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Commentary on 2 Kings 13 verses 10–19
We have here Jehoash, or Joash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu, upon the throne of Israel. Probably the house of Jehu intended some respect to the house of David when they gave this heir-apparent to the crown the same name with him that was then king of Judah.
I. The general account here given of him and his reign is much the same with what we have already met with, and has little in it remarkable, Kg2 13:10-13. He was none of the worst, and yet, because he kept up that ancient and politic idolatry of the house of Jeroboam, it is said, He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. That one evil was enough to leave an indelible mark of infamy upon his name; for, how little evil soever men saw in it, it was, in the sight of the Lord, a very wicked thing; and we are sure that his judgment is according to truth. It is observable how lightly the inspired penman passes over his acts, and his might wherewith he warred, leaving it to the common historians to record them, while he takes notice only of the respect he showed to Elisha. One good action shall make a better figure in God's book than twenty great ones; and, in his account, it gains a man a much better reputation to honour a prophet than to conquer a king and his army.
II. The particular account of what passed between him and Elisha has several things in it remarkable.
1.Elisha fell sick, Kg2 13:14. Observe, (1.) He lived long; for it was now about sixty years since he was first called to be a prophet. It was a great mercy to Israel, and especially to the sons of the prophets, that he was continued so long a burning and shining light. Elijah finished his testimony in a fourth part of that time. God's prophets have their day set them, some longer, others shorter, as Infinite Wisdom sees fit. (2.) All the latter part of his time, from the anointing of Jehu, which was forty-five years before Joash began his reign, we find no mention made of him, or of any thing he did, till we find him here upon his death-bed. He might be useful to the last, and yet not so famous as he had sometimes been. The time of his flourishing was less than the time of his living. Let not old people complain of obscurity, but rather be well pleased with retirement. (3.) The spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha, and yet he was not sent for to heaven in a fiery chariot, as Elijah was, but went the common road out of the world, and was visited with the visitation of all men. If God honour some above others, who yet are not inferior to them in gifts or graces, who shall find fault? May he not do what he will with his own?
2.King Joash visited him in his sickness, and wept over him, Kg2 13:14. This was an evidence of some good in him, that he had a value and affection for a faithful prophet; so far was he from hating and persecuting him as a troubler of Israel that he loved and honoured him as one of the greatest blessings of his kingdom, and lamented the loss of him. There have been those who would not be obedient to the word of God, and yet have the faithful ministers of it so manifested in their consciences that they could not but have an honour for them. Observe here, (1.) When the king heard of Elisha's sickness he came to visit him, and to receive his dying counsel and blessing; and it was no disparagement to him, though a king, thus to honour one whom God honoured. Note, It may turn much to our spiritual advantage to attend the sick-beds and death-beds of good ministers and other good men, that we may learn to die, and may be encouraged in religion by the living comforts they have from it in a dying hour. (2.) Though Elisha was very old, had been a great while useful, and, in the course of nature, could not continue long, yet the king, when he saw him sick and likely to die, wept over him. The aged are most experienced and therefore can worst be spared. In many causes, one old witness is worth ten young ones. (3.) He lamented him in the same words with which Elisha had himself lamented the removal of Elijah: My father, my father. It is probable he had heard or read them in that famous story. Note, Those that give just honours to the generation that goes before them are often recompensed with the like from the generation that comes after them. He that watereth, that watereth with tears, shall be watered, shall be so watered, also himself, when it comes to his own turn, Pro 11:25. (4.) This king was herein selfish; he lamented the loss of Elisha because he was as the chariot and horsemen of Israel, and therefore could be ill spared when Israel was so poor in chariots and horsemen, as we find they were (Kg2 13:7), when they had in all but fifty horsemen and ten chariots. Those who consider how much good men contribute to the defence of a nation, and the keeping off of God's judgments, will see cause to lament the removal of them.
