Hazael

The Mighty King of Aram

Das geteilte KönigreichKingWarriorc. 842–796 BC (reign)

Hazael was a powerful king of Aram (Syria) who was anointed by the prophet Elisha at God's command, though he seized power by murdering his predecessor Ben-Hadad and became an instrument of God's judgment against Israel. His reign was marked by military expansion and ongoing conflicts with Israel and Judah.

Familie

Schlüsselereignisse

Prophesied as King by Elijah

God commanded the prophet Elisha to anoint Hazael as king over Aram, as an instrument of judgment against Israel.

15The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, anoint Hazael king over Aram.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו לֵ֛ךְ שׁ֥וּב לְדַרְכְּךָ֖ מִדְבַּ֣רָה דַמָּ֑שֶׂק וּבָ֗אתָ וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֧ אֶת־חֲזָאֵ֛ל לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־אֲרָֽם׃ ‬
17Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will put to death; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will put to death.
וְהָיָ֗ה הַנִּמְלָ֛ט מֵחֶ֥רֶב חֲזָאֵ֖ל יָמִ֣ית יֵה֑וּא וְהַנִּמְלָ֛ט מֵחֶ֥רֶב יֵה֖וּא יָמִ֥ית אֱלִישָֽׁע׃ ‬

The Meeting with Elisha

Hazael was sent by the sick King Ben-Hadad to the prophet Elisha to ask if he would recover. Elisha prophesied that Hazael would become king and foretold the atrocities he would commit against Israel.

7Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad king of Aram was ill. When he was told, "The man of God has come here,"
וַיָּבֹ֤א אֱלִישָׁע֙ דַּמֶּ֔שֶׂק וּבֶן־הֲדַ֥ד מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֖ם חֹלֶ֑ה וַיֻּגַּד־ל֣וֹ לֵאמֹ֔ר בָּ֛א אִ֥ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃ ‬
8the king said to Hazael, "Take a gift with you and go to meet the man of God. Inquire of the LORD through him: Will I recover from this illness?"
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶל־חֲזָהאֵ֗ל קַ֤ח בְּיָֽדְךָ֙ מִנְחָ֔ה וְלֵ֕ךְ לִקְרַ֖את אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְדָרַשְׁתָּ֨ אֶת־יְהוָ֤ה מֵֽאוֹתוֹ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הַאֶחְיֶ֖ה מֵחֳלִ֥י זֶֽה׃ ‬
9So Hazael went to meet him, taking with him a gift—the finest goods of Damascus, a load for forty camels. He came and stood before him and said, "Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask you: Will I recover from this illness?"
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ חֲזָאֵל֮ לִקְרָאתוֹ֒ וַיִּקַּ֨ח מִנְחָ֤ה בְיָדוֹ֙ וְכָל־ט֣וּב דַּמֶּ֔שֶׂק מַשָּׂ֖א אַרְבָּעִ֣ים גָּמָ֑ל וַיָּבֹא֙ וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד לְפָנָ֔יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר בִּנְךָ֨ בֶן־הֲדַ֤ד מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָם֙ שְׁלָחַ֤נִי אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הַאֶחְיֶ֖ה מֵחֳלִ֥י זֶֽה׃ ‬
10Elisha said to him, "Go and tell him, 'You will certainly recover.'[^1] Yet the LORD has shown me that he will surely die." [^1]: The written Hebrew consonants here can be read as "tell him" or as "you will not certainly recover"; the traditional reading is "tell him."
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֱלִישָׁ֔ע לֵ֥ךְ אֱמָר־*לא **ל֖וֹ חָיֹ֣ה תִחְיֶ֑ה וְהִרְאַ֥נִי יְהוָ֖ה כִּֽי־מ֥וֹת יָמֽוּת׃ ‬
11Then he fixed his gaze on him and stared until Hazael was ashamed, and the man of God wept.
וַיַּעֲמֵ֥ד אֶת־פָּנָ֖יו וַיָּ֣שֶׂם עַד־בֹּ֑שׁ וַיֵּ֖בְךְּ אִ֥ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ ‬
12"Why is my lord weeping?" Hazael asked. He answered, "Because I know the harm you will do to the people of Israel. You will set their fortresses on fire, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women."
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חֲזָאֵ֔ל מַדּ֖וּעַ אֲדֹנִ֣י בֹכֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֡אמֶר כִּֽי־יָדַ֡עְתִּי אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂה֩ לִבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל רָעָ֗ה מִבְצְרֵיהֶ֞ם תְּשַׁלַּ֤ח בָּאֵשׁ֙ וּבַחֻֽרֵיהֶם֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב תַּהֲרֹ֔ג וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם תְּרַטֵּ֔שׁ וְהָרֹתֵיהֶ֖ם תְּבַקֵּֽעַ׃ ‬
13Hazael said, "But what is your servant—a mere dog—that he should do such a great thing?" Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will become king over Aram."
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חְזָהאֵ֔ל כִּ֣י מָ֤ה עַבְדְּךָ֙ הַכֶּ֔לֶב כִּ֣י יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה הַדָּבָ֥ר הַגָּד֖וֹל הַזֶּ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלִישָׁ֔ע הִרְאַ֧נִי יְהוָ֛ה אֹתְךָ֖ מֶ֥לֶךְ עַל־אֲרָֽם׃ ‬

The Murder of Ben-Hadad

The day after meeting Elisha, Hazael killed King Ben-Hadad by suffocating him with a wet cloth and seized the throne for himself.

