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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 13
Jehoahaz and his successors reign in wickedness in Israel—Elisha
prophesies that Joash shall defeat Syria—Elisha dies—A dead
Israelite restored to life upon contact with Elisha's bones.
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1 IN the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.
2 And he did that which was evil in the sight
of the LORD, and followed the sins of aJeroboam the son of
Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
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3 ¶ And the aanger of the LORD
was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of
bHazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the
son of Hazael, all their days.
4 And Jehoahaz abesought the LORD,
and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the boppression
of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.
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5 (And the LORD gave Israel a
asaviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the
Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.
6 Nevertheless they departed not from the
asins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin,
but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)
7 Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but
fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of
Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by
athreshing.
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8 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.
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Joash and Jehoash, Kings of the Same Name
There is some confusion between J'oash the King
of Israel and J'oash the King of Judah. They are the same name as Jeh'oash
and J'oash are the some name, that is 'Jehovah giveth' or 'given by Jehovah'.
The more formal form of the name is Jehoash and the more appreviated form is
Joash, just as Jehosuha and Josuha are the same name. The are both
'Y@how'ash' the one being the 8th king of Judah and the son of Ahaziah king
of Judah, and the other being the 12th king of Israel and son of Jehoahaz
king of Israel. Now the 'confusion' betwix the two is not only in being of
the same name but that also that Joash or Jehoash king of Judah was not only
the son of the kings of Judah but also he was further also descended of the
kings of Israel in that marriage between Jehoram/Joram and Athaliah, which
Athaliah was the daughter of King Ahab of Israel and his wife Jezebel, which
Jezebel was in turn a Phoenician princess and the daughter king Ethbaal of
Tyre. This unique circumstance was likely in part the basis for the Jews of
Jesus' day stating to Jesus, 'Say we not well thou art a Samaritan'? For
indeed the blood line of the House of David was so mixed with the kings of
Israel and of the partly Phoenician daughter Athaliah, for the father of
Joash king of Judah was the son of Ahaziah king of Judah who in turn was the
son of this Joram king of Judah and his wife Athaliah, pricness of Israel and
Queen of Judah; she further being the actual ruling monarch of Judah for some
years after her son Ahaziah's death and her grandson's installation as king,
king Joash/Jehoash. But that is another complicated story.
In the following verses below (v10) Jehoash king of Israel and son of Jehoahaz
begins his reign in the 37th year of the reign of king Joash of Judah. Then
in verses 12-13 Jehoash king of Israel seems to be called Joash king of Israel
who fought against king Amaziah king of Judah and is listed as having
died with Jeroboam (II) reigning in his stead and he being buried in
Samaria with the kings of Israel. But just the 'quick' changing of the form
of his name from Jehoash to Joash is not the end of the confusion. Beginning
in the next verse (v14) to the end of this chapter we are given a further
history of this king Joash of Israel after the fact of his burial being
recorded. This is an odd compilation by the Jewish scribes and editors who
have prepared this record, which may raise the question in the minds of some
whether it was actually king Joash's death being recorded and confused before
such further rendering of the further life of king Jehoash of Israel. If so
perhaps King Joash of Judah was actually buried with the kings of Israel
rather than the kings of Judah, he being descended of both?
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10 ¶ In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.
11 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein.
12 And the rest of the acts of
Joasha, and all that he did, and
his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they
not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13 And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
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12a the rest of the acts of Joash
It is possible that in splicing together the two reigns and kings of Judah
and Israel both named Joash/Jehoash, that the Jewish scribes and compilers of
the record of the kings did confuse the timing and/or death of the one Joash
with the other Jehoash. For it was king Joash/Jehoash of Judah who did die
in the 2nd year of the reign of king Joash/Jehoash of Israel. Thus this
death recorded in verses 12-13 may be that of Joash king of Judah rather
than that of Jehoash king of Israel, for from verse 14 to the end of the
chapter it given a history of the acts of Joash king of Israel presumably
after his death? This presumption gains some added support in that manner and
form in which chapter 14 begins as well as the duplicate record of his death
in 2 Kings 14:15-16.
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14 ¶ Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
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16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands.
17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.
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18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took
them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And
he smote thrice, and astayed.
19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
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20 ¶ And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
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22 ¶ But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
23 And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had
acompassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of
his bcovenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not
destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.
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24 So Hazael king of Syria died; and Ben-hadad his son reigned in his stead.
25 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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