Text -- 2 Kings 13:5-25 (NET)

13:5 The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel and they were freed from Syria’s power. The Israelites once more lived in security. 13:6 But they did not repudiate the sinful ways of the family of Jeroboam, who encouraged Israel to sin; they continued in those sins. There was even an Asherah pole standing in Samaria. 13:7 Jehoahaz had no army left except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Syria had destroyed his troops and trampled on them like dust. 13:8 The rest of the events of Jehoahaz’s reign, including all his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 13:9 Jehoahaz passed away and was buried in Samaria. His son Joash replaced him as king.

Jehoash’s Reign over Israel

13:10 In the thirty-seventh year of King Joash’s reign over Judah, Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for sixteen years. 13:11 He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not repudiate the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin; he continued in those sins. 13:12 The rest of the events of Joash’s reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 13:13 Joash passed away and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Elisha Makes One Final Prophecy

13:14 Now Elisha had a terminal illness. King Joash of Israel went down to visit him. He wept before him and said, “My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!” 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 13:5

¹ sn The identity of this unnamed “deliverer” is debated. For options see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 143.

² tn Heb “and they went from under the hand of Syria.”

³ tn Heb “and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as before.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:6

¹ tn Heb “they did not turn away from.”

² tn Heb “house.”

³ tc Heb “in it he walked.” The singular verb (הָלַךְ, halakh) is probably due to an error of haplography and should be emended to the plural (הָלְכּוּ, halÿku). Note that a vav immediately follows (on the form וְגַם, vÿgam).

⁴ tn Or “an image of Asherah”; ASV, NASB “the Asherah”; NCV “the Asherah idol.”

sn Asherah was a leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles. These were to be burned or cut down (Deut 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4).

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:7

¹ tn Heb “Indeed he did not leave to Jehoahaz people.” The identity of the subject is uncertain, but the king of Syria, mentioned later in the verse, is a likely candidate.

² tn Heb “them,” i.e., the remainder of this troops.

³ tn Heb “and made them like dust for trampling.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:8

¹ tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehoahaz, and all which he did and his strength, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:9

¹ tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”

² tn Heb “and they buried him.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:10

¹ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:11

¹ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

² tn Heb “turn away from all.”

³ tn Heb “in it he walked.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:12

¹ sn Jehoash and Joash are alternate forms of the same name.

² tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Joash, and all which he did and his strength, [and] how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:13

¹ tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”

² tn Heb “sat on his throne.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 13:14

¹ tn Heb “Now Elisha was ill with the illness by which he would die.”

² tn Heb “went down to him.”

³ tn Though the noun is singular here, it may be collective, in which case it could be translated “chariots.”

⁴ sn By comparing Elisha to a one-man army, the king emphasizes the power of the prophetic word. See the note at 2:12.

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.”