Bible Reading April 9 
2 Kings 11:1--14:29
Context11:1 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she was determined to destroy the entire royal line. 1 11:2 So Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Ahaziah’s son Joash and sneaked 2 him away from the rest of the royal descendants who were to be executed. She hid him and his nurse in the room where the bed covers were stored. 3 So he was hidden from Athaliah and escaped execution. 4 11:3 He hid out with his nurse in the Lord’s temple 5 for six years, while Athaliah was ruling over the land.
11:4 In the seventh year Jehoiada summoned 6 the officers of the units of hundreds of the Carians 7 and the royal bodyguard. 8 He met with them 9 in the Lord’s temple. He made an agreement 10 with them and made them swear an oath of allegiance in the Lord’s temple. Then he showed them the king’s son. 11:5 He ordered them, “This is what you must do. One third of the unit that is on duty during the Sabbath will guard the royal palace. 11:6 Another third of you will be stationed at the Foundation 11 Gate. Still another third of you will be stationed at the gate behind the royal guard. 12 You will take turns guarding the palace. 13 11:7 The two units who are off duty on the Sabbath will guard the Lord’s temple and protect the king. 14 11:8 You must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever approaches your ranks must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.” 15
11:9 The officers of the units of hundreds did just as 16 Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath, and reported 17 to Jehoiada the priest. 11:10 The priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King David’s spears and the shields that were kept in the Lord’s temple. 11:11 The royal bodyguard 18 took their stations, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. 19 11:12 Jehoiada 20 led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia. 21 They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head. 22 They clapped their hands and cried out, “Long live the king!”
11:13 When Athaliah heard the royal guard 23 shout, she joined the crowd 24 at the Lord’s temple. 11:14 Then she saw 25 the king standing by the pillar, according to custom. The officers stood beside the king with their trumpets and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!” 26 11:15 Jehoiada the priest ordered the officers of the units of hundreds, who were in charge of the army, 27 “Bring her outside the temple to the guards. 28 Put the sword to anyone who follows her.” The priest gave this order because he had decided she should not be executed in the Lord’s temple. 29 11:16 They seized her and took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses’ entrance. 30 There she was executed.
11:17 Jehoiada then drew up a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, stipulating that they should be loyal to the Lord. 31 11:18 All the people of the land went and demolished 32 the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols 33 to bits. 34 They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altar. Jehoiada the priest 35 then placed guards at the Lord’s temple. 11:19 He took the officers of the units of hundreds, the Carians, the royal bodyguard, and all the people of land, and together they led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Gate of the Royal Bodyguard, 36 and the king 37 sat down on the royal throne. 11:20 All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah with the sword in the royal palace.
11:21 (12:1) 38 Jehoash 39 was seven years old when he began to reign. 12:1 (12:2) In Jehu’s seventh year Jehoash became king; he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. 40 His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 12:2 Throughout his lifetime Jehoash did what the Lord approved, 41 just as 42 Jehoiada the priest taught him. 12:3 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.
12:4 Jehoash said to the priests, “I place at your disposal 43 all the consecrated silver that has been brought to the Lord’s temple, including the silver collected from the census tax, 44 the silver received from those who have made vows, 45 and all the silver that people have voluntarily contributed to the Lord’s temple. 46 12:5 The priests should receive the silver they need from the treasurers and repair any damage to the temple they discover.” 47
12:6 By the twenty-third year of King Jehoash’s reign the priests had still not repaired the damage to the temple. 12:7 So King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest along with the other priests, and said to them, “Why have you not repaired the damage to the temple? Now, take no more silver from your treasurers unless you intend to use it to repair the damage.” 48 12:8 The priests agreed 49 not to collect silver from the people and relieved themselves of personal responsibility for the temple repairs. 50
12:9 Jehoiada the priest took a chest and drilled a hole in its lid. He placed it on the right side of the altar near the entrance of 51 the Lord’s temple. The priests who guarded the entrance would put into it all the silver brought to the Lord’s temple. 12:10 When they saw the chest was full of silver, the royal secretary 52 and the high priest counted the silver that had been brought to the Lord’s temple and bagged it up. 53 12:11 They would then hand over 54 the silver that had been weighed to the construction foremen 55 assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and builders to work on the Lord’s temple, 12:12 as well as masons and stonecutters. They bought wood and chiseled stone to repair the damage to the Lord’s temple and also paid for all the other expenses. 56 12:13 The silver brought to the Lord’s temple was not used for silver bowls, trimming shears, basins, trumpets, or any kind of gold or silver implements. 12:14 It was handed over 57 to the foremen who used it to repair the Lord’s temple. 12:15 They did not audit the treasurers who disbursed 58 the funds to the foremen, for they were honest. 59 12:16 (The silver collected in conjunction with reparation offerings and sin offerings was not brought to the Lord’s temple; it belonged to the priests.)
