Text -- 2 Kings 13:15-25 (NET)

13:15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 13:16 Then Elisha told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.” He did so, and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. 13:17 Elisha said, “Open the east window,” and he did so. Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he did so. Elisha said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria. You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!” 13:18 Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so. He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 13:19 The prophet got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.” 13:20 Elisha died and was buried. Moabite raiding parties invaded the land at the beginning of the year. 13:21 One day some men were burying a man when they spotted a raiding party. So they threw the dead man into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man came to life and stood on his feet. 13:22 Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign. 13:23 But the Lord had mercy on them and felt pity for them. He extended his favor to them because of the promise he had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day. 13:24 When King Hazael of Syria died, his son Ben Hadad replaced him as king. 13:25 Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash took back from Ben Hadad son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from his father Jehoahaz in war. Joash defeated him three times and recovered the Israelite cities.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:15

¹ tn Heb “and he took a bow and some arrows.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:16

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Heb “Cause your hand to ride on the bow.”

³ tn Heb “and he caused his hand to ride.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:17

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Heb “He opened [it].”

³ tn Heb “and he shot.”

⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “The arrow of victory of the Lord and the arrow of victory over Syria.”

⁶ tn Heb “you will strike down Syria in Aphek until destruction.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:18

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Heb “and he took [them].”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:19

¹ tn Heb “man of God.”

² tn Heb “[It was necessary] to strike five or six times, then you would strike down Syria until destruction.” On the syntax of the infinitive construct, see GKC 349 §114.k.

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:20

¹ tn Heb “and they buried him.”

² tn Heb “entered.”

³ tc The MT reading בָּא שָׁנָה (ba’ shanah), “it came, year,” should probably be emended to בְּבָּא הַשָּׁנָה (bÿba’ hashanah), “at the coming [i.e., ‘beginning’] of the year.” See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 148.

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:21

¹ tn Heb “and it so happened [that] they.”

² tn Heb “and look, they saw.”

³ tn Heb “the man”; the adjective “dead” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Heb “the man.”

⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the dead man) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Otherwise the reader might think it was Elisha rather than the unnamed dead man who came back to life.

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:22

¹ tn Heb “all the days of Jehoahaz.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:23

¹ tn Or “showed them compassion.”

² tn Heb “he turned to them.”

³ tn Heb “because of his covenant with.”

⁴ tn Heb “until now.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:25

¹ tn Heb “from the hand of.”