In about 853 BC, Assyria crossed the Euphrates and invaded the area far to the north of Damascus, near the Orontes River. There was a fierce battle at Qarar in which the combined forces of Ben-hadad of Syria, the Omride Dynasty of Israel, and Hamath backed by a collection of petty kings in that area, blocked the Assyrians. Best we can tell, the battle was a draw. Shalamaneser of Assyria recorded a victory, but didn't come back to advance further for some years. We believe he exaggerated and was rebuilding after massive troop losses. Neither he nor his empire had lost interest in this area. They will eventually take revenge on all who met them at Qarqar.
2 Kings 7:3-8 -- Recall that lepers were not allowed to enter homes of the healthy, nor many cities. A city of any significant size might have several former residents stricken with leprosy, allowed to stay in hovels not far from the gates. Their families would typically bring food out to them. During this famine, there was no food to bring them. Even if they dared enter the city, sneaking in without giving the customary warning, they would still find no food. These four lepers decided the only thing left was to go out to the Syrian camp. If they were driven off, it would at least break the boredom. Given Syrian attitudes about lepers, they may well be received and fed in exchange for information about the city. In the worst case, they would be killed outright, which they decided would be a relief. The distance would have been at least 100 yards (91m), just out of bowshot from archers atop the city wall. Waiting until darkness began to fall, they crept out cautiously only to find the Syrian camp empty.
Sometime during the day, the Syrians had deserted their camp in haste, having heard what they thought was the sound of an approaching hoard of chariots. There were only two nations capable of fielding a mass of chariots then. The tattered remains of the Second Hittite Empire, who had introduced iron weapons and chariots to that area, were still quite powerful and numerous. The petty kings who claimed the legacy of the Hittites in far northern Mesopotamia were known to hire out their armies as mercenaries. The Egyptians were not mercenaries, but could field a huge number of chariots. While no friend of Jews, they were even less friendly with Syria. An army of infantry could not get close enough to effectively strike without drawing notice in advance. An army of chariots could camp far away and attack unexpectedly after a traveling all day, as they could advance faster than a runner bearing the alarm. Thus the lepers found the place deserted, and immediately ate to the full, then began plundering.
7:9-15 -- Their conscience struck them before long. They realized, as well, that if they delayed until dawn to inform the defenders of the city, they would justly deserve punishment. The lifting of a siege against a starving city was not something that could wait until morning. They went in the darkness of early evening and reported to the soldiers at the gate. The message was passed to the King, who decided it was a trap, much like the one sprung on the Moabites in the Valley of Zered just a few years before. The need being so urgent, the commanders suggested a search party using the few horses left. We note they had already been eating donkeys, which were also not kosher. Two chariots went out, each pulled by two horses. They circled the camp and followed the main road toward the Jordan crossing, on the way back to Damascus. All along the route were the kinds of personal property dropped by men fleeing in haste for their lives. They came back and reported what they found to the King.
7:16-19 -- Though it was probably near midnight now, the residents of the city rushed out to plunder the camp. That there was no battle fought prevented soldiers from claiming prior right. The Syrians had been exceedingly well supplied, and prices quickly came down to normal. It was also noted the fate of the officer, here called third in command from the King, who sarcastically commented to Elisha that afternoon that God Himself could not have provided such food supply. He had been assigned command of the gate, which would include the open market square near the gate, to keep order before the mob was released. When the city got word the siege was lifted, they rushed the gates and trampled this officer to death. This is recorded in the text along with a recount of the verbal exchange he had with Elisha.
8:1-6 -- Sometime before all this, Elisha had warned a friend of bad times. The noble lady of Shunem who had been such a supporter of Elisha. She it was to whom God had given a son, then raised him from death by Elisha's hand. Eventually she became a widow. The context of the story in chapter 4 indicated the woman was considerably younger than her husband, and this was not uncommon at that time and place. Elisha went to her and warned the famine had just begun, and would last another seven years. She moved her household to Philistia. The coastal plains would probaby have been crowded by displaced Jews, but Philistia had been quite subdued since their last venture (ch. 3). With famine just beginning, she would have left without finding a buyer. The property would be considered abandoned, and occupied by whomever dared make the first move to take it, most likely some other noble family. Returning after the famine, she found herself locked out of her own home. Having no husband to make a case before the King, she naturally went to Elisha.
This was probably not long after the Syrians had fled. King Jehoram was feeling a bit of admiration for the prophet who had proclaimed their deliverance. Jehoram had asked the disgraced Gehazi, former servant of Elisha, about his master's other miracles. While recounting the story of the Shunamite lady and the resucitation of her son, she appeared with Elisha to make her case before the King. Gehazi pointed this out to the King, so he naturally asked her to confirm the story. He was so swayed by the tale he not only ordered her lands returned to her, as she asked, but added that she should be paid rent from the profits gained by the occupiers.
