Topical Encyclopedia Hazael, a significant figure in the history of the ancient Near East, was the king of Aram-Damascus who reigned during the 9th century BC. His rise to power and subsequent actions are chronicled in the Hebrew Bible, where he is depicted as a formidable adversary to the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.The death of Hazael is recorded in 2 Kings 13:24 : "When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad became king in his place." This brief account marks the end of Hazael's reign, which was characterized by military campaigns and territorial expansion at the expense of Israel and its neighbors. Hazael's ascent to the throne was marked by violence and divine prophecy. Initially a servant of King Ben-hadad II of Aram, Hazael was anointed by the prophet Elisha as part of God's judgment against the house of Ahab (2 Kings 8:7-15). Elisha's prophecy foretold Hazael's future kingship and the devastation he would bring upon Israel, saying, "The LORD has shown me that you will become king over Aram" (2 Kings 8:13). During his reign, Hazael waged war against Israel, capturing significant territories and exerting pressure on the Israelite kings. His military campaigns are noted in 2 Kings 10:32-33 : "In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory from the Jordan eastward—all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites—from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan." Hazael's aggressive expansionism was not limited to Israel. He also posed a threat to Judah, as seen in 2 Kings 12:17-18 , where King Jehoash of Judah was forced to pay tribute to Hazael to prevent the capture of Jerusalem: "At that time Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. So King Jehoash of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his fathers—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah—and his own sacred objects, 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, who then withdrew from Jerusalem." Hazael's death marked the end of an era of Aramean dominance over Israel. His son, Ben-hadad III, succeeded him, but the power dynamics began to shift. The biblical narrative suggests that Hazael's death allowed Israel to regain some of its lost territories under the leadership of King Jehoash, as recorded in 2 Kings 13:25 : "Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that had been taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the cities of Israel." Hazael's legacy is one of a powerful and ambitious ruler whose actions fulfilled divine prophecy and significantly impacted the history of Israel and its neighboring nations. His death, while briefly noted in the biblical text, signaled a turning point in the ongoing struggle between Aram and Israel. Nave's Topical Index 2 Kings 13:24So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead. Nave's Topical Index Library Hazael Makes an Expedition against the People of Israel and the ... History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7 God's Low Whisper Jehoram Succeeds Jehoshaphat; How Joram, his Namesake, King of ... Elijah's Weakness, and Its Cube Original Sin Elisha's Closing Ministry How Ahab when He had Taken Jezebel to Wife Became More Wicked than ... The Nations of the North-East The Kingdom of Samaria. Resources Who was Elisha in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhy was Elijah afraid of Jezebel? | GotQuestions.org What are some exciting discoveries in biblical archaeology? | GotQuestions.org Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus |
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