1 Kings 19:17 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Him that escapeth the sword of Hazael, &c.— It is evident, that the text mentions not the things according to the order of time wherein they happened; for Elisha was prophet before Hazael was king, and Hazael was king before Jehu; but they are spoken of according to the decree of God; and the words plainly mean no more than this: that God, in his providence, had appointed three persons to punish the Israelites according to their deserts; and that one or other of these should infallibly execute his judgments upon them. The only difficulty is, How the prophet Elisha can be said to slay, when by profession he was a pacific man, and never engaged in war? But when we consider the two-and-forty children which he destroyed, the sore famine which, by God's appointment, he sent upon the Israelites, Exodus 6:25 and the many dreadful prophesies and comminations (called in Scripture the sword of the mouth, Isaiah 49:2.Revelation 1:16.) which he denounced against them, and which were fulfilled, we shall find reason enough to justify the expression.