12:17 At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked 60 Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem. 61 12:18 King Jehoash of Judah collected all the sacred items that his ancestors Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, kings of Judah, had consecrated, as well as his own sacred items and all the gold that could be found in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. He sent it all 62 to King Hazael of Syria, who then withdrew 63 from Jerusalem.
12:19 The rest of the events of Joash’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 64 12:20 His servants conspired against him 65 and murdered Joash at Beth-Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla. 66 12:21 His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer murdered him. 67 He was buried 68 with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Amaziah replaced him as king.
13:1 In the twenty-third year of the reign of Judah’s King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehu’s son Jehoahaz became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria 69 for seventeen years. 13:2 He did evil in the sight of 70 the Lord. He continued in 71 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had encouraged Israel to sin; he did not repudiate those sins. 72 13:3 The Lord was furious with 73 Israel and handed them over to 74 King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael’s son Ben Hadad for many years. 75
13:4 Jehoahaz asked for the Lord’s mercy 76 and the Lord responded favorably, 77 for he saw that Israel was oppressed by the king of Syria. 78 13:5 The Lord provided a deliverer 79 for Israel and they were freed from Syria’s power. 80 The Israelites once more lived in security. 81 13:6 But they did not repudiate 82 the sinful ways of the family 83 of Jeroboam, who encouraged Israel to sin; they continued in those sins. 84 There was even an Asherah pole 85 standing in Samaria. 13:7 Jehoahaz had no army left 86 except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Syria had destroyed his troops 87 and trampled on them like dust. 88
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. 89 13:9 Jehoahaz passed away 90 and was buried 91 in Samaria. His son Joash replaced him as king.
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 92 for sixteen years. 13:11 He did evil in the sight of 93 the Lord. He did not repudiate 94 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin; he continued in those sins. 95 13:12 The rest of the events of Joash’s 96 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. 97 13:13 Joash passed away 98 and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. 99 Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
13:14 Now Elisha had a terminal illness. 100 King Joash of Israel went down to visit him. 101 He wept before him and said, “My father, my father! The chariot 102 and horsemen of Israel!” 103 13:15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 104 13:16 Then Elisha 105 told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.” 106 He did so, 107 and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. 13:17 Elisha 108 said, “Open the east window,” and he did so. 109 Elisha said, “Shoot!” and
he did so. 110 Elisha 111 said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria. 112 You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!” 113 13:18 Then Elisha 114 said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so. 115 He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 13:19 The prophet 116 got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! 117 But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”
13:20 Elisha died and was buried. 118 Moabite raiding parties invaded 119 the land at the beginning of the year. 120 13:21 One day some men 121 were burying a man when they spotted 122 a raiding party. So they threw the dead man 123 into Elisha’s tomb. When the body 124 touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man 125 came to life and stood on his feet.
13:22 Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign. 126 13:23 But the Lord had mercy on them and felt pity for them. 127 He extended his favor to them 128 because of the promise he had made 129 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day. 130 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 131 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.
14:1 In the second year of the reign of Israel’s King Joash son of Joahaz, 132 Joash’s 133 son Amaziah became king over Judah. 14:2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. 134 His mother 135 was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 14:3 He did what the Lord approved, 136 but not like David his father. He followed the example of his father Joash. 137 14:4 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.
