2 Kings 13:14
in 2 Kings 13When 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!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died: and Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over him, and said, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!
KJV
Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
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This verse in 2 Kings 13
Commentary
9 notes on this verseNow Elisha was fallen sick - This is supposed to have taken place in the tenth year of Joash; and if so, Elisha must have prophesied about sixty-five years. O my father, my father - “What shall I do now thou art dying? thou art the only defense of Israel.” He accosts him with the same words which himself spoke to Elijah when he was translated; see 2Ki 2:12 (note), and the note there.
This site's exposition
O my father, my father
Elisha's own last sickness draws from the king of Israel the very cry Elisha himself gave for Elijah at 2:12, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof, the prophet's ministry named in a soldier's vocabulary of national defense. Clarke and Henry read the king's tears as real, however compromised his reign, an honor paid to sixty years of a man who had outlived the drought, the double portion, and every king of his lifetime. A calf worshipper still knows where Israel's true strength has stood.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he was to die, King Joash of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And Jehu, king of Israel, died, …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Elisha was aware that therefore he was loth to part with him because he looked upon him as the great bulwark of the kingdom against that common enemy, and depended much upon his blessings and prayers in his designs against them.
Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died,....
Observe, (1.) He lived long; for it was now about sixty years since he was first called to be a prophet. It was a great mercy to Israel, and especially to the sons of the prophets, that he was continued so long a burning and shining light.
This was an evidence of some good in him, that he had a value and affection for a faithful prophet; so far was he from hating and persecuting him as a troubler of Israel that he loved and honoured him as one of the greatest blessings of his kingdom, and lamented the loss of him.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The particular application of them to Elisha, who, by his counsels and prayer, had obtained many glorious victories for Israel, shows that the king possessed some measure of faith and trust, which, though weak, was accepted, and called forth the prophet's dying benediction.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The closing scene of Elisha’s life. It was now at least sixty-three years since his call, so that he was at this time very possibly above ninety. He seems to have lived in almost complete retirement from the time he sent the young prophet to anoint Jehu king 2Ki 9:1. And now it was not he who sought the king, but the king who sought him. Apparently, the special function of the two great Israelite prophets (Elijah and Elisha) was to counteract the noxious influence of the Baalistic rites; and, when these ceased, their extraordinary ministry came to an end. The chariot of Israel ... - See the marginal reference. Joash must have known the circumstances of Elijah’s removal, which were perhaps already entered in the “book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel;” and he must have intended to apply to Elisha his own words on that solemn occasion; “Thou too art about to leave us, and to follow Elijah - thou who hast been since his departure, that which he was while he remained on earth, the true defense of Israel.”
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And Yorovom sat on his throne. He was his [Yoash’s] son. There is reason to wonder why these two verses were written here, for [Scripture] continues and tells about events of Yoash, and then repeats, “The rest of Yoash’s deeds, etc., 3 Below:15.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וֶֽאֱלִישָׁע֙ | veelisha' | and Elisha | H477 → | 58 times |
| חָלָ֣ה | chalah | he became sick | H2470 → | 76 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חָלְי֔וֹ | chalyo | sickness his | H2483 → | 24 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָמ֖וּת | yamut | he will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בּ֑וֹ | bo | by it | ||
| וַיֵּ֨רֶד | vaiyered | and he went down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| אֵלָ֜יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יוֹאָ֣שׁ | yoash | Joash | H3101 → | 47 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיֵּ֤בְךְּ | vaiyevek | and he wept | H1058 → | 114 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פָּנָיו֙ | panav | face his | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַיֹּאמַ֔ר | vaiyomar | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אָבִ֣י׀ | ʾavi | O father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אָבִ֔י | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| רֶ֥כֶב | rekhev | [the] chariotry of | H7393 → | 119 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וּפָרָשָֽׁיו׃ | ufarashav | and horsemen its | H6571 → | 57 times |
וֶֽאֱלִישָׁע֙and Elisha
veelisha'H477 →58 times
חָלָ֣הhe became sick
chalahH2470 →76 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חָלְי֔וֹsickness his
chalyoH2483 →24 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יָמ֖וּתhe will die
yamutH4191 →839 times
בּ֑וֹby it
bo
וַיֵּ֨רֶדand he went down
vaiyeredH3381 →381 times
אֵלָ֜יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
יוֹאָ֣שׁJoash
yoashH3101 →47 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיֵּ֤בְךְּand he wept
vaiyevekH1058 →114 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פָּנָיו֙face his
panavH6440 →2123 times
וַיֹּאמַ֔רand he said
vaiyomarH559 →5305 times
אָבִ֣י׀O father my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
אָבִ֔יfather my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
רֶ֥כֶב[the] chariotry of
rekhevH7393 →119 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וּפָרָשָֽׁיו׃and horsemen its
ufarashavH6571 →57 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Kings 20:1In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to…
it leads to
- Isaiah 38:1–22
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to…
- 2 Chronicles 32:24–26
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign.
- Philippians 2:27
He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.
- Jonah 3:4–10
On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”
- 2 Kings 19:20
Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria.
- Isaiah 38:1–22
Through
John 11:3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”
it leads to
- John 11:5
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
- Revelation 3:19
Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
- Hebrews 12:6–7
For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.”
- John 11:5
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 13:14-19; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.