Bible Encyclopedia: Hazael

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

HAZAEL

ha-za'-el, ha'-za-el, haz'-a-el (chaza'-el and chazah'-el; Hazael; Assyrian haza'ilu):

1. In Biblical History:

Comes first into Biblical history as a high officer in the service of Ben-hadad II, king of Syria (2 Kings 8:7; compare 1 Kings 19:15). He had been sent by his sick sovereign to inquire of the prophet Elisha, who was then in Damascus, whether he should recover of his sickness or not. He took with him a present "even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden," and stood before the man of God with his master's question of life or death. To it Elisha made the oracular response, "Go, say unto him, Thou shalt surely recover; howbeit Yahweh hath showed me that he shall surely die." Elisha looked steadfastly at Hazael and wept, explaining to the incredulous officer that he was to be the perpetrator of horrible cruelties against the children of Israel: "Their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their women with child" (2 Kings 8:12). Hazael protested against the very thought of such things, but Elisha assured him that Yahweh had shown him that he was to be king of Syria. No sooner had Hazael delivered to his master the answer of the man of God than the treacherous purpose took shape in his heart to hasten Ben-hadad's end, and "He took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead" (2 Kings 8:15). The reign which opened under such sinister auspices proved long and successful, and brought the kingdom of Syria to the zenith of its power. Hazael soon found occasion to invade Israel. It was at Ramoth-gilead, which had already been the scene of a fierce conflict between Israel and Syria when Ahab met his death, that Hazael encountered Joram, the king of Israel, with whom his kinsman, Ahaziah, king of Judah, had joined forces to retain that important fortress which had been recovered from the Syrians (2 Kings 9:14, 15). The final issue of the battle is not recorded, but Joram received wounds which obliged him to return across the Jordan to Jezreel, leaving the forces of Israel in command of Jehu, whose anointing by Elisha's deputy at Ramoth-gilead, usurpation of the throne of Israel, slaughter of Joram, Ahaziah and Jezebel, and vengeance upon the whole house of Ahab are told in rapid and tragic succession by the sacred historian (2 Kings 9; 2 Kings 10).

Whatever was the issue of this attack upon Ramoth-gilead, it was not long before Hazael laid waste the whole country East of the Jordan-"all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan" (2 Kings 10:33; compare Amos 1:3). Nor did Judah escape the heavy hand of the Syrian oppressor. Marching southward through the plain of Esdraelon, and following a route along the maritime plain taken by many conquerors before and since, Hazael fought against Gath and took it, and then "set his face to go up to Jerus" (2 Kings 12:17). As other kings of Judah had to do with other conquerors, Jehoash, who was now on the throne, bought off the invader with the gold and the treasures of temple and palace, and Hazael withdrew his forces from Jerusalem.

Israel, however, still suffered at the hands of Hazael and Ben-hadad, his son, and the sacred historian mentions that Hazael oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. So grievous was the oppression of the Syrians that Hazael "left not to Jehoahaz, of the people save fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria destroyed them, and made them like the dust in threshing" (2 Kings 13:1-7). Forty or fifty years later Amos, in the opening of his prophecy, recalled those Syrian campaigns against Israel when he predicted vengeance that was to come upon Damascus. "Thus saith Yahweh. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad" (Amos 1:3, 4).

2. In the Monuments:

Already, however, the power of Syria had passed its meridian and had begun to decline. Events of which there is no express record in the Biblical narrative were proceeding which, ere long, made it possible for the son of Jehoahaz, Joash or Jehoash, to retrieve the honor of Israel and recover the cities that had been lost (2 Kings 13:25). For the full record of these events we must turn to the Assyrian annals preserved in the monuments. We do read in the sacred history that Yahweh gave Israel "a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians" (2 Kings 13:5). The annals of the Assyrian kings give us clearly and distinctly the interpretation of this enigmatic saying. The relief that came to Israel was due to the crippling of the power of Syria by the aggression of Assyria upon the lands of the West. From the Black Obelisk in the British Museum, on which Shalmaneser II (860-825 B.C.) has inscribed the story of the campaign he carried on during his long reign, there are instructive notices of this period of Israelite history. In the 18th year of his reign (842 B.C.), Shalmaneser made war against Hazael. On the Obelisk the record is short, but a longer account is given on one of the pavement slabs from Nimroud, the ancient Kalab. It is as follows: "In the 18th year of my reign for the 16th time I crossed the Euphrates. Hazael of Damascus trusted to the strength of his armies and mustered his troops in full force. Senir (Hermon), a mountain summit which is in front of Lebanon, he made his stronghold. I fought with him; his defeat I accomplished; 600 of his soldiers with weapons I laid low; 1,121 of his chariots, 470 of his horses, with his camp I took from him. To save his life, he retreated; I pursued him; in Damascus, his royal city, I shut him up. His plantations I cut down. As far as the mountains of the Hauran I marched. Cities without number I wrecked, razed, and burnt with fire. Their spoil beyond count I carried away. As far as the mountains of Baal-Rosh, which is a headland of the sea (at the mouth of the Nahr el-Kelb, Dog River), I marched; my royal likeness I there set up. At that time I received the tribute of the Syrians and Sidonians and of Yahua (Jehu) the son of Khumri (Omri)" (Ball, Light from the East, 166; Schrader, COT, 200). From this inscription we gather that Shalmaneser did not succeed in the capture of Damascus. But it still remained an object of ambition to Assyria, and Ramman-nirari III, the grandson of Shalmaneser, succeeded in capturing it, and reduced it to subjection. It was this monarch who was "the saviour" whom God raised up to deliver Israel from the hand of Syria. Then it became possible for Israel under Jehoash to recover the cities he had lost, but by this time Hazael had died and Ben-hadad, his son, Ben-hadad III, called Mari on the monuments, had become king in his stead (2 Kings 13:24, 25).

