King living at the time of Divided Monarchy
Hazael, king of Aram, was anointed by Elijah and fought against Israel and Judah.
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Hazael was the king of Aram (Syria) during the reigns of Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Jehoash of Israel, and Ahaziah and Joash of Judah. He was anointed by the prophet Elijah as the future king of Aram (1Ki.19.15, 17). Hazael became king after the death of Ben-Hadad II, whom he had murdered (2Ki.8.15). During his reign, Hazael fought against Israel and Judah, capturing cities and inflicting heavy casualties (2Ki.8.28-29; 9.14-15; 10.32; 12.17-18; 13.3, 22). He also oppressed Israel during the reign of Jehoahaz (2Ki.13.3, 22). However, Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, recaptured some cities from Hazael's son, Ben-Hadad III (2Ki.13.24-25). The prophet Amos prophesied against Hazael and his dynasty for their cruelty against Israel (Amo.1.4).
Part of: Kings, prophets and the house of David
At Horeb God told Elijah to anoint Hazael of Aram, Jehu of Israel and Elisha as prophet. In the record Elisha prophesied Hazael's kingship and a disciple of Elisha anointed Jehu; the tasks were completed through Elisha.
Sources: 1 Kgs 19:15-17 · 2 Kgs 8:7-15 · 2 Kgs 9:1-6
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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 Chr. 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.
(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.
HAZ'AEL, (God sees), an officer in the court of Syria, and subsequently its powerful king. Elijah was commanded to anoint him king but left this duty to Elisha; and so when Hazael was despatched by his king, Benhadad, to Elisha to inquire about the results of the disease with which he was afflicted, the prophet predicted the elevation of Hazael to the throne of Syria, and a series of the most horrible cruelties of which he would be guilty toward the children of Israel,1 Kgs 19:15. Hazael expressed the utmost abhorrence of such conduct, but on the next day he smothered Benhadad to death and ascended the throne, 2 Kgs 8:7-16. He warred against the kingdom of Israel, 2 Kgs 10:32, and against Judah. He took Gath, and was averted from entering Jerusalem only by a rich bribe,2 Kgs 12:17-18. He reigned forty-six years, and was succeeded by his son, Benhadad. The conquests of Hazael's reign were lost during that of his son and successor, 2 Kgs 13:25.
HAZAEL, HOUSE OF, either family or palace of Hazael, Am 1:4.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
21 verses in 4 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H2371
Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.
Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.
So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”
“But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”
But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the kingʼs face. So Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned in his place.
Then Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram.
So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.
Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram,
but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.) So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.”
In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory
At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.
So King Joash of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his fathers—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah—along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram. So Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.
So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad.
And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz.
When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad reigned in his place.
Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times, and so recovered the cities of Israel.
Ahaziah also followed their counsel and went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans wounded Joram;
so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.
So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael to consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.