Discovery Box2 Kings 13:16-25
Context13:16 Then Elisha 1 told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.” 2 He did so, 3 and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. 13:17 Elisha 4 said, “Open the east window,” and he did so. 5 Elisha said, “Shoot!” and
he did so. 6 Elisha 7 said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria. 8 You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!” 9 13:18 Then Elisha 10 said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so. 11 He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 13:19 The prophet 12 got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! 13 But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”
13:20 Elisha died and was buried. 14 Moabite raiding parties invaded 15 the land at the beginning of the year. 16 13:21 One day some men 17 were burying a man when they spotted 18 a raiding party. So they threw the dead man 19 into Elisha’s tomb. When the body 20 touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man 21 came to life and stood on his feet.
13:22 Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign. 22 13:23 But the Lord had mercy on them and felt pity for them. 23 He extended his favor to them 24 because of the promise he had made 25 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day. 26 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 27 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.
[13:16] 1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:16] 2 tn Heb “Cause your hand to ride on the bow.”
[13:16] 3 tn Heb “and he caused his hand to ride.”
[13:17] 4 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:17] 5 tn Heb “He opened [it].”
[13:17] 6 tn Heb “and he shot.”
[13:17] 7 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:17] 8 tn Heb “The arrow of victory of the
[13:17] 9 tn Heb “you will strike down Syria in Aphek until destruction.”
[13:18] 10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:18] 11 tn Heb “and he took [them].”
[13:19] 12 tn Heb “man of God.”
[13:19] 13 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] 14 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
[13:20] 16 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] 17 tn Heb “and it so happened [that] they.”
[13:21] 18 tn Heb “and look, they saw.”
[13:21] 19 tn Heb “the man”; the adjective “dead” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[13:21] 21 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] 22 tn Heb “all the days of Jehoahaz.”
[13:23] 23 tn Or “showed them compassion.”
[13:23] 24 tn Heb “he turned to them.”
[13:23] 25 tn Heb “because of his covenant with.”
