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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
13:1-25 Jehoahaz and Jehoash. The reader is now updated on what has been happening in Israel during the reigns of those two kings whose accessions took place within Joash of Judah's lifetime.
13:1-5 the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. Under normal circumstances, one might expect the appearance of a prophet to announce the end of Jehu's house because of its sins (v. 2; cf. 1 Kings 14:6-16). The divine promise to Jehu, however, is functioning like the earlier promise to David (2 Sam. 7:1-17; 2 Kings 10:30), and the Israelite royal house is for the moment being treated like the Judean royal house. The anger of the Lord is thus expressed only in the form of Syrian oppression.
13:4-5 Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord. The language throughout vv. 3-5 is reminiscent of the book of Judges, where Israel's recurring idolatry was followed by divine anger, expressing itself in oppression by foreigners. When Israel cried out under this oppression, God sent a savior (2 Kings 13:5; cf. Judg. 3:9, 15) to rescue them. It seems likely that the "savior" in question here is Assyria, whose interest in Syria-Palestine was rekindled in the closing years of the , resulting in a measure of relief for Israel as the attention of Damascus necessarily turned to the north.
13:6 the Asherah . . . remained in Samaria. On Asherim, see note on 1 Kings 14:15. The English translation here implies that this is the same Asherah that Ahab made earlier (mentioned in 1 Kings 16:33), which in that case must have survived Jehu's reformation. But it could also be translated "an Asherah (once again) stood in Samaria."
13:7-8 dust at threshing. See note on 1 Kings 22:10-12. God's punishment is so severe that it reduces the army of Jehoahaz to little more than a remnant, as insubstantial as chaff in the breeze. On the Chronicles of the Kings (also in 2 Kings 13:12), see note on 1 Kings 14:19.
13:9 The next king of Israel, introduced here as Joash, is referred to as both Joash (e.g., v. 14) and Jehoash (v. 25) throughout the rest of this chapter and in ch. 14 (e.g., 14:8-9). He is not to be confused with Joash of Judah; see note on 11:21.
13:14-19 Joash (Jehoash of Israel) weeps because he thinks he is on the verge of defeat, having inherited depleted resources in chariots and horsemen from his father (v. 7). Elisha, who knows of other chariots and horsemen of Israel who are not of flesh and blood (2:11-12; 6:8-17), is able to promise the king a series of victories (three times, 13:19). The victories would have been greater in number had the king, in response to prophetic commands, been more enthusiastically obedient ("You should have struck five or six times") to the words of the prophet (cf. 1 Kings 13:1-32). Aphek lay eastward of the main Israelite territory in Transjordan, the direction in which Jehoash shoots the arrow and from which the Syrian threat to Israel typically came.
13:20-21 grave of Elisha. Tombs in ancient Israel were often dug out of soft rock, or located in caves (e.g., Genesis 23), and they were not difficult to access. It is probably important to know at this point that Elisha's powers to resurrect live on (cf. 2 Kings 4:8-37), because as this man was thrown (Hb. shalak) into the grave of Elisha, so God will soon "throw" (or "cast") Israel into exile in Assyria (17:20, same verb, shalak). The Israelites need to maintain contact with the great prophets of the past through obedience to their teachings if this "death" in exile is also to be followed by an unexpected resurrection (cf. Ezek. 37:1-14).
13:23-25 his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Here is a deeper reason than the one given in 10:30 for Israel's survival during Jehoahaz's reign. Long before he made promises to Jehu about kingship and a covenant with David, God was dealing with Israel's ancestors (e.g., Gen. 15:1-21; 17:1-27). That is why he kept the Syrians at bay during the reign of Jehoahaz, in spite of Israel's sin; and that is why the equally sinful Jehoash was later able to lead Israel to something of a recovery (in a period when Hazael's successor Ben-hadad III was preoccupied with the Assyrian threat to his north). Even until now (2 Kings 13:23), in the time that the authors are writing (after Israel's exile), Israel remains in God's presence.
