Ben-hadad

3So the LORD became angry with Israel. He let Hazael, the king of Syria, beat them. Hazael's son Ben-hadad beat them too. This kept happening again and again.

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days.

NoteSyria was a country next to Israel, on the north side. Its army fought Israel many times.

4Then Jehoahaz begged the LORD to help. The LORD listened to him. He saw how badly the king of Syria was hurting Israel.

And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.

5The LORD sent someone to save Israel. They got away from the power of the Syrians. Then the people of Israel lived in their own homes again, like before.

(And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.

NoteThe Bible does not tell us this helper's name. He was someone God used to push the Syrian army back.

6But they still did not stop the sins of Jeroboam's family. They kept on doing them. The tall wooden pole for a false god still stood in Samaria.

Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)

NotePeople set up tall wooden poles to honor a false god named Asherah. Standing a pole up was their way of worshiping her.

7Jehoahaz had almost no army left. He had only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand soldiers on foot. The king of Syria had wiped out the rest. He crushed them like dust.

Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.

NoteA chariot is a small cart pulled by horses. Soldiers rode in chariots to fight. Fifty horsemen and ten chariots is a very small army.

22Hazael the king of Syria kept hurting Israel the whole time Jehoahaz was king.

But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

23But the LORD was kind to Israel and felt sorry for them. He turned toward them because of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He would not destroy them or send them away from him.

And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

NoteAbraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived long before this. All of Israel came from their family. God had promised them long ago to care for their family.

24Then Hazael the king of Syria died. His son Ben-hadad became king after him.

So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead.

25Hazael had taken some towns from Jehoahaz in war. Now Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took those towns back from Ben-hadad. Joash beat him three times and won the cities of Israel back.

And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.

3This is what the LORD says: "The city of Damascus has done wrong again and again. I will not hold back their punishment. They crushed the people of Gilead under heavy iron tools."

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:

NoteDamascus was the biggest city in Syria, north of Israel. Gilead was land where God's people lived. Farmers had a heavy board with sharp iron teeth. They dragged it over grain to break the seeds loose. Amos says the soldiers hurt people the way that board crushed grain. Saying "three wrongs, and four" meant more wrongs than you could count.

4"So I will send fire on the family of King Hazael. It will burn up the palaces of King Benhadad."

But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.

NoteHazael and Benhadad were kings of Syria long ago. "The house of Hazael" means his family and everything he ruled. Palaces are the big strong houses where kings live.

5"I will break the heavy bar that locks the gates of Damascus. I will take away the ruler of the valley called Aven. I will take away the one who holds the king's staff in Beth Eden. The people of Syria will be marched away to a land called Kir," says the LORD.

I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.

NoteCity gates were held shut by a heavy wooden bar. If the bar breaks, the city cannot keep enemies out. The king's staff was a special stick a ruler carried. Holding it meant you were the one in charge. Kir was a land far away. Armies marched beaten people there so they could not fight back.