3.Elisha gave the king great assurances of his success against the Syrians, Israel's present oppressors, and encouraged him to prosecute the war against them with vigour. Elisha was aware that therefore he was loth to part with him because he looked upon him as the great bulwark of the kingdom against that common enemy, and depended much upon his blessings and prayers in his designs against them. "Well," says Elisha, "if that be the cause of your grief, let not that trouble thee, for thou shalt be victorious over the Syrians when I am in my grave. I die, but God will surely visit you. He has the residue of the Spirit, and can raise up other prophets to pray for you." God's grace is not tied to one hand. He can bury his workmen and yet carry on his work. To animate the king against the Syrians he gives him a sign, orders him to take bow and arrows (Kg2 13:15), to intimate to him that, in order to the deliverance of his kingdom from the Syrians, he must put himself into a military posture and resolve to undergo the perils and fatigues of war. God would be the agent, but he must be the instrument. And that he should be successful he gives him a token, by directing him,
(1.)To shoot an arrow towards Syria, Kg2 13:16, Kg2 13:17. The king, no doubt, knew how to manage a bow better than the prophet did, and yet, because the arrow now to be shot was to have its significancy from the divine institution, as if he were now to be disciplined, he received the words of command from the prophet: Put thy hand upon the bow - Open the window - Shoot. Nay, as if he had been a child that never drew a bow before, Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands, to signify that in all his expeditions against the Syrians he must look up to God for direction and strength, must reckon his own hands not sufficient for him, but go on in a dependence upon divine aid. He teacheth my hands to war, Psa 18:34; Psa 144:1. The trembling hands of a dying prophet, as they signified the concurrence and communication of the power of God, gave this arrow more force than the hands of the king in his full strength. The Syrians had made themselves masters of the country that lay eastward, Kg2 10:33. Thitherward therefore the arrow was directed, and such an interpretation given by the prophet of the shooting of this arrow, though shot in one respect at random, as made it, [1.] A commission to the king to attack the Syrians, notwithstanding their power and possession. [2.] A promise of success therein. It is the arrow of the Lord's deliverance, even the arrow of deliverance from Syria. It is God that commands deliverance; and, when he will effect it, who can hinder? The arrow of deliverance is his. He shoots out his arrows, and the work is done, Psa 18:14. "Thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, where they are now encamped, or where they are to have a general rendezvous of their forces, till thou have consumed those of them that are vexatious and oppressive to thee and thy kingdom."
(2.)To strike with the arrows, Kg2 13:18, Kg2 13:19. The prophet having in God's name assured him of victory over the Syrians, he will now try him and see what improvement he will make of his victories, whether he will push them on with more zeal than Ahab did when Benhadad lay at his mercy. For the trial of this he bids him smite with the arrows on the ground: "Believe them brought to the ground by the arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and laid at thy feet; and now show me what thou wilt do to them when thou hast them down, whether thou wilt do as David did when God gave him the necks of his enemies, beat them small as the dust before the wind," Psa 18:40, Psa 18:42. The king showed not that eagerness and flame which one might have expected upon this occasion, but smote thrice, and no more. Either out of foolish tenderness to the Syrians, he smote as if he were afraid of hurting them, at least of ruining them, willing to show mercy to those that never did, nor ever would, show mercy to him or his people. Or, perhaps, he smote thrice, and very coldly, because he thought it but a silly thing, that it looked idle and childish for a king to beat the floor with his arrows; and thrice was often enough for him to play the fool merely to please the prophet. But, by contemning the sign, he lost the thing signified, sorely to the grief of the dying prophet, who was angry with him, and told him he should have smitten five or six times. Not being straitened in the power and promise of God, why should he be straitened in his own expectations and endeavours? Note, It cannot but be a trouble to good men to see those they wish well to stand in their own light and forsake their own mercies, to see them lose their advantages against their spiritual enemies, and to give them advantage.
“Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he was to die, King Joash of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And Jehu, king of Israel, died, and Jehoahaz, his son, took his place for seventeen years and died. And his son Joash reigned; he reestablished the kingship which had been troubled by his father, and fought impiety. Elisha helped him with words and actions. And when the prophet was struck with a fatal disease, the king came to him and, seeing that his death was imminent, began to weep like a son deprived of his father and said, “My father, my father,” and so on. This is also the word that Elisha said at the moment of Elijah’s ascension to heaven. And the meaning of both words is one, and we have explained it above.Then he calls the prophet “chariots and horsemen of Israel,” because the peace of the kingdom and the victories of Israel depended on his prayer and rule. The prophet, on his part, rewarded the love of his tears and “said to him, ‘Take a bow and arrows.’ Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands” and ordered him to open the window turned eastwards and to shoot the arrow. And he shot the arrow. And Elisha said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Indeed, the window was turned towards Aram. “You shall fight the Arameans in Aphek until you have made an end of them.”
This passage suggests two spiritual meanings. The first is that God has bound the victory of the children of Israel to that sign, which is not a new thing: it existed for many centuries, [as was demonstrated] a few centuries before when the Lord made the plagues of Egypt and the liberation of the people depend on the lifting of the rod of Moses, and the destruction of Amalek on the lifting of his hands during the prayer and the destruction of the city of Ai on the lifting of the javelin of Joshua. It was appropriate that that situation was carried out in that manner, so that the people might clearly recognize with certainty the aid that God had given them and, at the moment of receiving such grace, the memory of grace might penetrate into their hearts. But only Elisha clearly knew the mystery, whereas it was hidden to the king; otherwise, he would have not struck the ground three times but ten. And since he was hesitant and drew back, Elisha blamed him—not because he had committed any fault but because his mistake deprived the children of his people of the victory and the great profit that would have derived from the extermination of the Arameans and the overthrowing of their kingdom that Elisha strongly desired. He is sad for being frustrated in his hope by the king who had stopped and had not multiplied the prescribed strokes. But the real motive which prevented the grace was the apostasy of the king and the people and their rebellious will in the worship of idols. That was again the cause that hindered the gift of the grace that was signified in that sign.