14:5 When he had secured control of the kingdom, 138 he executed the servants who had assassinated his father. 139 14:6 But he did not execute the sons of the assassins. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the law scroll of Moses, 140 “Fathers must not be put to death for what their sons do, 141 and sons must not be put to death for what their fathers do. 142 A man must be put to death only for his own sin.” 143
14:7 He defeated 144 10,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley; he captured Sela in battle and renamed it Joktheel, a name it has retained to this very day. 14:8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel. He said, “Come, let’s meet face to face.” 145 14:9 King Jehoash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thornbush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal 146 of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn. 147 14:10 You thoroughly defeated Edom 148 and it has gone to your head! 149 Gloat over your success, 150 but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?” 151 14:11 But Amaziah would not heed the warning, 152 so King Jehoash of Israel attacked. 153 He and King Amaziah of Judah met face to face 154 in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 14:12 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home. 155 14:13 King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, in Beth Shemesh. He 156 attacked 157 Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate – a distance of about six hundred feet. 158 14:14 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and some hostages. 159 Then he went back to Samaria. 160
( 14:15 The rest of the events of Jehoash’s 161 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. 162 14:16 Jehoash passed away 163 and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam replaced him as king.)
14:17 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 14:18 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 164 14:19 Conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem, 165 so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him 166 and they killed him there. 14:20 His body was carried back by horses 167 and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the city of David. 14:21 All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place. 14:22 Azariah 168 built up Elat and restored it to Judah after the king 169 had passed away. 170
14:23 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Judah’s King Amaziah, son of Joash, Jeroboam son of Joash became king over Israel. He reigned for forty-one years in Samaria. 171 14:24 He did evil in the sight of 172 the Lord; he did not repudiate 173 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 14:25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo Hamath in the north to the sea of the Arabah in the south, 174 in accordance with the word of the Lord God of Israel announced through 175 his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. 14:26 The Lord saw Israel’s intense suffering; 176 everyone was weak and incapacitated and Israel had no deliverer. 177 14:27 The Lord had not decreed that he would blot out Israel’s memory 178 from under heaven, 179 so he delivered them through Jeroboam son of Joash.
14:28 The rest of the events of Jeroboam’s reign, including all his accomplishments, his military success in restoring Israelite control over Damascus and Hamath, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 180 14:29 Jeroboam passed away 181 and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. 182 His son Zechariah replaced him as king.
[11:1] 1 tn Heb “she arose and she destroyed all the royal offspring.” The verb קוּם (qum) “arise,” is here used in an auxiliary sense to indicate that she embarked on a campaign to destroy the royal offspring. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 125.
[11:2] 3 tn Heb “him and his nurse in an inner room of beds.” The verb is missing in the Hebrew text. The parallel passage in 2 Chr 22:11 has “and she put” at the beginning of the clause. M. Cogan and H. Tadmor (II Kings [AB], 126) regard the Chronicles passage as an editorial attempt to clarify the difficulty of the original text. They prefer to take “him and his nurse” as objects of the verb “stole” and understand “in the bedroom” as the place where the royal descendants were executed. The phrase בַּחֲדַר הַמִּטּוֹת (bakhadar hammittot), “an inner room of beds,” is sometimes understood as referring to a bedroom (HALOT 293 s.v. חֶדֶר), though some prefer to see here a “room where the covers and cloths were kept for the beds (HALOT 573 s.v. מִטָּת). In either case, it may have been a temporary hideout, for v. 3 indicates that the child hid in the temple for six years.
[11:2] 4 tn Heb “and they hid him from Athaliah and he was not put to death.” The subject of the plural verb (“they hid”) is probably indefinite.
[11:3] 5 tn Heb “and he was with her [in] the house of the
[11:4] 6 tn Heb “Jehoiada sent and took.”
[11:4] 7 sn The Carians were apparently a bodyguard, probably comprised of foreigners. See HALOT 497 s.v. כָּרִי and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 126.
[11:4] 8 tn Heb “the runners.”
[11:4] 9 tn Heb “he brought them to himself.”
[11:6] 11 tn Heb “the gate of Sur” (followed by many English versions) but no such gate is mentioned elsewhere in the OT. The parallel account in 2 Chr 23:5 has “Foundation Gate.” סוּר (sur), “Sur,” may be a corruption of יְסוֹד (yÿsod) “foundation,” involving in part dalet-resh confusion.
[11:6] 12 tn Heb “the runners.”
[11:6] 13 tn The meaning of מַסָּח (massakh) is not certain. The translation above, rather than understanding it as a genitive modifying “house,” takes it as an adverb describing how the groups will guard the palace. See HALOT 605 s.v. מַסָּח for the proposed meaning “alternating” (i.e., “in turns”).
