2 Kings 8:11

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Then the man of God fixed his gaze on him for so long that Haza'el became embarrassed; finally Elisha began to cry.

Berean Standard Bible:

Elisha fixed his gaze steadily on him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the man of God began to weep.

American Standard Version:

And he settled his countenance stedfastly upon him, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And he settled^{H5975} his countenance^{H6440} stedfastly^{H7760}, until he was ashamed^{H954}: and the man^{H376} of God^{H430} wept^{H1058}.

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Commentary for 2 Kings 8:11

2 Kings 8:11 is a verse that captures a moment of intense emotional and spiritual interaction within the broader narrative of the prophet Elisha's ministry. The verse is part of the story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman, which begins in 2 Kings 4. This woman, who had shown great hospitality to Elisha, was blessed with a son after many years of barrenness, as prophesied by Elisha. Later, the son died suddenly, and through Elisha's intervention, the boy was miraculously brought back to life.

In 2 Kings 8, Elisha warns the Shunammite woman of an impending famine and advises her to leave the land with her family. After seven years, she returns from the land of the Philistines to find that her house and land have been taken over by others. She approaches the king to plead her case, and coincidentally, Elisha is there at the same time. Elisha assures the king that this woman's son, whom he had raised from the dead, was the one he had told the king about, and the king assigns an officer to help her.

The verse in question, 2 Kings 8:11, specifically describes the officer's reaction to the Shunammite woman's story. The officer, having heard the miraculous account of the son's resurrection, "settled his countenance stedfastly," indicating a deep focus and attention to what he was hearing. He listened intently until he felt a sense of shame or humility, recognizing the power of God at work in the woman's life. The prophet Elisha, witnessing this profound impact, is moved to tears, weeping out of empathy for the woman's trials and perhaps also out of joy for the faith and humility displayed by the officer.

The themes present in this verse include the power of divine intervention, the importance of listening to the stories and needs of others, the emotional responses to God's work, and the restoration of justice. Historically, this account reflects the role of prophets in Israelite society, the social dynamics of the time concerning property rights, and the ever-present reality of famine and its impact on the population. Elisha's role as a prophet is underscored, not only in his ability to perform miracles but also in his concern for the welfare of individuals and his capacity to evoke a deep spiritual response in others.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H5975
   There are 495 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עָמַד
   Transliteration: ʻâmad
   Pronunciation: aw-mad'
   Description: a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive); abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, [phrase] serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-) stand (by, fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry.
   
2. Strong's Number: H6440
   There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּנִים
   Transliteration: pânîym
   Pronunciation: paw-neem'
   Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you.
   
3. Strong's Number: H7760
   There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שׂוּם
   Transliteration: sûwm
   Pronunciation: soom
   Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work.
   
4. Strong's Number: H954
   There are 100 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בּוּשׁ
   Transliteration: bûwsh
   Pronunciation: boosh
   Description: a primitive root; properly, to pale, i.e. by implication to be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or delayed; (be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with, a-) shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry, delay, be long.
   
5. Strong's Number: H376
   There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אִישׁ
   Transliteration: ʼîysh
   Pronunciation: eesh
   Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה.
   
6. Strong's Number: H430
   There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
   Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
   Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
   Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.
   
7. Strong's Number: H1058
   There are 100 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בָּכָה
   Transliteration: bâkâh
   Pronunciation: baw-kaw'
   Description: a primitive root; to weep; generally to bemoan; [idiom] at all, bewail, complain, make lamentation, [idiom] more, mourn, [idiom] sore, [idiom] with tears, weep.