וֶאֱלִישָׁע דִּבֶּר אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָה אֶת־בְּנָהּ לֵאמֹר קוּמִי וּלְכִי (אַתִּי) [אַתְּ] וּבֵיתֵךְ וְגוּרִי בַּאֲשֶׁר   8:1 תָּגוּרִי כִּי־קָרָא יְהוָה לָרָעָב וְגַם־בָּא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים׃

2Kin. 8:1   Now Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had brought to life saying, “Arise and go, you and your household, and sojourn wherever you may remain, for the Lord has called for a famine, and also it will come to the land seven years.”

Here we have an error reminiscent of the errors that abounded in 2Kin. Chapter 4.  The word in parentheses has an extraneous yad.  See my remarks on this at 2Kin. 4:16.  The corrected spelling appears in the brackets.

וַתָּקָם הָאִשָּׁה וַתַּעַשׂ כִּדְבַר אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וַתֵּלֶךְ הִיא וּבֵיתָהּ וַתָּגָר בְּאֶרֶץ־פְּלִשְׁתִּים שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים׃   8:2

2Kin. 8:2   So the woman had arisen and did according to the word of the man of God, as she went, she and her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

וַיְהִי מִקְצֵה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וַתָּשָׁב הָאִשָּׁה מֵאֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַתֵּצֵא לִצְעֹק אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־בֵּיתָהּ   8:3

 וְאֶל־שָׂדָהּ׃

2Kin. 8:3   And it was at the end of the seven years that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines and she went forth to cry to the king for her house and for her field.

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ מְדַבֵּר אֶל־גֵּחֲזִי נַעַר אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים לֵאמֹר סַפְּרָה־נָּא לִי אֵת כָּל־הַגְּדֹלוֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה   8:4

 אֱלִישָׁע׃

2Kin. 8:4   Now the king was talking to Gehazi, servant of the man of God, saying, “Now tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.”

This chapter (or at least this episode) may have taken place before Gehazi became leprous.  But it’s also possible  that the king was out in the open speaking to Gehazi and didn’t fear his contracting the disease.  I personally believe this is the less likely possibility, and this episode is probably out of chronological sequence.

וַיְהִי הוּא מְסַפֵּר לַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָה אֶת־הַמֵּת וְהִנֵּה הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָה אֶת־בְּנָהּ צֹעֶקֶת   8:5 אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל־בֵּיתָהּ וְעַל־שָׂדָהּ וַיֹּאמֶר גֵּחֲזִי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ זֹאת הָאִשָּׁה וְזֶה־בְּנָהּ אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָה אֱלִישָׁע׃

2Kin. 8:5   And it happened, he was telling to the king how he had restored the dead to life when behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life was to cry to the king for her house and for her field.  And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.

וַיִּשְׁאַל הַמֶּלֶךְ לָאִשָּׁה וַתְּסַפֶּר־לוֹ וַיִּתֶּן־לָהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ סָרִיס אֶחָד לֵאמֹר הָשֵׁיב אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָהּ וְאֵת   8:6 כָּל־תְּבוּאֹת הַשָּׂדֶה מִיּוֹם עָזְבָה אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְעַד־עָתָּה׃

2Kin. 8:6   When the king inquired of the woman, then she told him.  Then the king appointed one officer to her saying, “Restore all that was hers and all the produce of the land from the day she left the land and up to now.”

וַיָּבֹא אֱלִישָׁע דַּמֶּשֶׂק וּבֶן־הֲדַד מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם חֹלֶה וַיֻּגַּד־לוֹ לֵאמֹר בָּא אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים עַד־הֵנָּה׃   8:7

2Kin. 8:7   And Elisha came to Damascus when Ben-hadad, king of Aram, was sick, and it was reported to him saying, “The man of God has come as far as here.”

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־חֲזָהאֵל קַח בְּיָדְךָ מִנְחָה וְלֵךְ לִקְרַאת אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וְדָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת־יְהוָה מֵאוֹתוֹ   8:8 לֵאמֹר הַאֶחְיֶה מֵחֳלִי זֶה׃

2Kin. 8:8   And the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God and ask the Lord by him saying, “Shall I live from this illness?”

וַיֵּלֶךְ חֲזָאֵל לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיִּקַּח מִנְחָה בְיָדוֹ וְכָל־טוּב דַּמֶּשֶׂק מַשָּׂא אַרְבָּעִים גָּמָל וַיָּבֹא וַיַּעֲמֹד לְפָנָיו   8:9

  וַיֹּאמֶר בִּנְךָ בֶן־הֲדַד מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם שְׁלָחַנִי אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר הַאֶחְיֶה מֵחֳלִי זֶה׃

2Kin. 8:9   So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand and everything good of Damascus, a burden of forty camels, and he came and stood before him and said, “Your son, Ben-hadad, king of Aram, sent me to you saying, “Will I live from this illness?”