[11:7] 14 tn Verses 5b-7 read literally, “the third of you, the ones entering [on] the Sabbath and the ones guarding the guard of the house of the king, and the third in the gate of Sur, and the third in the gate behind the runners, and you will guard the guard of the house, alternating. And the two units of you, all the ones going out [on] the Sabbath, and they will guard the guard of the house of the
[11:8] 15 tn Heb “and be with the king in his going out and in his coming in.”
[11:9] 16 tn Heb “according to all that.”
[11:11] 18 tn Heb “the runners” (also in v. 19).
[11:11] 19 tn Heb “and the runners stood, each with his weapons in his hand, from the south shoulder of the house to the north shoulder of the house, at the altar and at the house, near the king all around.”
[11:12] 20 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoiada) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:12] 21 tn The Hebrew term עֵדוּת (’edut) normally means “witness” or “testimony.” Here it probably refers to some tangible symbol of kingship, perhaps a piece of jewelry such as an amulet or neck chain. See the discussion in M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 128. Some suggest that a document is in view, perhaps a copy of the royal protocol or of the stipulations of the Davidic covenant. See HALOT 790-91 s.v. עֵדוּת.
[11:12] 22 tn Or “they made him king and anointed him.”
[11:13] 23 tc The MT reads, “and Athaliah heard the sound of the runners, the people.” The term הָעָם (ha’am), “the people,” is probably a scribal addition anticipating the reference to the people later in the verse and in v. 14.
[11:13] 24 tn Heb “she came to the people.”
[11:14] 25 tn Heb “and she saw, and look.”
[11:14] 26 tn Or “conspiracy, conspiracy.”
[11:15] 27 tn The Hebrew text also has, “and said to them.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated.
[11:15] 29 tn Heb “for the priest had said, ‘Let her not be put to death in the house of the
[11:16] 30 tn Heb “and they placed hands on her, and she went the way of the entrance of the horses [into] the house of the king.”
[11:17] 31 tn Heb “and Jehoiada made a covenant between the
[11:18] 34 tn The Hebrew construction translated “smashed…to bits” is emphatic. The adverbial infinitive absolute (הֵיטֵב [hetev], “well”) accompanying the Piel form of the verb שָׁבַר (shavar), “break,” suggests thorough demolition.
[11:18] 35 tn Heb “the priest.” Jehoiada’s name is added for clarification.
[11:19] 36 tn Heb “the Gate of the Runners of the House of the King.”
[11:19] 37 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:21] 38 sn Beginning with 11:21, the verse numbers through 12:21 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 11:21 ET = 12:1 HT, 12:1 ET = 12:2 HT, 12:2 ET = 12:3 HT, etc., through 12:21 ET = 12:22 HT. With 13:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
[11:21] 39 tn Jehoash is an alternate name for Joash (see 11:2).
[12:1] 40 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[12:2] 41 tn Heb “and Jehoash did what was proper in the eyes of the
[12:2] 42 tn Heb “that which.” Jehoiada taught the king the Lord’s will.
[12:4] 43 tn The words “I place at your disposal” are added in the translation for clarification.
[12:4] 44 tn Heb “the silver of passing over a man.” The precise meaning of the phrase is debated, but עָבַר (’avar), “pass over,” probably refers here to counting, suggesting the reference is to a census conducted for taxation purposes. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 137.
[12:4] 45 tn Heb “the silver of persons, his valuation.” The precise meaning of the phrase is uncertain, but parallels in Lev 27 suggest that personal vows are referred to here. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 137.
[12:4] 46 tn Heb “all the silver which goes up on the heart of a man to bring to the house of the
[12:5] 47 tn Heb “Let the priests take for themselves, each from his treasurer, and let them repair the damage of the temple, with respect to all the damage that is found there.” The word מַכָּר (makar), translated here “treasurer,” occurs only in this passage. Some suggest it means “merchant” or “benefactor.” Its usage in Ugaritic texts, where it appears in a list of temple officials, suggests that it refers in this context to individuals who were in charge of disbursing temple funds.
[12:7] 48 tn Heb “Now, do not take silver from your treasurers, because for the damages to the temple you must give it.”
[12:8] 49 tn Outside of this passage the verb אוּת (’ut) appears only in Gen 34:15-22.
[12:8] 50 tn Heb “and not to repair the damages to the temple.” This does not mean that the priests were no longer interested in repairing the temple. As the following context makes clear, the priests decided to hire skilled workers to repair the damage to the temple, rather than trying to make the repairs themselves.