LITERATURE.

Schrader, COT, 197-208; McCurdy, HPM, I, 282.

T. Nicol.

Strong's Hebrew

2371. Chazael -- "God sees," a king of Aram (Syria)
... "God sees," a king of Aram (Syria). Transliteration: Chazael or Chazahel Phonetic
Spelling: (khaz-aw-ale') Short Definition: Hazael. ... Hazael. ...
/hebrew/2371.htm - 6k

Library

Hazael
... HAZAEL. BY REV. JG GREENHOUGH, MA. "But what ... 13. Hazael was the chief minister
and prime favourite of Benhadad, the Syrian king. He ...
//christianbookshelf.org/milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/hazael.htm

The Story of Hazael
... THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS THE STORY OF HAZAEL. 'So Hazael went to meet him ... God
wept.12. And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the story of hazael.htm

Hazael Makes an Expedition against the People of Israel and the ...
... From The Death Of Ahab To The Captivity Of The Ten Tribes. CHAPTER 8. Hazael Makes
An Expedition Against The People Of Israel And The Inhabitants Of Jerusalem. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 hazael makes an.htm

History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7
... resists the attacks of Assyria (849-846 BC) -- Moab delivered from Israel, Mesha;
the death of Ben-hadad (Adadidri) and the accession of Hazael; the fall of ...
/.../history of egypt chaldaea syria babylonia and assyria v 7/title page.htm

Book 9 Footnotes
... [12] Since Elijah did not live to anoint Hazael king of Syria himself, as he was
empowered to do, 1 Kings 19:15, it was most probably now done, in his name, by ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 9 footnotes.htm

God's Low Whisper
... Then Jehovah said to him, "On your way back go to the wilderness of Damascus, and
when you arrive there, anoint Hazael to rule over Aram, Jehu, the son of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/gods low whisper.htm

The End of Ahab's Selfish Family
... Now Joram, with all the Israelites, had been defending Ramoth in Gilead against
Hazael king of Aram, but Joram had gone back to Jezreel to recover from the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the end of ahabs selfish.htm

Jehoram Succeeds Jehoshaphat; How Joram, his Namesake, King of ...
... Now it happened that Elisha the prophet, at that time, was gone out of his own country
to Damascus, of which Berthadad was informed: he sent Hazael, the most ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 4 jehoram succeeds jehoshaphat.htm

"What Doest Thou Here?"
... "Go," the Lord commanded Elijah, "return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus:
and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: and Jehu the son ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 13 what doest thou.htm

The Kingdom of Samaria.
... Elisha had already wept at the fore-knowledge of the miseries which Hazael of Syria
should bring upon Israel; and Hazael, murdering his master Benhadad by ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson viii the kingdom of.htm

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Hazael

that sees God

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Hazael

(whom God sees), a king of Damascus who reigned from about B.C. 886 to B.C. 840. He appears to have been previously a person in a high position at the court of Ben-hadad, and was sent by his master to Elisha to inquire if he would recover from the malady under which he was suffering. Elisha's answer led to the murder of Ben-hadad by his ambitious servant, who forthwith mounted the throne. (2 Kings 8:7-15) He was soon engaged in war with the kings of Judah and Israel for the possession of the city of Ramoth-gilead. Ibid. (2 Kings 8:28) Towards the close of the reign of Jehu, Hazael led the Syrians against the Israelites (about B.C. 860), whom he "smote in all their coasts," (2 Kings 10:32) thus accomplishing the prophecy of Elisha. Ibid . (2 Kings 8:12) At the close of his life, having taken Gath, ibid. (2 Kings 12:17) comp. Amos 6:2 He proceeded to attack Jerusalem, (2 Chronicles 24:24) and was about to assault the city when Joash bribed him to retire. (2 Kings 12:18) Hazael appears to have died about the year B.C. 840, (2 Kings 13:24) having reigned forty-six years.

