2 Kings 13:5-6

13:5 The Lord provided a deliverer ¹  for Israel and they were freed from Syria’s power. ²  The Israelites once more lived in security. ³  13:6 But they did not repudiate ⁴  the sinful ways of the family ⁵  of Jeroboam, who encouraged Israel to sin; they continued in those sins. ⁶  There was even an Asherah pole ⁷  standing in Samaria.

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.”

⁴ tn Heb “they did not turn away from.”

⁵ tn Heb “house.”

⁶ 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).

⁷ tn Or “an image of Asherah”; ASV, NASB “the Asherah”; NCV “the Asherah idol.”