[12:9] 51 tn Heb “on the right side of the altar as a man enters.”
[12:10] 52 tn Heb “the king’s scribe.”
[12:10] 53 tn Heb “went up and tied [it] and counted the silver that was found in the house of the
[12:11] 54 tn Heb “would give.”
[12:11] 55 tn Heb “doers of the work.”
[12:12] 56 tn Heb “and for all that which was going out concerning the house for repair.”
[12:14] 57 tn Heb “was given.”
[12:15] 59 tn Heb “and they did not conduct a reckoning of the men who gave the silver into their hand to give to the doers of the work, for in honesty they were working.”
[12:17] 60 tn Heb “went up and fought against.”
[12:17] 61 tn Heb “Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem.”
[12:18] 62 tn The object (“it all”) is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[12:19] 64 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Joash, and all which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”
[12:20] 65 tn Heb “rose up and conspired [with] a conspiracy.”
[12:20] 66 tn Heb “Beth Millo which goes down [toward] Silla.”
[12:21] 67 tn Heb “struck him down and he died.”
[12:21] 68 tn Heb “they buried him.”
[13:1] 69 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[13:2] 70 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[13:2] 71 tn Heb “walked after.”
[13:2] 72 tn Heb “he did not turn aside from it.”
[13:3] 73 tn Heb “and the anger of the
[13:3] 74 tn Heb “he gave them into the hand of.”
[13:3] 75 tn Heb “all the days.”
[13:4] 76 tn Heb “appeased the face of the
[13:4] 77 tn Heb “and the
[13:4] 78 tn Heb “for he saw the oppression of Israel, for the king of Syria oppressed them.”
[13:5] 79 sn The identity of this unnamed “deliverer” is debated. For options see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 143.
[13:5] 80 tn Heb “and they went from under the hand of Syria.”
[13:5] 81 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as before.”
[13:6] 82 tn Heb “they did not turn away from.”
[13:6] 84 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).
[13:6] 85 tn Or “an image of Asherah”; ASV, NASB “the Asherah”; NCV “the Asherah idol.”
[13:7] 86 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.
[13:7] 87 tn Heb “them,” i.e., the remainder of this troops.
[13:7] 88 tn Heb “and made them like dust for trampling.”
[13:8] 89 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?”
[13:9] 90 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[13:9] 91 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
[13:10] 92 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[13:11] 93 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[13:11] 94 tn Heb “turn away from all.”
[13:11] 95 tn Heb “in it he walked.”
[13:12] 96 sn Jehoash and Joash are alternate forms of the same name.
[13:12] 97 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?”
[13:13] 98 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[13:13] 99 tn Heb “sat on his throne.”
[13:14] 100 tn Heb “Now Elisha was ill with the illness by which he would die.”
[13:14] 101 tn Heb “went down to him.”
[13:14] 102 tn Though the noun is singular here, it may be collective, in which case it could be translated “chariots.”
[13:14] 103 sn By comparing Elisha to a one-man army, the king emphasizes the power of the prophetic word. See the note at 2:12.
[13:15] 104 tn Heb “and he took a bow and some arrows.”
[13:16] 105 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:16] 106 tn Heb “Cause your hand to ride on the bow.”
[13:16] 107 tn Heb “and he caused his hand to ride.”
[13:17] 108 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:17] 109 tn Heb “He opened [it].”
[13:17] 110 tn Heb “and he shot.”
[13:17] 111 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:17] 112 tn Heb “The arrow of victory of the
[13:17] 113 tn Heb “you will strike down Syria in Aphek until destruction.”
[13:18] 114 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:18] 115 tn Heb “and he took [them].”
[13:19] 116 tn Heb “man of God.”
[13:19] 117 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.
[13:20] 118 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
[13:20] 120 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.
[13:21] 121 tn Heb “and it so happened [that] they.”
[13:21] 122 tn Heb “and look, they saw.”
[13:21] 123 tn Heb “the man”; the adjective “dead” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[13:21] 125 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.
[13:22] 126 tn Heb “all the days of Jehoahaz.”
[13:23] 127 tn Or “showed them compassion.”
[13:23] 128 tn Heb “he turned to them.”
[13:23] 129 tn Heb “because of his covenant with.”
[13:23] 130 tn Heb “until now.”
[13:25] 131 tn Heb “from the hand of.”
