2 Kings 8

"But it happened on the next day that he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his place." v.15

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Suffocation.  Scary, torturous way to die.  It's not clear as to if Hazael killed Ben-Hadad here or if by another way the "he" in verse fifteen refers to someone else.   "It was not in Hazael's countenance that Elisha read what he would do, but God revealed it to him, and it fetched tears from his eyes: the more foresight men have, the more grief they are liable to. It is possible for a man, under the convictions and restraints of natural conscience, to express great abhorrence of a sin, yet afterwards to be reconciled to it. Those that are little and low in the world, cannot imagine how strong the temptations of power and prosperity are, which, if ever they arrive at, they will find how deceitful their hearts are, how much worse than they suspected" (Matthew Henry's Commentary).  The Hebrew word for cloth is more like carpet material, something very thick.  So it being wet and put over the face would cause suffocation very easily and with Ben-Hadad being ill and weak he could not fight it off.  Elisha had traveled to Damascus to give this prophesy concerning the king of Syria, a sad thing that he would be told he'd recover from his disease but really would die.  Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, was an enemy of Israel but because of affliction seemed to cause change of his mind toward Elisha the man of God.  Affliction to health  "often gives other thoughts of God's ministers, and teaches to value the counsels and prayers of those whom they have hated and despised."  How have you seen someone least expected do such a horrible thing?  How have you see emotions change due to affliction of health?