1 Kings 19:15

The wilderness of Damascus] i.e. the Syrian desert in which D. is situated. Anoint] not used in a strict sense, since neither Hazael nor Elisha is described as having been anointed, whilst Jehu was anointed not by Elijah but by a young prophet commissioned by Elisha (2 Kings 9). The lesson which the direction given to Elijah in this v. conveyed was that he still had work to do even though he might not see the issue of it. He was not to relinquish it as he had desired (1 Kings 19:4), just because he was himself unsuccessful, but was to transmit it to others, and so pave the way for success in the distant future. Hazael] see 2 Kings 8:8.