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֱלִישָׁע לֵךְ אֱמָר־ (לֹא) [לוֹ] חָיֹה תִחְיֶה וְהִרְאַנִי יְהוָה כִּי־מוֹת יָמוּת׃   8:10

2Kin. 8:10   And Elisha said to him, “Go say to him, ‘Surely you shall live.’  But the Lord has shown me that surely he shall die.”

The word in error in this verse in the parentheses is not the word that should be there.  It is the word for not and should be the word for to him.  The correction is in the brackets.

וַיַּעֲמֵד אֶת־פָּנָיו וַיָּשֶׂם עַד־בֹּשׁ וַיֵּבְךְּ אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים׃   8:11

2Kin. 8:11   And he held his gaze and continued until ashamed that the man of God wept.

The pronoun he must refer to Hazael, and Elisha must have started weeping.

וַיֹּאמֶר חֲזָאֵל מַדּוּעַ אֲדֹנִי בֹכֶה וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי־יָדַעְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רָעָה מִבְצְרֵיהֶם   8:12 תְּשַׁלַּח בָּאֵשׁ וּבַחֻרֵיהֶם בַּחֶרֶב תַּהֲרֹג וְעֹלְלֵיהֶם תְּרַטֵּשׁ וְהָרֹתֵיהֶם תְּבַקֵּעַ׃

2Kin. 8:12   Then said Hazael, “Why is my lord weeping?”  And he answered, “Because I know that you will do evil to the children of Israel.  ”You will set their strongholds on fire, and you will slay their young men with the sword, and you will dash their infants to pieces, and you will rip open their pregnant women.”

וַיֹּאמֶר חֲזָהאֵל כִּי מָה עַבְדְּךָ הַכֶּלֶב כִּי יַעֲשֶׂה הַדָּבָר הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלִישָׁע הִרְאַנִי יְהוָה אֹתְךָ   8:13 מֶלֶךְ עַל־אֲרָם׃

2Kin. 8:13   But Hazael said, “But what is your servant, who is a dog, that he could do this great thing?”  And Elisha said, “The Lord has shown me you reigning over Aram.”

וַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאֵת אֱלִישָׁע וַיָּבֹא אֶל־אֲדֹנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מָה־אָמַר לְךָ אֱלִישָׁע וַיֹּאמֶר אָמַר לִי חָיֹה תִחְיֶה׃   8:14

2Kin. 8:14   Then he went from Elisha, and he came to his master, and he said to him ”What did Elisha say to you?”  And he answered, “He said to me, ‘Surely you will live.’”

וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַיִּקַּח הַמַּכְבֵּר וַיִּטְבֹּל בַּמַּיִם וַיִּפְרֹשׂ עַל־פָּנָיו וַיָּמֹת וַיִּמְלֹךְ חֲזָהאֵל תַּחְתָּיו׃   8:15

2Kin. 8:15   And it was the next day when he took the covering and dipped in water and spread over his face that he died.  And Hazael reigned in his stead.

וּבִשְׁנַת חָמֵשׁ לְיוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מָלַךְ יְהוֹרָם בֶּן־יְהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ   8:16 יְהוּדָה׃

2Kin. 8:16   And in the fifth year for Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat had been king of Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, became king.

The name Joram son of Ahab appears to be a “contraction” of the name Jehoram.  So both kingdoms were ruled by two different Jehorams for a brief period.

בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה הָיָה בְמָלְכוֹ וּשְׁמֹנֶה (שָׁנָה) [שָׁנִים] מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃   8:17

2Kin. 8:17   He was thirty-two years of age at the beginning of his reign and he was king in Jerusalem eight years.                                                                                    [Return to 2Chr. 21:5]

There are two words translated as years in this verse.  The first is spelled correctly in the context, the second (in parentheses) is not.  It is written in singular form and should be plural.  The correct spelling appears in the brackets.

וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בֵּית אַחְאָב כִּי בַּת־אַחְאָב הָיְתָה־לּוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי   8:18 יְהוָה׃

2Kin. 8:18   And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel as they of the house of Ahab did, for the daughter of Ahab became for a wife to him, so he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.

