seeking advice or intercession was common practice (e.g., 1 Sam 9:7; 1 Kgs 14:3).

8:9 a load on each of forty An amount worthy of royalty and likely intended to overwhelm the accommodations wherever the prophet was lodging. This description is likely an exaggeration, especially in comparison to the modest gift of bread, cake, and honey that Jeroboam’s wife offers Ahijah in 1 Kgs 14:3.

Your son Through his messenger (Hazael), Ben-hadad addresses Elisha as a son would address his father, showing great respect for the prophet.

8:12 You will set their fortifications on fire Elisha’s poetic description of Hazael’s later attack is similar to that found in the book of Amos (Amos 1:3–4, 13). For the account of Hazael’s attack, see 2 Kgs 10:32; 13:7.

8:13 your servant, who is like a dog Dogs were despised and viewed as scavengers in the ancient Near East (Exod 22:31). Referring to someone as a dog was a harsh insult (1 Sam 17:43; 24:14).

great thing The Hebrew term used here conveys the sense of “exceptional” or “extraordinary” (see Deut 4:32; 1 Sam 12:16).

8:15 bed cover The meaning of the Hebrew word here is uncertain, but it may refer to meshed, netted work (see Exod 27:4; 38:4; 1 Sam 19:13, 16).

he died It seems that Hazael murders Ben-hadad by suffocating him (compare note on 2 Kings 8:10).

8:16 son of Jehoshaphat became the king of Judah The chronological information given here seems to conflict with earlier statements, suggesting a period of coregency might be involved. See note on 1:17.

8:17 Jerusalem Capital city of the kingdom of Judah.

8:18 as the house of Ahab had done Just as David was the standard for uprightness (see 1 Kgs 9:4 and note), Ahab serves as the standard for evil behavior (2 Kgs 21:3).

the daughter of Ahab became his wife Portrays Jehoram, king of Judah, as another ruler who does evil under the influence of a foreign wife (along with Solomon in 1 Kgs 11:1–10 and Ahab in 1 Kgs 16:31).

8:19 as he had promised to give him a lamp Refers to Yahweh’s promise to Solomon to preserve one tribe for his son to rule (1 Kgs 11:11–13). Here and elsewhere in 1–2 Kings and 1–2 Chronicles, references to this promise use the Hebrew word nir, which denotes a lamp and can signify life and hope (1 Kgs 11:36; 15:4; 2 Chr 21:7; compare 2 Sam 21:17).

8:20 they set up a king Edom had been without a king for an undetermined amount of time. It had been suppressed by Judah, who had set up a deputy to rule there (1 Kgs 22:47).

8:22 Libnah A Levitical city in the hill country of Judah (Josh 21:13). Libnah is later attacked during the Assyrian king Sennacherib’s campaign against Judah (2 Kgs 19:8). Josiah’s wife, Hamutal, comes from this town (23:31; 24:18).

8:23 the events of the days of the kings of Judah See note on 1:18.

8:24 slept with his ancestors This idiom means to die peacefully. Sometimes it refers specifically to burial in a family plot (e.g., Gen 47:29–30).

8:25 Ahaziah This king of Judah, who reigned ca. 841–840 bc, shares the same name as an earlier king of Israel (who reigned ca. 853–852 bc; 1 Kgs 22:51–2 Kgs 1:18).

Joram Although the two kings are sometimes called by the same name, this king of Israel is distinct from the king of Judah, Jehoram, also mentioned in this verse. See note on 2 Kings 8:21–24.

8:26 Athaliah The daughter of Ahab whom Jehoram, king of Judah, married (see v. 18 and note). The Hebrew text here and in 2 Chr 22:2 literally refers to Athaliah as the daughter of Omri, but this seems to be a reference to her being Omri’s descendent (his granddaughter). Athaliah is described in 2 Chr 22:3 as the counselor to Ahaziah in acting wickedly.

Omri, king of Israel Omri is one of the few people from the Bible whose name appears in extrabiblical sources. The Mesha Stele (or “Moabite Stone”) narrates a period of conflict between Mesha, king of Moab, and “Omri, king of Israel” (see note on 2 Kgs 3:1–27). See 1 Kgs 16:21–28.

8:27 as the house of Ahab See 2 Kgs 8:18 and note.

the son-in-law of the house of Ahab This seems to be a reference to the marriage of Ahaziah’s parents, Jehoram and Athaliah, not a reference to Ahaziah marrying someone related to Ahab (compare note on v. 18). King Ahaziah of Judah was negatively influenced by his relatives, who were from Ahab of Israel’s family.

8:28 Joram the son of Ahab The king of Israel, who is related to Ahaziah. Ahab is both Joram’s father and the father of Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother (compare note on v. 18).

Hazael king of Aram See vv. 7–15.

Ramoth-Gilead A city on the border of Israel and Syria where Ahab, king of Israel, met his downfall during a clash with the Syrian army (1 Kgs 22).

8:29 Joram Although sometimes called by the same name in the Hebrew text, this king of Judah and the king of Israel, Joram, are two distinct people. Compare note on 2 Kings 8:25.

Jezreel Israelite city in a fertile valley with the same name. Starting with Ahab, Jezreel was the location of the Israelite king’s winter residence (1 Kgs 21:1).