Hazael

"God has seen." 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 after he had put the king to death.2 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 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.,3 which he held in a degree of subjection to him.4 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."5

Hazael reigned ca. 842-800, and was succeeded on the throne by his son Ben-hadad III,6 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.

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References

Notes

  1. 1 Kings 19:15.
  2. 2 Kings 8:15.
  3. 2 Kings 10:33.
  4. 13:3–7, 22.
  5. 2 Kings 12:18; 2 Chr. 24:24.
  6. 2 Kings 13:22–25.

Source

  • Easton, M.G. (1897). Easton's Bible Dictionary. New York: Harper & Brothers.

This article incorporates text from Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897) by M.G. Easton, which is in the public domain.