14Then Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, "What did Elisha say to you?" He answered, "He told me that you would certainly recover."
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ ׀ מֵאֵ֣ת אֱלִישָׁ֗ע וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ מָֽה־אָמַ֥ר לְךָ֖ אֱלִישָׁ֑ע וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָ֥מַר לִ֖י חָיֹ֥ה תִחְיֶֽה׃ ‬
15But the next day he took a blanket, soaked it in water, and spread it over the king's face, and he died. And Hazael became king in his place.
וַיְהִ֣י מִֽמָּחֳרָ֗ת וַיִּקַּ֤ח הַמַּכְבֵּר֙ וַיִּטְבֹּ֣ל בַּמַּ֔יִם וַיִּפְרֹ֥שׂ עַל־פָּנָ֖יו וַיָּמֹ֑ת וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ חֲזָהאֵ֖ל תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ פ ‬

War Against Israel at Ramoth in Gilead

Hazael waged war against King Joram of Israel at Ramoth in Gilead, where Joram was wounded fighting the Arameans.

28He went with Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram.
וַיֵּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־יוֹרָ֣ם בֶּן־אַחְאָ֗ב לַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה עִם־חֲזָהאֵ֥ל מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֖ם בְּרָמֹ֣ת גִּלְעָ֑ד וַיַּכּ֥וּ אֲרַמִּ֖ים אֶת־יוֹרָֽם׃ ‬
29So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah in his battle with Hazael king of Aram. And Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because he was ill.
וַיָּשָׁב֩ יוֹרָ֨ם הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לְהִתְרַפֵּ֣א בְיִזְרְעֶ֗אל מִן־הַמַּכִּים֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַכֻּ֤הוּ אֲרַמִּים֙ בָּֽרָמָ֔ה בְּהִלָּ֣חֲמ֔וֹ אֶת־חֲזָהאֵ֖ל מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֑ם וַאֲחַזְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־יְהוֹרָ֜ם מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֗ה יָרַ֡ד לִרְא֞וֹת אֶת־יוֹרָ֧ם בֶּן־אַחְאָ֛ב בְּיִזְרְעֶ֖אל כִּֽי־חֹלֶ֥ה הֽוּא׃ פ ‬

The Oppression of Israel

Throughout the reign of King Jehoahaz, Hazael oppressed Israel as part of God's judgment on the people for their sins.

3So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he handed them over to Hazael king of Aram and to Ben-hadad son of Hazael throughout those days.
וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יְהוָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֞ם בְּיַ֣ד ׀ חֲזָאֵ֣ל מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֗ם וּבְיַ֛ד בֶּן־הֲדַ֥ד בֶּן־חֲזָאֵ֖ל כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃ ‬
4Then Jehoahaz pleaded with the LORD, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw how Israel was oppressed—how the king of Aram was crushing them.
וַיְחַ֥ל יְהוֹאָחָ֖ז אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֤י רָאָה֙ אֶת־לַ֣חַץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּֽי־לָחַ֥ץ אֹתָ֖ם מֶ֥לֶךְ אֲרָֽם׃ ‬
22Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the days of Jehoahaz.
וַֽחֲזָאֵל֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֔ם לָחַ֖ץ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י יְהוֹאָחָֽז׃ ‬

Attack on Jerusalem

Hazael captured Gath and threatened Jerusalem, but King Joash of Judah bought him off with treasures from the temple and royal stores.

17The money from the guilt offerings and the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the LORD; it belonged to the priests.
כֶּ֤סֶף אָשָׁם֙ וְכֶ֣סֶף חַטָּא֔וֹת לֹ֥א יוּבָ֖א בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה לַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים יִהְיֽוּ׃ פ ‬
18At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up, attacked Gath, and captured it. Then he set his sights on marching against Jerusalem.
אָ֣ז יַעֲלֶ֗ה חֲזָאֵל֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֔ם וַיִּלָּ֥חֶם עַל־גַּ֖ת וַֽיִּלְכְּדָ֑הּ וַיָּ֤שֶׂם חֲזָאֵל֙ פָּנָ֔יו לַעֲל֖וֹת עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ ‬

In der Bibel erwähnt (19)