The fact that Elisha laid his hands on the hands of the king shows that the weak hands of the king would be strengthened by the power that dwelled in the hands of the prophet, who stood here in the place of his master, so that those hands might be capable of destroying Aram and to exterminate it after it had destroyed and exterminated Israel. It is clear that the children of Israel, at the time of Joram, had diminished a great deal because in the royal city only 5 horses, and at the time of his son, only 10 chariots were available in their entire land and 50 horsemen, and only 10, foot soldiers, as the Scripture says, because the king of Aram had made them perish and had made them like the dust at threshing. Now the Hebrews, at the time of Solomon, had 52, horses in the stables of the king, and Jeroboam sent to war 800, men, and Abijah lined up against them 400, brave men whom he had gathered from the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
The second spiritual meaning is the following: this sign is divided into two figures, and each of them possesses its own meaning: “The Lord’s arrow of victory” clearly signifies our Lord and Savior hanging from the wood and giving up his spirit. In his spirit he descends into the fortresses and the castle of Sheol and delivers the righteous, who were imprisoned there, and after his resurrection, he subdues the entire universe through the holy apostles and gives new life to those who believe in his name.
On the other hand, the fact that the arrow was shot from the window placed eastwards means that the accomplishment of our salvation has been obtained through the ascension of our Lord, as he rides higher than the heavens of the eastern heavens, and through his ascension he raises the eternal gates and makes us ascend as a host of the captives of heaven. Again the arrow stuck into the ground and then pulled out or departing from the ground signifies the burial of our Lord and his resurrection after he had descended and remained in the heart of the Sheol and in the land of the dead. Observe also, with discernment, that the land of Israel has been struck with three arrows, but the kingdom of Aram has been defeated in three battles, in the likeness of the adorable body of our Lord, which was tried with the thorns, the nails and the sword but was not corrupted. The power of death, of Satan, has been crushed three times. Indeed, [the Lord] annihilated Satan and banished sin and death. Again the arrow is shot three times and stays on the ground, but the Lord raises up the people of the Lord who had been thrown onto the ground, as also Christ was placed in the tomb and gave the hope of resurrection to the saints.
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SUMMARY
Second Kings 13:13 serves as a pivotal, formulaic transition, marking the conclusion of King Joash's sixteen-year reign over Israel and the immediate, seamless succession of his son, Jeroboam II. This concise verse underscores the enduring reality of royal mortality and the transfer of power, while simultaneously highlighting the continuity of the monarchy within the often-turbulent Northern Kingdom, implicitly pointing to God's sovereign hand in the succession of earthly rulers.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse brings to a formal close the narrative of King Joash (also known as Jehoash), whose reign commenced in 2 Kings 13:10. Joash's story is notably framed by his interactions with the prophet Elisha, particularly the poignant account of Elisha's deathbed instructions regarding the striking of arrows on the ground. Joash's limited obedience, striking only three times, famously resulted in Israel's limited victories against the Arameans, a spiritual shortcoming lamented by Elisha as recorded in 2 Kings 13:18-19. Despite this spiritual deficiency, Joash did achieve a significant military triumph over King Amaziah of Judah, a conflict detailed in 2 Kings 14:8-14. The transition to Jeroboam II's reign in this verse sets the stage for the subsequent chapter, which elaborates on Jeroboam's remarkably prosperous, yet spiritually compromised, rule, beginning in 2 Kings 14:23.
Historical & Cultural Context: Joash reigned during a period of intense Aramean oppression against Israel, a consequence often attributed to the Northern Kingdom's persistent idolatry and deviation from the Mosaic covenant. Samaria, as the capital city of the Northern Kingdom, functioned not only as the administrative and political center but also as a symbolic heart of Israelite identity, albeit one deeply corrupted by the introduction of Baal worship and other pagan practices by previous monarchs. The practice of burying a king "with his fathers" in the capital city was a deeply ingrained cultural norm. This custom served to legitimize his reign, affirm his place within the established royal lineage, and signify a peaceful and accepted conclusion to his rule. Such a burial provided a crucial sense of continuity and stability, particularly vital amidst the frequent political upheavals and dynastic changes that frequently characterized the history of the Northern Kingdom, contrasting sharply with the more stable, divinely ordained Davidic line in Judah.
