Discovery Box2 Kings 16:1
Context16:1 In the seventeenth year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah, Jotham’s son Ahaz became king over Judah.
2 Kings 12:1--13:25
Context12:1 (12:2) In Jehu’s seventh year Jehoash became king; he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. 1 His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 12:2 Throughout his lifetime Jehoash did what the Lord approved, 2 just as 3 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 4 all the consecrated silver that has been brought to the Lord’s temple, including the silver collected from the census tax, 5 the silver received from those who have made vows, 6 and all the silver that people have voluntarily contributed to the Lord’s temple. 7 12:5 The priests should receive the silver they need from the treasurers and repair any damage to the temple they discover.” 8
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.” 9 12:8 The priests agreed 10 not to collect silver from the people and relieved themselves of personal responsibility for the temple repairs. 11
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 12 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 13 and the high priest counted the silver that had been brought to the Lord’s temple and bagged it up. 14 12:11 They would then hand over 15 the silver that had been weighed to the construction foremen 16 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. 17 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 18 to the foremen who used it to repair the Lord’s temple. 12:15 They did not audit the treasurers who disbursed 19 the funds to the foremen, for they were honest. 20 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 21 Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem. 22 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 23 to King Hazael of Syria, who then withdrew 24 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. 25 12:20 His servants conspired against him 26 and murdered Joash at Beth-Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla. 27 12:21 His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer murdered him. 28 He was buried 29 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 30 for seventeen years. 13:2 He did evil in the sight of 31 the Lord. He continued in 32 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had encouraged Israel to sin; he did not repudiate those sins. 33 13:3 The Lord was furious with 34 Israel and handed them over to 35 King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael’s son Ben Hadad for many years. 36
13:4 Jehoahaz asked for the Lord’s mercy 37 and the Lord responded favorably, 38 for he saw that Israel was oppressed by the king of Syria. 39 13:5 The Lord provided a deliverer 40 for Israel and they were freed from Syria’s power. 41 The Israelites once more lived in security. 42 13:6 But they did not repudiate 43 the sinful ways of the family 44 of Jeroboam, who encouraged Israel to sin; they continued in those sins. 45 There was even an Asherah pole 46 standing in Samaria. 13:7 Jehoahaz had no army left 47 except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Syria had destroyed his troops 48 and trampled on them like dust. 49
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. 50 13:9 Jehoahaz passed away 51 and was buried 52 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 53 for sixteen years. 13:11 He did evil in the sight of 54 the Lord. He did not repudiate 55 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin; he continued in those sins. 56 13:12 The rest of the events of Joash’s 57 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. 58 13:13 Joash passed away 59 and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. 60 Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
13:14 Now Elisha had a terminal illness. 61 King Joash of Israel went down to visit him. 62 He wept before him and said, “My father, my father! The chariot 63 and horsemen of Israel!” 64 13:15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 65 13:16 Then Elisha 66 told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.” 67 He did so, 68 and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. 13:17 Elisha 69 said, “Open the east window,” and he did so. 70 Elisha said, “Shoot!” and
he did so. 71 Elisha 72 said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria. 73 You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!” 74 13:18 Then Elisha 75 said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so. 76 He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 13:19 The prophet 77 got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! 78 But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”
13:20 Elisha died and was buried. 79 Moabite raiding parties invaded 80 the land at the beginning of the year. 81 13:21 One day some men 82 were burying a man when they spotted 83 a raiding party. So they threw the dead man 84 into Elisha’s tomb. When the body 85 touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man 86 came to life and stood on his feet.
13:22 Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign. 87 13:23 But the Lord had mercy on them and felt pity for them. 88 He extended his favor to them 89 because of the promise he had made 90 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day. 91 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 92 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.
[12:1] 1 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[12:2] 1 tn Heb “and Jehoash did what was proper in the eyes of the
[12:2] 2 tn Heb “that which.” Jehoiada taught the king the Lord’s will.
[12:4] 1 tn The words “I place at your disposal” are added in the translation for clarification.