[14:1] 132 sn The name Joahaz is an alternate form of Jehoahaz.
[14:1] 133 sn The referent here is Joash of Judah (see 12:21), not Joash of Israel, mentioned earlier in the verse.
[14:2] 134 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[14:2] 135 tn Heb “the name of his mother.”
[14:3] 136 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[14:3] 137 tn Heb “according to all which Joash his father had done, he did.”
[14:5] 138 tn Heb “when the kingdom was secure in his hand.”
[14:5] 139 tn Heb “he struck down his servants, the ones who had struck down the king, his father.”
[14:6] 140 tn Heb “as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses which the
[14:6] 141 tn Heb “on account of sons.”
[14:6] 142 tn Heb “on account of fathers.”
[14:6] 143 sn This law is recorded in Deut 24:16.
[14:7] 144 tn Or “struck down.”
[14:8] 145 tn Heb “let us look at each other [in the] face.” The expression refers here to meeting in battle. See v. 11.
[14:9] 146 tn Heb “the animal of the field.”
[14:9] 147 sn Judah is the thorn in the allegory. Amaziah’s success has deceived him into thinking he is on the same level as the major powers in the area (symbolized by the cedar). In reality he is not capable of withstanding an attack by a real military power such as Israel (symbolized by the wild animal).
[14:10] 148 tn Or “you have indeed defeated Edom.”
[14:10] 149 tn Heb “and your heart has lifted you up.”
[14:10] 150 tn Heb “be glorified.”
[14:10] 151 tn Heb “Why get involved in calamity and fall, you and Judah with you?”
[14:11] 152 tn Heb “did not listen.”
[14:11] 154 tn Heb “looked at each other [in the] face.”
[14:12] 155 tn Heb “and Judah was struck down before Israel and they fled, each to his tent.”
[14:13] 156 tc The MT has the plural form of the verb, but the final vav (ו) is virtually dittographic. The word that immediately follows in the Hebrew text begins with a yod (י). The form should be emended to the singular, which is consistent in number with the verb (“he broke down”) that follows.
[14:13] 158 tn Heb “four hundred cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about eighteen inches (45 cm) long.
[14:14] 159 tn Heb “the sons of the pledges.”
[14:14] 160 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[14:15] 161 sn Jehoash and Joash are alternate forms of the same name.
[14:15] 162 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehoash, 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?”
[14:16] 163 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[14:18] 164 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Amaziah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”
[14:19] 165 tn Heb “and they conspired against him [with] a conspiracy in Jerusalem.”
[14:19] 166 tn Heb “and they sent after him to Lachish.”
[14:20] 167 tn Heb “and they carried him on horses.”
[14:22] 168 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Azariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:22] 169 sn This must refer to Amaziah.
[14:22] 170 tn Heb “lay with his fathers.”
[14:23] 171 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[14:24] 172 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[14:24] 173 tn Heb “turn away from all.”
[14:25] 174 tn The phrases “in the north” and “in the south” are added in the translation for clarification.
[14:25] 175 tn Heb “which he spoke by the hand of.”
[14:26] 176 tc Heb “for the
[14:26] 177 tn Heb “[there was] none but the restrained, and [there was] none but the abandoned, and there was no deliverer for Israel.” On the meaning of the terms עָצוּר (’atsur) and עָזוּב (’azur), see the note at 1 Kgs 14:10.
[14:27] 179 tn The phrase “from under heaven” adds emphasis to the verb “blot out” and suggest total annihilation. For other examples of the verb מָחָה (makhah), “blot out,” combined with “from under heaven,” see Exod 17:14; Deut 9:14; 25:19; 29:20.
[14:28] 180 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jeroboam, and all which he did and his strength, [and] how he fought and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?” The phrase “to Judah” is probably not original; it may be a scribal addition by a Judahite scribe who was trying to link Jeroboam’s conquests with the earlier achievements of David and Solomon, who ruled in Judah. The Syriac Peshitta has simply “to Israel.” M. Cogan and H. Tadmor (II Kings [AB], 162) offer this proposal, but acknowledge that it is “highly speculative.”
[14:29] 181 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[14:29] 182 tn The MT has simply “with the kings of Israel,” which appears to stand in apposition to the immediately preceding “with his fathers.” But it is likely that the words “and he was buried in Samaria” have been accidentally omitted from the text. See 13:13 and 14:16.
