提要
以利沙曾向一位有信心的書念婦人行善（王下4：13~16、32~36）。他警告那婦人離開以色列地，因為有一場七年的饑荒即將來臨。以利沙一定備受國王尊敬，因為以色列王喜聽以利沙的僕人基哈西告訴他「以利沙所行的一切大事」。在上帝的計畫帶領下，那位書念婦人回到以色列，並為自己被沒收充公的房屋、田產來向國王哀告。當時基哈西正在向王述說以利沙使書念婦人之子從死裡復活的事。這個神蹟使國王留下極深刻的印象，再加上以利沙與那位婦人的交情，因此國王不只歸還她所有的財產，還吩咐補償她在過去七年中田地出產的收益。多麼意想不到的祝福啊！
上帝曾叫以利亞膏哈薛繼便哈達作亞蘭王（王上19：15），但這份工作到以利亞繼承人，以利沙手中才完成。當以利沙在亞蘭時，便哈達正巧病了。神人以利沙的名聲可能己經由乃縵的見證傳遍了亞蘭。便哈達於是派朝中大臣哈薛去見以利沙，詢問他自已的病是否能好。
以利沙的回答曖昧不明。上帝可能使以利沙預知哈薛有意刺殺亞蘭王，所以以利沙回答說便哈達所得的病本身不足以致他於死，但他至終還是會死。以利沙也知道哈薛不會告訴便哈達他的死期將至，否則便哈達一定會安排他子嗣繼承王位。
上帝選派哈薛作亞蘭王是為了要懲罰不斷犯罪、悖逆上帝的以色列。當以利沙凝視哈薛時，他一定預見到哈薛將發動戰爭攻擊以色列，並在以色列中行可怕的事。以利沙不禁潸然淚下，因他深愛他的同胞。以利沙的心靈極溫柔、敏銳，他為以色列民憂傷，因為他們不悔改、轉離惡道，他們的罪將使他們遭受死的刑罰。當然，當以利沙回到以色列，他一定更加迫切的向他的同胞傳講上帝的救恩。從聖經我們知道，將來必有一大而可畏的審判日，當我們瞭解到，除非我們將福音傳給他們，許多寶貴的靈魂將永遠淪喪，我們便應像以利沙一樣，在流淚之後，更加努力的傳揚福音。
在第八章後半部我們看到有關猶大王的資料。很可惜，他也像以色列王那樣偏離正道。猶大的約沙法是個好王，但他與以色列拜偶像的王結盟，也導致他的兒子約蘭與亞哈的女兒結親。亞哈的女兒就像耶洗別一樣，也影響了她的丈夫約蘭去拜偶像（8：18）但為了大衛的緣故，上帝並沒有在那時毀滅猶大，但猶大的兩個屬國以東和立拿都接連的背叛了猶大。猶大悖逆上帝只給他們帶來一連串的麻煩。
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Overview
We learn of Elisha once again doing good for the faithful Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:13-16, 32-36). He warned her to leave the land because a severe seven-year famine was coming. Elisha must have been well respected by the king, who was interested to hear reports from Gahazi, Elisha's servant, of "all the great things Elisha had done" (8:4). In the providence of God, the Shunammite woman returned and went to see the king about her property which had probably been confiscated by the crown when it was found to be abandoned. At that same time, Gehazi was telling the king about her son being raised from the dead. This miracle greatly impressed the king. Because of it, and Elisha's friendship with her, the king not only had all her property returned but saw to it that all the profit from her fields for the previous seven years was given to her. What an unexpected blessing and surprise from the Lord!
Elijah had been told by God to anoint Hazael as king over Syria (Aram) to succeed Ben-Hadad (1 Kings 19:15), but this task was given to his successor, Elisha, to accomplish. While Elisha was in Syria, maybe for this purpose, the king of Syria became ill. Perhaps Elisha's reputation as a man of God had preceded him through Naaman's witness (chapter 5). Hazael, a servant of the king with a high position, was sent to Elisha by the king to enquire if he would live or die.
Elisha's reply was interesting and ambiguous. It may have been through divine foreknowledge that Elisha knew Hazael had intended to kill the king, so his response was that the sickness itself was not fatal but that he would die anyway. The prophet knew that Hazael would not tell the king he was going to die; otherwise he would have made preparations for his heir to take the throne.
The divine appointment of Hazael as king was in order to punish Israel for their continued sin and rebellion against God. While staring at him, Elisha must have foreseen the terrible things that Hazael would do in his war against Israel. This caused Elisha to weep, for he deeply loved his people. His tender and sensitive spirit was grieved that Israel had not repented and turned from their wicked ways, for heir sin would bring them death. Surely, when he returned to Israel, he preached with all the more fervency to bring salvation to his people. From the Word of God, we know that there will be a great and terrible judgment day. Like Elisha, it should make us weep to realize there will be precious souls condemned to eternal hell unless we reach them.
In the latter half of chapter eight, we are given historical information about the king of Judah who, sadly, walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. Jehoshaphat had been a godly king in Judah, but he had made an alliance with his idolatrous brethren in Israel (1 Kings 22:2-3, 44). Their situation of peace led to the marriage of his son Jehoram with the daughter of Ahab. She, in the manner of Jezebel, influenced her husband into idolatry (8:18). For the sake of David, his forefather, God did not bring destruction to Judah at that point, but the nation suffered revolts from the vassal kingdoms of Edom and Libnah. Their disobedience to God brought them nothing but trouble.
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