2 Kingschapter 13

A.Jehoahaz left fifty horsemen — and a savior sent anywayvv. 1-9

1 In the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash son of Ahaziah over Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria seventeen years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. 3 So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad. 4 Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the LORD, and the LORD listened to him because He saw the oppression that the king of Aram had inflicted on Israel. 5 So the LORD gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel lived in their own homes as they had before. 6 Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but they continued to walk in them. The Asherah pole even remained standing in Samaria. 7 Jehoahaz had no army left, except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing. 8 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, along with all his accomplishments and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 And Jehoahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And his son Jehoash reigned in his place.

B.Jehoash of Israel and the sins that would not dievv. 10-13

10 In the thirty-seventh year of the reign of Joash over Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. 11 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, but he walked in them. 12 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, along with all his accomplishments and his might, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 And Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

C.Shoot the arrow of Jehovah's deliverance — then smite the groundvv. 14-19

14 When Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he would die, Jehoash king of Israel came down to him and wept over him, saying, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” 15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So Jehoash took a bow and some arrows. 16 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So the king put his hand on the bow, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 “Open the east window,” said Elisha. So he opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And Elisha declared: “This is the LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram, for you shall strike the Arameans in Aphek until you have put an end to them.” 18 Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them, and Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped. 19 But the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to it. But now you will strike down Aram only three times.”

D.A dead man revives at the touch of Elisha's bonesvv. 20-25

20 And Elisha died and was buried. Now the Moabite raiders used to come into the land every spring. 21 Once, as the Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders, so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. And as soon as his body touched the bones of Elisha, the man was revived and stood up on his feet. 22 And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23 But the LORD was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them, and He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, the LORD has been unwilling to destroy them or cast them from His presence. 24 When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad reigned in his place. 25 Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times, and so recovered the cities of Israel.

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Chapter summary

Jehoahaz's Israel is ground down until Hazael leaves him only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen, made like the dust in threshing.

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Jehoahaz's Israel is ground down until Hazael leaves him only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen, made like the dust in threshing. Yet when he entreats Jehovah a savior is given, for the sake of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then Elisha's deathbed and the last enacted prophecy of his life. Jehoash weeps over him with Elisha's own words for Elijah, and is told to shoot eastward through the opened window: 'The arrow of Jehovah's victory.' Told next to smite the ground, he strikes three times and stops, and the man of God is angry. Now he will beat Syria only thrice. Even Elisha's bones raise a corpse thrown hastily into his grave.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Jeremiah — 2 Kings overview

A. 1–9 Jehoahaz left fifty horsemen — and a savior sent anyway
B. 10–13 Jehoash of Israel and the sins that would not die
C. 14–19 Shoot the arrow of Jehovah's deliverance — then smite the ground
D. 20–25 A dead man revives at the touch of Elisha's bones

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

2 Kings 138 verses
- 2 Kings 13:2And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
- 2 Kings 13:3So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad.
- 2 Kings 13:6Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but they continued to walk in them. The Asherah pole even remained standing in Samaria.
- 2 Kings 13:13And Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
- 2 Kings 13:14When Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he would die, Jehoash king of Israel came down to him and wept over him, saying, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
- 2 Kings 13:18Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them, and Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped.
- Read 2 Kings 13: 2 more there →
2 Kings 145 verses
- 2 Kings 14:8Then Amaziah sent messengers to the king of Israel Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said.
- 2 Kings 14:25This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.
- 2 Kings 14:26For the LORD saw that the affliction of the Israelites, both slave and free, was very bitter. There was no one to help Israel,
- 2 Kings 14:27and since the LORD had said that He would not blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.
- 2 Kings 14:28As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, along with all his accomplishments and might, and how he waged war and recovered both Damascus and Hamath for Israel from Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
- Read 2 Kings 14 →
1 Kings 144 verses
- 1 Kings 14:16So He will give Israel over on account of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”
- 1 Kings 14:19As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he waged war and how he reigned, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
- 1 Kings 14:29As for the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, along with all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
- 1 Kings 14:31And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David; his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. And his son Abijam reigned in his place.
- Read 1 Kings 14 →
2 Kings 103 verses
- 2 Kings 10:29but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.
- 2 Kings 10:32In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory
- 2 Kings 10:35And Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoahaz reigned in his place.
- Read 2 Kings 10 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

2 Kings 43 verses
- 2 Kings 4:6When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another.” But he replied, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
- 2 Kings 4:16And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.”
- 2 Kings 4:34Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body became warm.
- Read 2 Kings 4 →
2 Kings 82 verses
- 2 Kings 8:12“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”
- 2 Kings 8:26Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.
- Read 2 Kings 8 →
2 Kings 111 verse
- 2 Kings 11:21Joash was seven years old when he became king.
- Read 2 Kings 11 →
1 Kings 121 verse
- 1 Kings 12:26Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David.
- Read 1 Kings 12 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.