Jehoram was married to Joram’s sister.                                                               [Return to 2Chr. 21:6]

וְלֹא־אָבָה יְהוָה לְהַשְׁחִית אֶת־יְהוּדָה לְמַעַן דָּוִד עַבְדּוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר־לוֹ לָתֵת לוֹ נִיר לְבָנָיו   8:19

 כָּל־הַיָּמִים׃

2Kin. 8:19   But the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah for the sake of David His servant, as He had promised him to give a lamp to him, to his children, all the days.

Apparently this was written before the destruction of the Temple.                [Return to 2Chr. 21:7]

בְּיָמָיו פָּשַׁע אֱדוֹם מִתַּחַת יַד־יְהוּדָה וַיַּמְלִכוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ׃   8:20

2Kin. 8:20   In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah and they made a king over themselves.                                                                                                          [Return to 2Chr. 21:8]

וַיַּעֲבֹר יוֹרָם צָעִירָה וְכָל־הָרֶכֶב עִמּוֹ וַיְהִי־הוּא קָם לַיְלָה וַיַּכֶּה אֶת־אֱדוֹם הַסֹּבֵיב אֵלָיו וְאֵת שָׂרֵי   8:21 הָרֶכֶב וַיָּנָס הָעָם לְאֹהָלָיו׃

2Kin. 8:21   Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all the chariots were with him.  And it happened, he rose at night and smote Edom who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots, and the people fled to its tents.

Apparently the scribe has confused Jehoram, king of Judah with Joram, king of Israel, his brother-in-law.  See v. 8:16 above.  He repeats the oversight in vss. 8:23 and 8:24 as well.

וַיִּפְשַׁע אֱדוֹם מִתַּחַת יַד־יְהוּדָה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אָז תִּפְשַׁע לִבְנָה בָּעֵת הַהִיא׃   8:22

2Kin. 8:22   And Edom has revolted from under the hand of Judah until this day.  Then Libnah revolted at that time.                                                                                          [Return to 2Chr. 21:9]

וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יוֹרָם וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הֲלוֹא־הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה׃   8:23

2Kin. 8:23   And the rest of the acts of Joram and all that he accomplished, are they not written on the scroll of the chronicles of the days of the kings of Judah?

וַיִּשְׁכַּב יוֹרָם עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקָּבֵר עִם־אֲבֹתָיו בְּעִיר דָּוִד וַיִּמְלֹךְ אֲחַזְיָהוּ בְנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו׃   8:24

2Kin. 8:24   And Joram slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David, and Ahaziah, his son, became king in his stead.

בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לְיוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל מָלַךְ אֲחַזְיָהוּ בֶן־יְהוֹרָם מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה׃   8:25

2Kin. 8:25   In the year of the twelfth year for Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram, king of Judah, became king.

בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה אֲחַזְיָהוּ בְמָלְכוֹ וְשָׁנָה אַחַת מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ עֲתַלְיָהוּ בַּת־עָמְרִי   8:26 מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

2Kin. 8:26   Ahaziah was twenty-two years of age at the beginning of his reign and he was king in Jerusalem one year.  And the name of his mother was Thaliah daughter of Omri, king of Israel.

                                                                                                                              [Return to 2Chr. 22:2]

וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ בֵּית אַחְאָב וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה כְּבֵית אַחְאָב כִּי חֲתַן בֵּית־אַחְאָב הוּא׃   8:27

2Kin. 8:27   And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶת־יוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב לַמִּלְחָמָה עִם־חֲזָהאֵל מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם בְּרָמֹת גִּלְעָד וַיַּכּוּ אֲרַמִּים אֶת־יוֹרָם׃   8:28

2Kin. 8:28   And he went with Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael, king of Aram, at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram.

וַיָּשָׁב יוֹרָם הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהִתְרַפֵּא בְיִזְרְעֶאל מִן־הַמַּכִּים אֲשֶׁר יַכֻּהוּ אֲרַמִּים בָּרָמָה בְּהִלָּחֲמוֹ אֶת־חֲזָהאֵל   8:29 מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם וַאֲחַזְיָהוּ בֶן־יְהוֹרָם מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה יָרַד לִרְאוֹת אֶת־יוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב בְּיִזְרְעֶאל כִּי־חֹלֶה הוּא׃

2Kin. 8:29   Then Joram, the king, returned to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds which the Arameans had given him at Ramah in his battle with Hazael, king of Aram.  And Ahaziah son of Jehoram, king of Judah, came down to see Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.

                                                                               [Return to 2Chr. 22:3]              [Return to 2Chr. 22:6]

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