INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 13 This chapter gives an account of the wicked reign of Jehoahaz son of Jehu king of Israel, and of the low estate he was brought into by the Syrians, 2 Kings 13:1, and of the reign of his son Joash, 2 Kings 13:10, and of the sickness and death of Elisha; of the visit Joash... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE TWENTY AND THIRD YEAR OF JOASH THE SON OF AHAZIAH KING OF JUDAH,.... The same year he was so zealous and busy in repairing the temple, 2 Kings 12:6, JEHOAHAZ THE SON OF JEHU BEGAN TO REIGN OVER ISRAEL IN SAMARIA; whereas Joash began to reign in the seventh year of Jehu, and Jehu reigned but... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE DID THAT WHICH WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD,.... Committed idolatry: AND FOLLOWED THE SINS OF JEROBOAM THE SON OF NEBAT, WHICH MADE ISRAEL TO SIN; worshipping the golden calves: HE DEPARTED NOT THEREFROM; from the worship of them.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ANGER OF THE LORD WAS KINDLED AGAINST ISRAEL,.... They doing as their kings did: AND HE DELIVERED THEM INTO THE HAND OF HAZAEL KING OF SYRIA, AND INTO THE HAND OF BENHADAD THE SON OF HAZAEL, ALL [THEIR] DAYS; the word "their" should not be supplied, since it was not true that Israel was del... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JEHOAHAZ BESOUGHT THE LORD, AND THE LORD HEARKENED UNTO HIM,.... He did not apply in his distress to the calves he worshipped, but to the Lord; who had a regard to his prayer, not for his sake, or any righteousness of his, or even his repentance and humiliation, which were only external; but for... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD GAVE ISRAEL A SAVIOUR,.... Not an angel sent by him, nor a captain raised up among them, nor the prophet Elisha, who predicted their deliverance, nor Jehoahaz himself, but his son Joash, 2 Kings 13:25 SO THAT THEY WENT OUT FROM UNDER THE HAND OF THE SYRIANS; were not in subjection to t... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS, THEY DEPARTED NOT FROM THE SINS OF THE HOUSE OF JEROBOAM, WHO MADE ISRAEL TO SIN, BUT WALKED THEREIN,.... Continued to worship the calves still, which was an instance of great ingratitude; the Syriac and Arabic versions read, "he departed not"; Jehoahaz the king: AND THERE REMAINED TH... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER DID HE LEAVE OF THE PEOPLE TO JEHOAHAZ BUT FIFTY HORSEMEN,.... This is to be connected with 2 Kings 13:4, the verses 2 Kings 12:5, being to be read in a parenthesis, as in our version, and to be understood of the king of Syria, who left no more to the king of Israel, not of the people of th... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE REST OF THE ACTS OF JEHOAHAZ, AND ALL THAT HE DID, AND HIS MIGHT,.... Which he exerted against the Syrians, being a man of courage, though not successful, because the Lord was not with him, but against him: ARE THEY NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL? where the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JEHOAHAZ SLEPT WITH HIS FATHERS,.... Died, as they did: AND THEY BURIED HIM IN SAMARIA; where Omri, and all the kings of Israel, that descended from him, were buried: AND JOASH HIS SON REIGNED IN HIS STEAD; of whom a short account is given in the following verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE THIRTY AND SEVENTH YEAR OF JOASH KING OF JUDAH, BEGAN JEHOASH THE SON OF JEHOAHAZ TO REIGN OVER ISRAEL IN SAMARIA,.... But inasmuch as his father began to reign in the twenty third of Joash, and reigned seventeen years, 2 Kings 13:1 this king must begin to reign in the thirty ninth or fortiet... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE DID THAT WHICH WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD,.... As his father did, and his character is described in the same words, see 2 Kings 13:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE REST OF THE ACTS OF JOASH, AND ALL THAT HE DID,.... Though none of his acts as yet are recorded, but his sinful ones: AND HIS MIGHT; or valiant actions in war with the Syrians, 2 Kings 13:25, AND WHEREWITH HE FOUGHT AGAINST AMAZIAH KING OF JUDAH; of which there is an account in the followi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOASH SLEPT WITH HIS FATHERS,.... Or died: AND JEROBOAM SAT UPON HIS THRONE; who was his son; it is not said that he began to sit on it, or to reign, nor to reign in his father's stead; hence it is concluded, as by Kimchi and others, that his father set him on his throne in his lifetime; and th... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW ELISHA WAS FALLEN SICK OF HIS SICKNESS WHEREOF HE DIED,.... The prophets do not live for ever; this sickness was unto death; Elisha died, and was not translated as Elijah was: AND JOASH THE KING CAME DOWN UNTO HIM; from his palace to the prophet's house, to visit him in his sickness; which was... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ELISHA SAID UNTO HIM, TAKE BOW AND ARROWS,.... The usual instruments of war in those days: and he took unto him bow and arrows; which though they might not be had in the house of the prophet, he could have some from his guards that attended him.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO THE KING OF ISRAEL, PUT THINE HAND UPON THE BOW, AND HE PUT HIS HAND UPON IT,.... His left hand: AND ELISHA PUT HIS HANDS UPON THE KING'S HANDS; on both his hands, which were put, the one on the bow, the other on the arrow m; hereby signifying, that though the king would draw the b... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, OPEN THE WINDOW EASTWARD,.... Syria lying east of the land of Israel, as the Jewish commentators in general observe, and for which they quote Isaiah 9:12, but it lay northeast, or rather more to the north; wherefore this may respect the eastward part of the land of Israel, which the Syr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, TAKE THE ARROWS, AND HE TOOK THEM,.... The rest of them: AND HE SAID UNTO THE KING OF ISRAEL, smite upon the ground; the floor of the room in which the prophet lay: AND HE SMOTE THRICE, AND STAYED; made a stop, ceased smiting; he might think this action trifling, and beneath him, only... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MAN OF GOD WAS WROTH WITH HIM,.... Because he ceased smiting, and smote no oftener; for it was revealed to the prophet, by an impulse upon his mind, that by the number of times he smote on the ground, it would be known how often he should get the victory over his enemies; but this was to be... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ELISHA DIED, AND THEY BURIED HIM,.... In Samaria. Epiphanius says n, in Sebastopolis of Samaria, Samaria itself was called Sebaste in later times; though the Jews say o he was buried in Mount Carmel, in the cave of Elijah; according to the Jewish chronology p, he died in the tenth year of Joash,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS THEY WERE BURYING A MAN,.... That is, as they were going to bury him; for as yet they were not come to the place they designed to bury him at, as appears by what follows: THAT, BEHOLD, THEY SPIED A BAND OF MEN; one of the bands of the Moabites, which came to rob and plunder,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HAZAEL KING OF SYRIA OPPRESSED ISRAEL ALL THE DAYS OF JEHOAHAZ. That he reigned alone, at least, before he took his son Joash to reign with him.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD WAS GRACIOUS TO THEM,.... To Israel, notwithstanding their apostasy from him, and the idolatry of the calves they were guilty of: AND HAD COMPASSION ON THEM; being in oppression and distress: AND HAD RESPECT UNTO THEM; looked upon them with an eye of pity and mercy: BECAUSE OF HIS CO... [ Continue Reading ]
SO HAZAEL THE KING OF SYRIA DIED, AND BENHADAD HIS SON REIGNED IN HIS STEAD. This was Benhadad the third; the first of this name was of the Damascene kings; but though the kingdom was now in another family, yet this name, being respectable with the Syrians, was retained in it.... [ Continue Reading ]
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,.... Which were in the countries of Gilead and Bashan, and belonged to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, 2 Kings 10:33, THREE T... [ Continue Reading ]