TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 2 Kings 13:10–19. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
“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 13:14 captures a deeply poignant and pivotal moment in Israel's history: the final days of the venerable prophet Elisha, who is on his deathbed, and the unexpected, yet profoundly significant, visit from King Joash of Israel. This verse not only marks the somber conclusion of a powerful prophetic era, signaling a significant loss for the nation, but also underscores Israel's profound dependence on divine intervention and spiritual strength rather than mere military might for its security and success. Joash's emotional lament reveals a belated recognition of Elisha's irreplaceable role as the true spiritual defense of the kingdom.
Context
Literary Context
This verse immediately precedes Elisha's final prophetic acts and miracles, which remarkably extend even beyond his death. The preceding chapters meticulously detail Elisha's long and impactful ministry, which began as the successor to Elijah, marked by numerous miracles, divine interventions, and prophetic pronouncements that profoundly shaped Israel's relationship with God and its interactions with surrounding nations. His extensive ministry spanned the reigns of several kings of Israel, including Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and now Joash. The narrative of 2 Kings 13 focuses on the reign of Joash and the continued oppression from Aram, setting the stage for Elisha's final words of encouragement and prophecy regarding Israel's future victories, which directly follow this verse in 2 Kings 13:15-19. The verse thus serves as a critical bridge, marking the end of one era and the poignant transition to a period where Israel would need to rely on the enduring legacy of God's past works through His prophets.
Historical & Cultural Context
King Joash (also known as Jehoash) reigned over Israel for 16 years (c. 798-782 BC) and, like most kings of the Northern Kingdom, generally followed the idolatrous ways of his predecessors, particularly the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat (2 Kings 13:11). Despite his spiritual shortcomings, Israel was under severe oppression from the Arameans (Syrians) led by King Hazael and later his son Ben-hadad (2 Kings 13:3-7). This ongoing military threat highlighted Israel's profound vulnerability and dire need for divine assistance, which Elisha had consistently provided throughout his ministry. The cultural understanding of a prophet in ancient Israel was that of a direct conduit for God's will and power, often seen as a nation's true defense, far more potent than any army. Joash's visit, therefore, while perhaps motivated by a mixture of genuine grief and pragmatic desperation, reflects this cultural acknowledgment of the prophet's unique and indispensable role as a spiritual bulwark.
Key Themes
This verse contributes to several major themes within 2 Kings and the broader Deuteronomistic History. Firstly, it highlights the passing of a spiritual giant and the profound loss for a nation that had largely rejected God yet still benefited from His grace through His prophets. Elisha, like Elijah before him, was a pillar of spiritual strength and a conduit for God's power, embodying God's enduring faithfulness even amidst Israel's persistent apostasy. Secondly, it emphasizes the recognition of true strength, revealing Joash's understanding that Elisha, not military forces, was Israel's true defense and source of victories against its enemies. The prophet's prayers and divine guidance were more potent than any army, echoing the sentiment found in Psalm 20:7. Lastly, the verse underscores the theme of divine sovereignty and human dependence, demonstrating that even unfaithful kings could recognize, albeit sometimes belatedly, the ultimate source of their nation's well-being and security. This recognition, though imperfect, sets the stage for God's continued, albeit limited, intervention on Israel's behalf through Elisha's final acts.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term, used by Joash, signifies deep respect, affection, and acknowledgment of Elisha's spiritual authority and protective role over the nation. It is a title of honor and reverence, much like calling someone a patriarch or a foundational figure. It implies Elisha was seen as a spiritual guide, provider, and protector, much as a father is to his family. Its repetition ("my father, my father") intensifies the emotional weight and recognition of Elisha's irreplaceable spiritual paternity over Israel.
These terms, when used together in this context, are highly symbolic. While literally referring to military assets, here they represent the spiritual power and divine protection that Elisha, through his prayers and prophetic ministry, provided for Israel. They signify that God's presence and the work of His prophet were more formidable and effective in defending the nation than any physical army or military might. This phrase encapsulates the idea that Elisha's spiritual efficacy was Israel's ultimate defense, demonstrating that true security comes from divine intervention rather than human strength.
Verse Breakdown
"Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died."
This opening clause sets the somber scene, indicating the terminal illness of the great prophet Elisha. It immediately establishes a tone of finality and impending loss, signaling the imminent end of a significant era in Israel's prophetic history. The straightforward declaration of his fatal sickness underscores the mortality of even God's most powerful servants, highlighting the human vulnerability of those through whom God works.
"And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said,"
This clause describes King Joash's action, highlighting his personal visit to Elisha. The phrase "came down" suggests a descent, perhaps from the royal palace in Samaria to Elisha's residence, indicating an intentional and respectful journey. His act of weeping "over his face" conveys profound grief and genuine sorrow, demonstrating a deep emotional response to the impending death of the prophet, despite Joash's own spiritual failings and the Northern Kingdom's widespread apostasy. His subsequent words are an outburst of this emotion and recognition.
"O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof."