[12:4] 2 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] 3 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] 4 tn Heb “all the silver which goes up on the heart of a man to bring to the house of the
[12:5] 1 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] 1 tn Heb “Now, do not take silver from your treasurers, because for the damages to the temple you must give it.”
[12:8] 1 tn Outside of this passage the verb אוּת (’ut) appears only in Gen 34:15-22.
[12:8] 2 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] 1 tn Heb “on the right side of the altar as a man enters.”
[12:10] 1 tn Heb “the king’s scribe.”
[12:10] 2 tn Heb “went up and tied [it] and counted the silver that was found in the house of the
[12:11] 1 tn Heb “would give.”
[12:11] 2 tn Heb “doers of the work.”
[12:12] 1 tn Heb “and for all that which was going out concerning the house for repair.”
[12:15] 2 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] 1 tn Heb “went up and fought against.”
[12:17] 2 tn Heb “Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem.”
[12:18] 1 tn The object (“it all”) is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[12:19] 1 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] 1 tn Heb “rose up and conspired [with] a conspiracy.”
[12:20] 2 tn Heb “Beth Millo which goes down [toward] Silla.”
[12:21] 1 tn Heb “struck him down and he died.”
[12:21] 2 tn Heb “they buried him.”
[13:1] 1 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[13:2] 1 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[13:2] 2 tn Heb “walked after.”
[13:2] 3 tn Heb “he did not turn aside from it.”
[13:3] 1 tn Heb “and the anger of the
[13:3] 2 tn Heb “he gave them into the hand of.”
[13:3] 3 tn Heb “all the days.”
[13:4] 1 tn Heb “appeased the face of the
[13:4] 2 tn Heb “and the
[13:4] 3 tn Heb “for he saw the oppression of Israel, for the king of Syria oppressed them.”
[13:5] 1 sn The identity of this unnamed “deliverer” is debated. For options see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 143.
[13:5] 2 tn Heb “and they went from under the hand of Syria.”
[13:5] 3 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as before.”
[13:6] 1 tn Heb “they did not turn away from.”
[13:6] 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).
[13:6] 4 tn Or “an image of Asherah”; ASV, NASB “the Asherah”; NCV “the Asherah idol.”
[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.
[13:7] 2 tn Heb “them,” i.e., the remainder of this troops.
[13:7] 3 tn Heb “and made them like dust for trampling.”
[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?”
[13:9] 1 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[13:9] 2 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
[13:10] 1 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[13:11] 1 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[13:11] 2 tn Heb “turn away from all.”
[13:11] 3 tn Heb “in it he walked.”
[13:12] 1 sn Jehoash and Joash are alternate forms of the same name.
[13:12] 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?”
[13:13] 1 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[13:13] 2 tn Heb “sat on his throne.”
[13:14] 1 tn Heb “Now Elisha was ill with the illness by which he would die.”
[13:14] 2 tn Heb “went down to him.”
[13:14] 3 tn Though the noun is singular here, it may be collective, in which case it could be translated “chariots.”
[13:14] 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.
[13:15] 1 tn Heb “and he took a bow and some arrows.”
[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] 1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:17] 2 tn Heb “He opened [it].”
[13:17] 3 tn Heb “and he shot.”
[13:17] 4 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:17] 5 tn Heb “The arrow of victory of the
[13:17] 6 tn Heb “you will strike down Syria in Aphek until destruction.”
[13:18] 1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:18] 2 tn Heb “and he took [them].”
[13:19] 1 tn Heb “man of God.”
[13:19] 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.
[13:20] 1 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
[13:20] 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.
[13:21] 1 tn Heb “and it so happened [that] they.”
[13:21] 2 tn Heb “and look, they saw.”
[13:21] 3 tn Heb “the man”; the adjective “dead” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[13:21] 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.
[13:22] 1 tn Heb “all the days of Jehoahaz.”
[13:23] 1 tn Or “showed them compassion.”
[13:23] 2 tn Heb “he turned to them.”