8:7-15 -- Some twenty years earlier, Elijah had returned from his depression in the Sinai Wilderness and annointed Hazael to replace Ben-hadad over Damascus, and Jehu to end the Omride Dynasty in Israel (1 Kings 19:15-16). The man Elijah had annointed his own successor would now stir these men to claim their thrones. It was about 847 BC when Elisha went off to Damascus for a visit. At that time, Ben-hadad had become very ill, and believed he might die. When he heard the famous Elisha was in town, who had healed his Field Marshal, Naaman, he sent messengers with a much larger gift to inquire of Jehovah if he was dying. The much larger gift, requiring forty camels to bear, reflects his claim to be a petty emperor. The man in charge of the delegation was Hazael, Ben-hadad's chamberlain.
So great was the respect for Elisha Hazael addressed the prophet as superior to the King. Elisha gave to Hazael an unexpected answer to Ben-hadad's question. His words make clear he saw right into the heart of the man. First, he knew Hazael had already planned to kill his master. He told him, in essence to carry out that plan, and lie to the King by telling him he would recover. Then Elisha stared at him until the Chamberlain was embarrassed. Tears came into the prophet's eyes and Hazael, eager to say anything to deflect attention from his shame, asked why the weeping. Elisha described Hazael as revealed by Jehovah, a man who was already planning to make war on Israel, and the kind of man who would not simply accept victory and surrender, but would execute his prisoners of war, murder male children, and rip open the wombs of pregnant women. Hazael would try to exterminate the entire nation of Israel by killing every male, and any who might possibly be born male. Hazael protested he was unworthy of the attention of God, and could not bring himself to such acts. Elisha's only answer was to remind Hazael he was going to become King of Syria. So Hazael returned to Court, lied to his king, then suffocated him to death the next day, using a wet blanket. Ben-hadad lacked the strength even to uncover his face at that point. Ancient texts in Assyria mention the event, referring to the usurper Hazael as "the son of nobody."
2 Chronicles 21:1-11 -- This passage parallels 2 Kings 8:16-24, but includes more detail. It was during that same year of Ben-hadad's death the aging Jehoshaphat of Judah died. He had passed much of his authority since 853 BC to his son, named Jehoram like the King of Israel. The other sons were given wealth and authority over major cities within the realm. This Jehoram of Judah also sinned like his namesake of the Omrides. We are told he took the scepter at age 32 and reigned until he was 40 (848-841 BC). As soon as his father passed, he hunted down his brothers and murdered them. Not content with that, he liquidated anyone remotely in line for the throne. Apparently his sinful path was in large degree due to his wife, Athaliah, a daughter of Jezebel and Ahab. Rather than take it out on the nation of Judah, the Lord kept His promise and found other ways to punish their King.
For example, the dominance over Edom was lost. We aren't sure, but it seems the name Zair was the latest pronunciation for Seir, the mountain in Edom on which the ancient capital stood. As a response to their revolt, Jehoram took his army down and camped in preparation to lay siege to the city. The Edomite defense forces moved in to surround them, preparing an ambush for dawn. Jehoram surprised them by attacking in the darkness before the Edomites could get in place. Yet the Edomites remained in a state of active revolt from that time on. Their restiveness incited Libnah, a large city of the Philistines, to revolt as well. Meanwhile, the man sponsored pagan shrines in high places near Jerusalem, following the same behavior as Ahab, his father-in-law.
21:12-15 -- So it was odd timing when a long-delayed letter from Elijah was delivered to him. It's safe to guess Elisha kept it for this time. Elijah left the earth about one year into this king's co-regency with his father. The letter condemned Jehoram for the same sins Elijah so actively fought under Ahab. His punishment would be a nasty intestinal ailment that afflicted his entire sin-stained household. It would be so severe his intestines would burst from his body -- most likely something akin to dysentery.
21:16-17 -- Of course, Jehoram of Judah did not heed the Word of the Lord. So, late in his reign the Philitines as a whole rebelled, and hired some Arabian raiders who had been living in the Sinai between Philistia and Egypt (ruled at that time by Ethiopia), to come up with them and raid across Judah. They managed to break into Jerusalem and pillage the royal palace, murdering the king's sons, leaving only his youngest, Jehoahaz (also spelled Ahaziah).
During this time frame, we know from the words of the Prophet Obadiah that Edom committed a major crime. While never long at peace, the Edomites and Jews were blood kin. By custom, while they might fight and kill each other, neither would attempt to occupy the land of the other. There was an assumption they would attempt to ward off common enemies. Obadiah tells us Edom had sunk so far below any hint of righteousness they willingly sold out to the enemies of their cousins. During the attacks by Philistia and the Arabs, Edom captured all the civilian refugees departing the area. They then sold these people as slaves to with Philistia as a broker. It's rather difficult to explain how heinous a crime this was. The popular response at that time would be equivalent to any modern day atrocity, on a par perhaps with the My Lai Massacre. It wasn't even for the money, but sheer hatred and perversity. For this act favorable to Philistia, they were permitted to participate in the plunder of Jersualem. It's not known when Obadiah the Prophet lived and wrote, but it quite certain he refers to this event.
21:18-20 -- It's quite likely the raiders carried diseases with them for which Jehoram had no resistance. He became painfully ill, lingered in this state, declining over two years. His death came as a relief to all, and he was unmourned. He was buried in the city cemetery, but not among the royal tombs.
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Ed Hurst
30 February 2005
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