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2 Kings 13:25

in 2 Kings 13

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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash smite him, and recovered the cities of Israel.

KJV

And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben–hadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.

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This verse in 2 Kings 13

Commentary

7 notes on this verse
The cities which ... - Probably cities west of the Jordan, since the tract east of that river was conquered, mainly if not wholly, in the reign of Jehu 2Ki 10:33.

This site's exposition

So Hazael king of Syria died

on 2 Kings 13:24-25

Hazael's death and his son's succession clear the ground for the deliverance promised back at verse 5 to take its full shape: Jehoash recovers the cities his father lost, and does it in exactly three victories, no more. Gill and Henry both draw the line straight back to the bow: thrice Joash beat the Syrians, just as often as he had struck the ground with the arrows, and there the course of his victories stopped. A half obedience buys a partial deliverance, and the chapter lets the arithmetic stand without softening it.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

This was a great kindness to the cities themselves, which were hereby brought from under the yoke of oppression, and to the whole kingdom, which was much strengthened by the reduction of those cities. Thrice Joash beat the Syrians, just as often as he had struck the ground with the arrows, and then a full stop was put to the course of his victories.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

This gracious answer God gave to the prayer of Jehoahaz, not for his sake, or the sake of that unworthy people, but in remembrance of his covenant with Abraham (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

It was the honour of Israel that they worshipped the only living and true God, who is a Spirit, an eternal mind, and had rules by which to worship him of his own appointment; but by changing the glory of their incorruptible God into the similitude of an ox, the truth of God into a lie, they lost this honour, and levelled themselves with the nations that worshipped the work of their own hands.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Three times did Joash beat him - The particulars of these battles we have not; but these three victories were according to the prediction of Elisha, 2Ki 13:19. That these victories were very decisive we learn from their fruits, for Joash took from the Syrians the cities which Hazael had taken from Israel: viz., Gilead, the possessions of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and the country of Bashan; see 2Ki 10:33. Thus God accomplished his word of judgment, and his word of mercy. The Syrians found themselves to be but men, and the Israelites found they could do nothing without God. In the dispensations of his justice and mercy, God has ever in view, not only the comfort, support, and salvation of his followers, but also the conviction and salvation of his enemies; and by his judgments many of these have been awakened out of their sleep, turned to God, learned righteousness, and finally become as eminent for their obedience, as they were before for their rebellion.

The words behind it

26 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיָּ֜שָׁבand he returned

    vaiyashovH7725 →1056 times

  • יְהוֹאָ֣שׁJehoash

    yehoashH3060 →17 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • יְהוֹאָחָ֗זJehoahaz

    yehoachazH3059 →20 times

  • וַיִּקַּ֤חand he took

    vaiyikachH3947 →966 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הֶֽעָרִים֙the cities

    hearimH5892 →1090 times

  • מִיַּד֙from [the] hand of

    miyadH3027 →1618 times

  • בֶּן־Ben

    ben-H1130 →50 times

  • הֲדַ֣דHadad

    hadadH1130 →50 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • חֲזָאֵ֔לHazael

    chazaelH2371 →23 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • לָקַ֗חhe had taken

    lakachH3947 →966 times

  • מִיַּ֛דfrom [the] hand of

    miyadH3027 →1618 times

  • יְהוֹאָחָ֥זJehoahaz

    yehoachazH3059 →20 times

  • אָבִ֖יוfather his

    ʾavivH1 →1212 times

  • בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑הin <the> battle

    bamilchamahH4421 →320 times

  • שָׁלֹ֤שׁthree

    shaloshH7969 →432 times

  • פְּעָמִים֙times

    peamimH6471 →118 times

  • הִכָּ֣הוּhe struck down him

    hikahuH5221 →499 times

  • יוֹאָ֔שׁJoash

    yoashH3101 →47 times

  • וַיָּ֖שֶׁבand he restored

    vaiyashevH7725 →1056 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • עָרֵ֥י[the] cities of

    ʾareiH5892 →1090 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פIsrael

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

8 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Kings 13:19But 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.”7 works2 Kings 13:18–19Then 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.5 works2 Kings 13:5So 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.4 works2 Kings 10:32In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory3 worksAmos 1:4So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael to consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.3 works2 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.3 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
Amos 5:9He flashes destruction on the strong, so that fury comes upon the stronghold.2 worksAmos 6:13you who rejoice in Lo-debar and say, ‘Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?’2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 14:25

    This 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…

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 3:17

      The Jordan River in the Arabah bordered it from Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) with the slopes of Pisgah to the east.

    • Joshua 19:13

      From there it crossed eastward to Gath-hepher and to Eth-kazin; it extended to Rimmon and curved around toward Neah.

    • Numbers 13:21

      So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo-hamath.

    • Jonah 1:1

      Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying,

    • 1 Kings 8:65

      So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him—a great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt—kept the feast before the LORD our God for seven days and seven more…

  • Through

    2 Kings 10:32

    In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory

    it leads to

    • 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,…

    • 1 Kings 19:17

      Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.

    • 2 Kings 13:22

      And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz.

About 2 Kings

Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
2 Kings: the study guide →Read 2 Kings 13 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Kings 13 →