The passages of story recorded in this chapter oblige us to look back. I. We read before of a Shunammite woman that was a kind benefactor to Elisha; now here we are told how she fared the better for it, afterwards, in the advice Elisha gave her, and the favour the king showed her for his sake, 2 Kings 8:1-8:6. II. We read before of the designation of Hazael to be king of Syria (1 Kings 19:15), and here we have an account of his elevation to that throne and the way he forced for himself to it, by killing his master, 2 Kings 8:7-8:15. III. We read before of Jehoram’s reigning over Judah in the room of his father Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:50), now here we have a short and sad history of his short and wicked reign (2 Kings 8:16-8:24), and the beginning of the history of the reign of his son Ahaziah, 2 Kings 8:25-8:29. MHBCC 322.1