This powerful lament from King Joash is a direct echo of Elisha's own cry when Elijah was taken up to heaven in 2 Kings 2:12. The repetition of "my father" emphasizes deep respect and filial affection for Elisha as a spiritual patriarch and foundational figure for the nation. The subsequent phrase, "the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof," is a profound symbolic declaration. It signifies that Elisha, through his spiritual power, prayers, and divine connection, was the true defense and strength of Israel, far more effective than any literal military forces. Joash implicitly acknowledges that Elisha's prophetic ministry was the nation's ultimate source of security and victory against its enemies, revealing a moment of profound, albeit perhaps pragmatic, spiritual insight.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant Literary Devices. Most prominently, there is a powerful Allusion or Echo in King Joash's lament, "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." This phrase directly mirrors Elisha's own words upon Elijah's ascension in 2 Kings 2:12. This echo serves to highlight Elisha's status as Elijah's true successor, inheriting his mantle and spiritual power, and to underscore the profound, irreplaceable role both prophets played as the spiritual bulwark of Israel. Furthermore, the phrase "the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof" is a striking example of Symbolism. The literal military terms are used metaphorically to represent Elisha's spiritual power and divine protection, which were far more potent than any physical army. This Metaphor emphasizes that Israel's true strength lay not in its military might but in God's presence and the intercessory work of His prophet. The king's weeping also serves as a form of Pathos, evoking a sense of sorrow and the gravity of the moment for the reader, and highlighting the king's genuine, if belated, recognition of Elisha's value.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse powerfully underscores the theological truth that a nation's true strength and security are ultimately derived from its relationship with God and the spiritual leadership He provides, rather than from human military prowess or political strategies. Elisha, as God's anointed prophet, embodied this divine defense, acting as a conduit for God's power and a spiritual guardian for Israel. Joash's lament, though perhaps belated, reveals a crucial recognition that the prophet's prayers and divine guidance were more formidable than any physical army. This highlights the enduring principle that God often works through faithful individuals to sustain and protect His people, even when the broader society is unfaithful. The passing of Elisha signals a period of increased vulnerability for Israel, emphasizing the critical importance of spiritual discernment and reliance on God's appointed messengers.
Reflection and Application
The scene at Elisha's deathbed is a profound reminder that true strength and security, whether for an individual, a family, or a nation, are not found in visible displays of power, wealth, or human ingenuity, but in a vibrant relationship with God and the spiritual resources He provides. King Joash, despite his generally unfaithful reign, recognized, perhaps too late, the immense spiritual capital Elisha represented. His grief and lament speak to the irreplaceable value of devoted spiritual leadership and intercession. For us today, this verse challenges us to consider where we place our ultimate trust. Do we rely on our own resources, our worldly connections, or our perceived strengths? Or do we, like Joash's lament suggests, acknowledge that God's presence and the work of His Spirit, often mediated through faithful individuals and the church, are our true "chariots and horsemen" in the battles of life? It calls us to value and support those who faithfully steward spiritual gifts and to seek God's divine intervention as our primary defense and source of victory, understanding that spiritual power far transcends any earthly might.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Elisha called "the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof"?
This powerful phrase, first uttered by Elisha himself when Elijah ascended to heaven (2 Kings 2:12), is a symbolic declaration. It signifies that Elisha, through his spiritual power, prophetic ministry, and close relationship with God, was the true defense and strength of Israel. He was more effective in protecting the nation from its enemies and securing its well-being than any literal military forces, such as chariots and horsemen. His prayers, divine guidance, and miraculous interventions were the ultimate source of Israel's victories and security, demonstrating God's presence and power working through him. This title underscores the profound truth that spiritual might, derived from God, surpasses any earthly military strength.
What does King Joash's weeping reveal about him?
Joash's weeping reveals a complex mixture of emotions and understanding. Despite his overall unfaithful reign, his grief suggests a genuine recognition of Elisha's immense spiritual authority and the irreplaceable value of his presence to the nation. It indicates that even a king who largely pursued idolatry understood, at some level, that Israel's true strength lay in God's prophet. His lament also suggests a sense of desperation and fear for the future, as Israel was under severe Aramean oppression (2 Kings 13:3), and he knew Elisha's death would remove their most potent spiritual defense. It shows that even ungodly leaders can, in moments of crisis, acknowledge the power and necessity of God's true servants, even if their repentance is not complete or lasting.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The lament of King Joash, "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof," finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While Elisha served as Israel's spiritual defense, a conduit of God's power against earthly foes, Jesus is the very embodiment of God's ultimate power and salvation for humanity against sin and death. He is not merely a prophet who brings divine aid, but God incarnate, the true "chariot and horsemen" of God's people, providing eternal victory and security. Just as Elisha's prayers and miracles were Israel's strength, Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection are the definitive means by which God's people are delivered from their spiritual enemies (Colossians 2:15). He is the true "Father" to all who believe, leading and protecting His church, as prophesied in Isaiah 9:6. In Him, we find not a temporary reprieve from earthly enemies, but eternal redemption and the promise of a kingdom that will never end, secured by His triumphant reign (Revelation 11:15). He is the ultimate spiritual defense, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), and the King of kings who will return with the armies of heaven, leading His people to final victory (Revelation 19:11-16).