2 Kings 13: Jehoahaz and Jehoash, Elisha's arrows, and Elisha's bones
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What happens?
Jehoahaz son of Jehu reigns seventeen years over Israel and does evil, and Yahweh gives Israel into the hand of Hazael and Ben Hadad of Syria; Jehoahaz begs Yahweh, and Yahweh gives Israel a savior, yet they do not turn from the sins of Jeroboam. His son Jehoash reigns sixteen years. When Elisha is sick with the illness he dies of, King Joash weeps over him; Elisha has him shoot an arrow out of the east window, "Yahweh's arrow of victory" over Syria, and then strike the ground, and when he strikes only three times Elisha is angry and says he will strike Syria only three times. Elisha dies and is buried, and a dead man thrown into his tomb comes to life when he touches Elisha's bones. Yahweh is gracious to Israel because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Joash strikes Ben Hadad three times and wins back the cities of Israel.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words in this chapter. King Joash weeps over Elisha and cries out in verse 14. Elisha speaks to the king in verses 15 to 19; his words in verse 17 about "Yahweh's arrow of victory" are Elisha's own words. Verses 3 to 5 and 23, that Yahweh's anger burned, that he listened to Jehoahaz and gave Israel a savior, and that he was gracious to them, are the narrator's words. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria for seventeen years.
In plain English: In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years.
Good to know: These are the text's own numbers: each new king is dated by the year of the other kingdom's king (see the note on ). The text gives them as they are and does not explain how they fit together.
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2He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from it.
In plain English: He did what was evil in Yahweh's eyes. He followed (literally: walked after) the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the sins he made Israel commit. He did not turn away from them.
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3Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, continually.
In plain English: Yahweh's anger burned against Israel, and he gave them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria (Hebrew: Aram), and into the hand of Ben Hadad the son of Hazael, all that time (literally: all the days).
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4Jehoahaz begged Yahweh, and Yahweh listened to him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them.
In plain English: Jehoahaz begged Yahweh, and Yahweh listened to him, because he saw how Israel was oppressed, how the king of Syria oppressed them.
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5(Yahweh gave Israel a savior, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel lived in their tents as before.
In plain English: (Yahweh gave Israel a savior (or: someone to set them free), so that they came out from under the hand of the Syrians. The children of Israel lived in their tents as before (literally: as yesterday and the day before).
The Hebrew word: "Savior" is from yasha, which the dictionary gives as "to be safe" and "to free or succor". The text does not name the savior here. In it uses the same word: Yahweh "saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash".
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6Nevertheless they didn’t depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.)
In plain English: Even so, they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, the sins he made Israel commit, but walked in them. The Asherah also still stood in Samaria.)
Good to know: "The Asherah" is the goddess and her image explained in the note on . In , "Ahab made the Asherah".
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7For he didn’t leave to Jehoahaz of the people any more than fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria destroyed them and made them like the dust in threshing.
In plain English: For he had left Jehoahaz no more of an army (literally: people) than fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.
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8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
In plain English: The rest of what Jehoahaz did, all his deeds and his strength (this Bible: might), are they not written in the book of the chronicles (literally: the matters of the days) of the kings of Israel?
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9Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son reigned in his place.
In plain English: Jehoahaz slept with his fathers (or: ancestors), and they buried him in Samaria. His son Joash became king in his place.
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10In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria for sixteen years.
In plain English: In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years.
Good to know: In these chapters the same names are written in a long and a short form. The king of Israel is Jehoash in verses 10 and 25 and Joash in verses 9, 12 to 14 and 25; his father is Jehoahaz, and in Joahaz. The dictionary gives Jehoash as "the name of two Israelite kings". The king of Judah in verses 1 and 10 is also called Joash, and in Jehoash.
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11He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. He didn’t depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; but he walked in them.
In plain English: He did what was evil in Yahweh's eyes. He did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the sins he made Israel commit, but he walked in them.
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12Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
In plain English: The rest of what Joash did, all his deeds, and the strength (this Bible: might) with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
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13Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
In plain English: Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
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14Now Elisha became sick with the illness of which he died; and Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”
In plain English: Elisha became sick with the sickness he was to die of. Joash king of Israel came down to him, wept over him (literally: over his face), and said, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!"
Good to know: These are the same words Elisha cried when Elijah was taken from him (; see the note there). The text does not explain what the king means by them here.
What changes: Read as words about Elisha, the king calls the prophet himself Israel's chariots and horsemen. Read as a cry of grief, the king calls out the words Elisha had cried for Elijah. Either way, the king calls Elisha "my father" and weeps over him.
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15Elisha said to him, “Take bow and arrows;” and he took bow and arrows for himself.
In plain English: Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows." So he took a bow and arrows.
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16He said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow;” and he put his hand on it. Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands.
In plain English: He said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow (literally: make your hand ride on the bow)." He put his hand on it, and Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands.
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17He said, “Open the window eastward;” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he shot. He said, “Yahweh’s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Syria; for you will strike the Syrians in Aphek until you have consumed them.”
In plain English: He said, "Open the window toward the east," and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot!" and he shot. He said, "Yahweh's arrow of victory (or: of rescue), the arrow of victory over Syria! You will strike the Syrians at Aphek until you have made an end of them."
The Hebrew word: "Victory" is teshu'ah, which the dictionary gives as "rescue (literal or figurative, persons, national or spiritual)". Ben Hadad and the Syrians also fought Israel at Aphek in to .
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18He said, “Take the arrows;” and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground;” and he struck three times, and stopped.
In plain English: He said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground (literally: strike toward the ground)." He struck three times, and stopped.
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19The man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times. Then you would have struck Syria until you had consumed it, but now you will strike Syria just three times.”
In plain English: The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck five or six times. Then you would have struck Syria until you had made an end of it. But now you will strike Syria only three times."
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20Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
In plain English: Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of raiders from Moab came into the land when the year came in (literally: a year coming).
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21As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a band of raiders; and they threw the man into Elisha’s tomb. As soon as the man touched Elisha’s bones, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
In plain English: As some men were burying a man, look, they saw a band of raiders, and they threw the man into Elisha's tomb. As soon as the man touched (literally: went and touched) Elisha's bones, he came to life (literally: lived) and stood up on his feet.
The Hebrew word: "Revived" is chayah, which the dictionary gives as "to live, whether literally or figuratively": word for word, "he lived". The text says only that the man touched Elisha's bones, came to life and stood up.
Good to know: While he lived, Elisha had raised the Shunammite woman's son (). The book of Sirach, which is in the old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton), says of Elisha: "after his death his body prophesied" (Sirach 48:13).
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22Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
In plain English: Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
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23But Yahweh was gracious to them, and had compassion on them, and favored them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them and he didn’t cast them from his presence as yet.
In plain English: But Yahweh was gracious to them, had compassion on them and turned toward them (this Bible: favored them), because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He was not willing to destroy them, and he did not throw them out of his presence (literally: from his face) until now (this Bible: as yet).
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24Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his place.
In plain English: Hazael king of Syria died, and his son Ben Hadad became king in his place.
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25Jehoash 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. Joash struck him three times, and recovered the cities of Israel.
In plain English: Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben Hadad the son of Hazael the cities that had been taken (literally: which he had taken) in war from his father Jehoahaz. Joash struck him three times and won back the cities of Israel.
Good to know: In Elisha said, "now you will strike Syria just three times". Here the text says Joash struck Ben Hadad three times.
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