Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 8:11
And he settled his countenance steadfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.
11. And he settled his countenance stedfastly ] The R.V. adds ‘upon him’ in italics. This no doubt is the sense. Elisha fixed a stedfast gaze on the messenger. ‘The seer of God descries more in Hazael than he could see in himself: he fixes his eyes therefore stedfastly in the Syrian’s face, as one that in those lines read the bloody story of his life. Hazael blushes, Elisha weeps. The intention (i.e. the stedfast gaze) of those eyes did not so much amaze Hazael as the tears. As yet he was not guilty to himself of any wrong that might strain out this juice of sorrow’ (Bp Hall).
until he was ashamed ] i.e. until Hazael blushed with embarrassment at the searching look.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
That is, And he (Elisha) settled his conntenance, and set it (toward Hazael), until he (Hazael) was ashamed. Elisha fixed on Hazael a long and meaning look, until the latters eyes fell before his, and his cheek flushed. Elisha, it would seem, had detected the guilty thought that was in Hazaels heart, and Hazael perceived that he had detected it. Hence the shame.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. 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 endeavoured 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: , , , And Hazael stood before his face, and he presented before him gifts till he was ashamed; and the man of God wept.
The Codex Vaticanus, and the Codex Alexandrinus, are nearly as the Hebrew. The Aldine edition agrees in some respects with the Complutensian; but all the versions follow the Hebrew.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He settled his countenance stedfastly; the prophet fixed his eyes upon Hazael.
Until he was ashamed; either till the prophet was ashamed to look any longer upon him; or till Hazael was ashamed, as apprehending that the prophet suspected or discerned something extraordinary and of an evil and shameful nature in him. The Hebrew words are ambiguous, and may indifferently be referred to either of them; but they seem more properly to belong to Hazael, because it follows, by way of distinction, the man of God wept.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. he settled his countenancestedfastly until he was ashamedthat is, Hazael. The steadfast,penetrating look of the prophet seemed to have convinced Hazael thathis secret designs were known. The deep emotions of Elisha werejustified by the horrible atrocities which, too common in ancientwarfare, that successful usurper committed in Israel (2Ki 10:32;2Ki 13:3; 2Ki 13:4;2Ki 13:22).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he settled his countenance steadfastly,…. Refrained himself as much as possible, that he might not weep, as some Jewish writers interpret it; or, as others, he turned his face on one side, and covered it with his hands, that Hazael might not see him weep; or rather he set his face on Hazael, and looked at him so wistly:
until he was ashamed; that is, Hazael; the prophet looked him out of countenance:
and the man of God wept; at the thought of what calamities the man before him, he looked on, would be the cause of in Israel, as the following words show.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Elisha then fixed Hazael for a long time with his eye, and wept. literally, he made his face stand fast, and directed it (upon Hazael) to shaming. as in Jdg 3:25; not in a shameless manner (Thenius), but till Hazael was embarrassed by it.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(11) And he settled his countenance stedfastly.Literally, and he (Elisha) made his face stand, and set (it upon Hazael).
Until he was ashamed.Literally, unto being ashamed. This may mean either in shameless fashion or until Hazael was disconcerted. We prefer the latter. Hazael, conscious that Elisha had read his; thoughts aright, shrank from that piercing gaze. (Comp. 2Ki. 2:17.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. He settled his countenance steadfastly Literally, He made his countenance stand, and fixed it. That is, Elisha composed himself and fastened upon Hazael a deep, steadfast, searching gaze that seemed to read him through and through.
Until he was ashamed Until Hazael was ashamed. The prophet continued that steadfast, searching gaze, until Hazael blushed with embarrassment, not knowing what to say.
Man of God wept Here was another manifestation of Elisha’s emotion, greater even than that with which he had answered the question of Hazael.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 8:11. And he settled his countenance “He [Hazael] keeping his countenance, continued with the same look for some time, while the man of God wept.” Hazael pretended surprise at the answer of Elisha, desirous to conceal from him the satisfaction which he had in the intelligence of his king’s death. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
I hardly know a passage in history, even if simply considered as an history, more strikingly interesting to the feelings than this interview, as here related between Hazael and the prophet. Figure to yourself the astonishment of the ambassador of Damascus when the man of God prophesied to him of his future greatness, and the bloody deeds of his life which would follow. Behold on the other hand the aged servant of the Lord looking so fixedly upon the countenance of Hazael, until the tears burst in a flood before him to give vent to his distress of soul. But while we meditate on the passage simply as an interesting history, let us look at it with more awakened earnestness, as a solemn record in the word of God, and then we shall discover if so be the Holy Ghost gives us a gracious apprehension of its important contents, that it opens to our view higher objects for instruction. Hazael is but the representative of human nature, universally speaking. All men like him may shudder at crimes in the cool hour of distance which in the after season of heated passion, and all things corresponding to accomplish, they may without remorse perform. Reader! do you know this? Do you believe it? Hath the Holy Ghost by his divine teachings led you on so far in the knowledge of yourself, as to be brought to this complete conviction of sin? If you are, precious to your soul will be the knowledge of, and the rejoicing in, the Lord Jesus! but if not, depend upon it you possess but at the best a poor apprehension of your own dreadfully ruined and lost state; and of the vast and infinite value of that complete deliverance from sin which is found only in the Lord Jesus. The cruelty of Hazael, seems to have commenced from the moment of this interview, as the devil entered into the heart of Judas from the time in which Jesus gave him the sop, as a token of his being the traitor. Joh 13:26-27 . His return to his master opened with a lie. His next step was to stifle him in his bed. And his bloody deeds to Israel, as Elisha had foretold, we are informed of in the after part of his history. See 2Ki 13:22 . Reader! pause over such a character, if it be only to look up with reverence, and all the warmth of affection and thankfulness, in the contemplation of the blessed effects of distinguishing grace: Who hath made thee to differ from another? Is an enquiry which every child of God should be unceasingly putting to his own soul. 1Co 4:7 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ki 8:11 And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.
Ver. 11. And he settled his countenance steadfastly. ] Heb., And set it. He settled his countenance and looked wistly with a comely gravity; Elisha did so upon Hazael.
Until he was ashamed.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
he: i.e. Hazael.
ashamed. The thought of murder came into his mind.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
stedfastly: Heb. and set it
wept: Gen 45:2, Psa 119:136, Jer 4:19, Jer 9:1, Jer 9:18, Jer 13:17, Jer 14:17, Luk 19:41, Joh 11:35, Act 20:19, Act 20:31, Rom 9:2, Phi 3:18
Reciprocal: Jos 14:6 – the man
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 8:11. He settled his countenance steadfastly Elisha fixed his eyes on Hazael, and looked upon him so earnestly, so long, and with such a settled countenance, that Hazael was ashamed, as apprehending that the prophet discerned or suspected something of an evil and shameful nature in him. The Hebrew words, however, rendered till he was ashamed, are ambiguous, and may be indifferently referred either to the prophet or to Hazael: but they seem more properly to belong to the latter, because it follows by way of distinction, The man of God wept.