2 Kings
Chapter 13
Jehoahaz of Israel (813-797)
In the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash, son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, began to rule over Israel from Samaria, its capital; he reigned for seventeen years.
He misbehaved towards the Lord and persisted in the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, which had become the sins of Israel, without turning away from them.
So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of Hazael, king of Aram, and the hands of Ben-hadad, son of Hazael, throughout that time.
But Jehoahaz prayed to the Lord, and the Lord listened to him for he had seen the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them.
And the Lord gave Israel a liberator who would free them from the oppression of Aram, so the Israelites could live peacefully in their homes as before.
(But they did not turn away from the sins by which Jeroboam made Israel sin, for the sacred pillar remained standing in Samaria.)
No more than fifty horsemen, ten chariots of war and ten thousand soldiers were left of the army of Jehoahaz, for the king of Aram had wiped out all the rest like dust.
The rest of Jehoahaz, all that he did, and his bravery are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
When Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, they buried him in Samaria, and his son Joash reigned in his place.
Joash of Israel (797-782)
Joash, son of Jehoahaz, began to rule over Israel in the thirty-seventh year of King Joash’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria for sixteen years.
He did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not turn away from the sins which Jeroboam, son of Nebat, made Israel commit.
The rest about Joash and all that he did, his bravery and how he fought against Amaziah, king of Judah, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
When Joash slept with his fathers, he was buried in Samaria, together with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam sat upon his throne.
Death of Elisha
When Elisha became very sick and was about to die, Joash, king of Israel, went down to him and went before him, saying: “My father! My father! Chariot and horses of Israel!”
Elisha said to him: “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows.
Elisha then said to the king: “Draw the bow.” And the king drew the bow. Then Elisha put his hand on the king’s hand
and said:“Open the window towards the east.” He opened it. Elisha then said: “Shoot!” And he shot. Elisha said: “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! You shall defeat Aram in Aphek until you utterly destroy them!”
And he added: “Take the arrows.” And he took them. Elisha said to the king: “Strike the ground with them.” He struck three times and stopped.
So the man of God became angry at him and said: “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck down Aram completely. But now, you will strike down Aram only three times.”
Elisha died, and they buried him. A little later, a detachment of Moabites conducted a raid, as they were ac-customed to doing at the beginning of every year.
It happened that at that time, some people were burying a dead man when they saw the Moabites. So they quickly threw the body into the grave of Elisha and then fled to safety. But as soon as the man’s body touched Elisha’s bones, he revived and stood.
Hazael, king of Aram, oppressed the Israelites throughout the reign of Jehoahaz.
But the Lord had pity and took compassion on them. He turned towards them because of his Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and would not utterly destroy them or cast them far from his face.
Hazael, the king of Aram, died, and his son Ben-hadad reigned in his place.
Then Joash, son of Jehoahaz, again took from Ben-hadad the cities that Hazael had taken from Jehoahaz. Joash defeated him thrice and recovered the cities of Israel.
Commentaries
Jehoahaz of Israel.
The first descendant of Jehu reigns in Israel for seventeen years (1); according to the narrator, he also “did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (2); that is, he maintained, like the other previous kings, the two centers of worship in Dan and Bethel. According to v. 3, during Jehoahaz’s reign, Syria’s harassment of Israel intensified. Still, in response to the king’s prayer of supplication, the Lord took pity on Israel and provided a savior who delivered it from Syrian oppression (4ff). Since it is not specified who this savior was, it must be concluded that Jehoahaz himself stood up to Syria and kept it at bay for a time. Israel briefly shook off foreign oppression, which was seen as an act of God on behalf of the people. However, this did not lead the king or the people to abandon the sins inherited from Jeroboam, nor did they turn to the Lord.
Joash of Israel.
He is the second descendant of Jehu’s dynasty. The narrator expects the typical information about the northern kings: the date he took the throne, the length of his reign, and, despite his relationship with Elisha, the familiar judgment “he did what the Lord disapproved of” (11); finally, details about his death and that he was buried in Samaria with the other kings of Israel.
Death of Elisha.
Already on his deathbed, Elisha receives a visitor from Joash, who calls him “Father… chariot of Israel and its horsemen” (14). Until the very end of his life, Elisha is willing to act on behalf of the people; thus, the orders he gives to the king, which result in partial victories over Syria (19), become a sign for Israel (15-18). Elisha’s death is briefly described: “He died, and they buried him” (20); however, to highlight the prophet’s transcendent role, the unusual story of a dead man coming back to life when touched by Elisha’s bones is told afterward (21). This illustrates the prophet’s life-giving power for the people.