Person Old Testament
Ben-hadad
Also known as Ben-hadad =ESV, KJV; Ben-Hadad =NIV
Ben-hadad II, king of Aram, besieged Samaria during the reign of Joram and sought Elisha's counsel when ill. Mentioned in 3 verses across 1 book, first at 2 Kings 6:24.
Why it matters. King of Aram, besieged Samaria, contemporary of Elisha.
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Ben-hadad
Ben-hadad II was the king of Aram (Syria) during the time of the prophet Elisha and King Joram of Israel. In 2Ki.6.24, Ben-hadad II besieges Samaria, causing a severe famine in the city. The siege is lifted when the Lord causes the Aramean army to hear the sound of a great army, leading them to flee in fear and leave behind their provisions (2Ki.7.6-7). Later, in 2Ki.8.7-9, Ben-hadad II becomes ill and sends his servant Hazael to inquire of Elisha whether he will recover. Elisha prophesies that Ben-hadad will die and that Hazael will become king in his place. Hazael returns to Ben-hadad, telling him that he will recover, but the next day he takes a cloth, soaks it in water, and spreads it over Ben-hadad's face, causing his death. Hazael then succeeds him as king of Aram (2Ki.8.15). Ben-hadad II's reign was marked by his military campaigns against Israel and his interaction with the prophet Elisha, whose prophecies and miracles had a significant impact on the political events of the time.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 3 verses across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.