ATS Bible Dictionary

Hazael

An officer of Benhadad king of Syria, whose future accession to the throne was revealed to the prophet Elijah, then at Damascus, as to his recovery from sickness, and on the next day smothered the king with a wet cloth, 2 Kings 8:7-15, B. C. 885. His discomposure under the eye of the prophet was an indication that he had already meditated this crime. Having usurped the throne, he reigned forty years; and by his successful and cruel wars against Judah and Israel justified the forebodings of Elisha, 2 Kings 8:28 10:32 12:17 13:3,7 2 Chronicles 22:5.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Whom God beholds, an officer of Ben-hadad II., king of Syria, who ultimately came to the throne, according to the word of the Lord to Elijah (1 Kings 19:15), after he had put the king to death (2 Kings 8:15). His interview with Elisha is mentioned in 2 Kings 8. The Assyrians soon after his accession to the throne came against him and defeated him with very great loss; and three years afterwards again invaded Syria, but on this occasion Hazael submitted to them. He then turned his arms against Israel, and ravaged "all the land of Gilead," etc. (2 Kings 10:33), which he held in a degree of subjection to him (13:3-7, 22). He aimed at the subjugation also of the kingdom of Judah, when Joash obtained peace by giving him "all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and in the king's house" (2 Kings 12:18; 2 Chronicles 24:24). He reigned about forty-six years (B.C.886-840), and was succeeded on the throne by his son Ben-hadad (2 Kings 13:22-25), who on several occasions was defeated by Jehoash, the king of Israel, and compelled to restore all the land of Israel his father had taken.

Thesaurus

Hazael (23 Occurrences)
... to the throne came against him and defeated him with very great loss; and three
years afterwards again invaded Syria, but on this occasion Hazael submitted to ...
/h/hazael.htm - 23k

Haz'ael (21 Occurrences)
Haz'ael. Hazael, Haz'ael. Hazaiah . Multi-Version Concordance Haz'ael
(21 Occurrences). 1 Kings 19:15 And the LORD said unto him ...
/h/haz'ael.htm - 12k

Ben-hadad (27 Occurrences)
... He was long engaged in war against Israel. He was murdered probably by Hazael, by
whom he was succeeded (2 Kings 8:7-15), after a reign of some thirty years. ...
/b/ben-hadad.htm - 16k

Ben-ha'dad (26 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 8:9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every
good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him ...
/b/ben-ha'dad.htm - 14k

Jeho'ram (21 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 8:29 And king Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which
the Arameans had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram ...
/j/jeho'ram.htm - 13k

Jehoahaz (22 Occurrences)
... The Syrians, under Hazael and Benhadad, prevailed over him, but were at length
driven out of the land by his son Jehoash (13:1-9, 25). ...
/j/jehoahaz.htm - 23k

Ramoth (30 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 8:28 He went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king
of Syria at Ramoth Gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram. ...
/r/ramoth.htm - 18k

Wounds (57 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 8:29 King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the
Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. ...
/w/wounds.htm - 22k

Inflicted (20 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 8:29 King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the
Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. ...
/i/inflicted.htm - 12k

Benhadad (24 Occurrences)
... He was long engaged in war against Israel. He was murdered probably by Hazael, by
whom he was succeeded (2 Kings 8:7-15), after a reign of some thirty years. ...
/b/benhadad.htm - 28k

Bible Concordance

Hazael (23 Occurrences)

1 Kings 19:15 Yahweh said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Kings 19:17 It shall happen, that he who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and he who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 8:8 The king said to Hazael, "Take a present in your hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of Yahweh by him, saying,'Will I recover from this sickness?'"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 8:9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, "Your son Benhadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying,'Will I recover from this sickness?'"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 8:11 He settled his gaze steadfastly on him, until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept.
(See NIV)

2 Kings 8:12 Hazael said, "Why do you weep, my lord?" He answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, and you will their young men with the sword, and will dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their women with child."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 8:13 Hazael said, "But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Elisha answered, "Yahweh has shown me that you will be king over Syria."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 8:14 Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, "What did Elisha say to you?" He answered, "He told me that you would surely recover."
(See NIV)

2 Kings 8:15 It happened on the next day, that he took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died. Then Hazael reigned in his place.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 8:28 He went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 8:29 King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 9:14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 9:15 but king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) Jehu said, "If this is your thinking, then let no one escape and go out of the city, to go to tell it in Jezreel."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 10:32 In those days Yahweh began to cut off from Israel; and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 12:17 Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 12:18 Jehoash king of Judah took all the holy things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own holy things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of Yahweh, and of the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 13:3 The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, continually.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 13:22 Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 13:24 Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his place.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Kings 13:25 Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash strike him, and recovered the cities of Israel.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 22:5 He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 22:6 He returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Amos 1:4 but I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Hazael

Hazael: Anointed King by Elijah

Hazael: Conquests By

Hazael: Conspires Against, Murders, and Succeeds to the Throne of Ben-Hadad

Hazael: Death of

Related Terms

Haz'ael (21 Occurrences)

Ben-hadad (27 Occurrences)

Ben-ha'dad (26 Occurrences)

Jeho'ram (21 Occurrences)