Key Themes: This verse, though brief, encapsulates several profound themes prevalent throughout the Books of Kings. Firstly, it highlights Royal Succession, a recurring motif that underscores the continuity of governance and the orderly transfer of authority from one generation to the next. This process, even within the often-unfaithful Northern Kingdom, demonstrates God's overarching sovereignty in establishing and removing leaders. Secondly, the phrase "slept with his fathers" powerfully emphasizes the Universal Mortality of Kings, serving as a stark reminder that even the most powerful earthly rulers are subject to human limitations and the ultimate sovereignty of God, who alone is eternal. This theme is consistently applied to both righteous and wicked kings, as seen with King David in 1 Kings 2:10. Finally, the verse marks a significant Transition and Legacy, as Joash's reign, a complex blend of spiritual failure and military success, directly precedes and sets the stage for the much more expansive and prosperous, yet morally flawed, reign of Jeroboam II, a period that would witness significant territorial recovery for Israel, as prophesied by Jonah in 2 Kings 14:25.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices that enrich its meaning and narrative function. Standard Formulaic Language is prominently featured in the phrases "slept with his fathers" and "sat upon his throne." These are recurring idioms throughout the Books of Kings, consistently used to mark the end of one king's reign and the commencement of another, providing narrative consistency and emphasizing the cyclical nature of royal succession. The phrase "slept with his fathers" also functions as a powerful Euphemism for death, softening the stark reality of mortality and suggesting a peaceful, ancestral passing. Furthermore, there is a clear element of Juxtaposition in the immediate succession of Jeroboam II following Joash's death, which highlights the swift and necessary transition of power within the monarchy. Finally, the mention of burial in Samaria adds a layer of Symbolism, affirming Joash's legitimate place within the Northern Kingdom's royal lineage and its capital, despite his mixed legacy of spiritual compromise and military success.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This seemingly simple transitional verse carries profound theological weight, underscoring God's sovereign control over history and human leadership. It serves as a potent reminder that all earthly power is temporary and ultimately subject to the divine will. Even in the Northern Kingdom, which consistently rebelled against God, the continuity of the monarchy, however flawed, points to God's enduring patience and His working out of His purposes through human agents. The passage implicitly raises crucial questions about legacy, obedience, and the nature of true success, contrasting Joash's limited victories and spiritual shortcomings with the ultimate authority of God. It also foreshadows the coming of a King whose reign would not be marked by mortality or succession, but by eternity and perfect righteousness.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The brevity of 2 Kings 13:13 belies its powerful message about the transient nature of earthly authority and the relentless march of time. For us today, it serves as a poignant reminder that all human leaders, regardless of their power, achievements, or perceived indispensability, are mortal. This profound truth should cultivate humility in those who lead and temper our expectations of human institutions and political systems. It calls us to consider the legacy we are building, not merely in terms of worldly success or temporal power, but fundamentally in terms of faithfulness to God and alignment with His eternal purposes. Joash's reign, marked by both military success and spiritual compromise—particularly his limited obedience to Elisha's prophetic instruction—illustrates that incomplete obedience can have far-reaching consequences, even for an entire nation. Our ultimate trust must not be in human leaders or their systems, but in the unchanging, sovereign God who raises up and brings down kings according to His perfect, immutable plan. This perspective encourages us to pray diligently for our leaders, to hold them accountable to righteous standards, and to always look beyond the temporal to the eternal Kingdom established by God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of a king being "buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel"?
Answer: The phrase "buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel" signifies a king's legitimate and recognized status within the royal lineage of the Northern Kingdom. Samaria was the capital city of Israel, and burial there indicated that the king had died a natural death (or at least not an ignominious one) and was accepted as a rightful ruler among his predecessors. It provided a sense of continuity and legitimacy for the new king, Jeroboam II, by confirming his father's place in the established line of succession. This contrasts with kings who might have been usurped, assassinated, or died in battle and were not afforded such a burial, or those who were buried in different locations, such as the kings of Judah who were typically buried in the City of David in Jerusalem (e.g., 1 Kings 11:43).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While 2 Kings 13:13 describes the finite end of an earthly king's reign and the succession of another, it subtly points forward to the ultimate King, Jesus Christ, whose reign knows no end or succession. The mortality of Joash, like all human kings, highlights the transient nature of earthly power and the universal reality of death, a fate appointed for all humanity (Hebrews 9:27). In profound contrast, Jesus, the true Son of David, did not "sleep with his fathers" in the sense of succumbing to the finality of death, but rather conquered it decisively through His glorious resurrection (Acts 2:24). His "throne" is not an earthly one in a temporal capital city like Samaria or Jerusalem, but a heavenly, eternal throne from which He reigns in supreme authority over all creation (Revelation 4:2). The continuity of the monarchy in Israel, however flawed and often rebellious, served as a mere shadow of the unbroken, eternal reign of Christ, who is proclaimed as "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16). Unlike Joash, whose legacy was mixed and whose obedience was incomplete, Christ's reign is marked by perfect righteousness, absolute justice, and complete fulfillment of God's redemptive will, offering a kingdom that "shall never be destroyed" (Daniel 2:44).