2 Kings 8:11
“And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Elisha fixes his gaze intently on Hazael until Hazael is overcome with shame, and Elisha weeps.
Context
Elishas intense stare and tears are his response to what God has revealed to him about Hazaels future. Hazael sees in the prophets face the weight of what he will become.
What Does 2 Kings 8:11 Mean?
Elisha does not look away. He settles his countenance on Hazael, fixing his gaze with such intensity that Hazael becomes ashamed. What does a man see when he sees himself through the eyes of a prophet? Hazael sees, in that gaze, the knowledge of what he will do. The cruelties he will commit, the cities he will burn, the children he will dash in pieces. In Elishas eyes, Hazael sees the future that his own hands will create.
And Elisha weeps. This is the prophets heart laid bare. He does not despise Hazael or turn away in righteous anger. He weeps as one who sees a man about to become an instrument of terrible suffering. These tears express the sorrow of prophecy, the burden of seeing what will be and being unable to prevent it. Hazael sees himself truly in that moment, and the prophet grieves for what he will choose to become.
In the Original Language
stedfastly (koumaz / qum), to stand firm, to establish -- here metaphorically, to fix ones gaze unmoved
Application
Sometimes the most powerful witness to truth is silence and a clear, steady gaze. Elisha does not lecture Hazael; he looks at him and weeps. When we see clearly what someone is about to do, and we grieve for them, we bear witness to Gods love and to the serious consequences of our choices.