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 13:18 records a pivotal moment in the final days of the prophet Elisha, presenting King Joash of Israel with a prophetic test concerning the nation's deliverance from Aramean oppression. Elisha instructs the king to strike the ground with arrows, a symbolic act intended to determine the extent of Israel's future victories. Joash's decision to strike only three times, and then cease, reveals a critical lack of faith and zeal, ultimately limiting the full scope of God's intended triumph for His people. This verse powerfully illustrates the profound consequences of partial obedience and limited expectation in the face of divine opportunity.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is deeply embedded within the narrative of Elisha's final prophetic acts and his interaction with King Joash. It immediately follows Elisha's deathbed encounter with Joash, where the king weeps over the dying prophet, acknowledging Elisha as "the chariots and horsemen of Israel. Elisha, in a profound symbolic gesture, instructs Joash to open the east window and shoot an arrow, declaring it "the arrow of the LORD's deliverance" against Aram. The command in verse 18 to "smite upon the ground" is a direct continuation of this prophetic demonstration, a test designed to gauge Joash's faith, zeal, and commitment to God's promised victory. The subsequent verse, 2 Kings 13:19, powerfully reveals Elisha's frustration at Joash's limited response, underscoring the missed opportunity for decisive victory.
Historical & Cultural Context
The period of Joash's reign (c. 798-782 BC) in the Northern Kingdom of Israel was marked by severe oppression from Aram (Syria), particularly under King Hazael and his son Ben-Hadad III. Israel had been significantly weakened, suffering military defeats and territorial losses, precisely as prophesied by Elisha earlier when he wept over Hazael's future atrocities against Israel in 2 Kings 8:12. The act of striking the ground with arrows likely carried symbolic weight in the ancient Near East, perhaps signifying a ritualistic act of conquest, a claim of dominion over an enemy's territory, or a magical act to secure victory. For Elisha, a prophet who often employed tangible, symbolic actions to convey divine messages (e.g., purifying the stew in 2 Kings 4:41 or making the ax head float in 2 Kings 6:6), this was a potent expression of spiritual warfare and a crucial test of the king's faith in God's ability to grant comprehensive victory.
Key Themes
This passage powerfully highlights several key themes central to the book of 2 Kings and biblical theology more broadly:
Obedience and Faith
The core of the passage revolves around Joash's response to a divine command. It demonstrates a direct correlation between the king's level of obedience and faith and the extent of God's blessing and deliverance. Joash's partial obedience reveals a deficiency in his faith, directly impacting the outcome of Israel's conflict with Aram, as detailed later in 2 Kings 13:25.
Divine Opportunity and Human Responsibility
God, through Elisha, presents Joash with a clear, open-ended opportunity for decisive and complete triumph over Israel's oppressors. The narrative underscores that while God's power is absolute and His promises sure, the manifestation of His deliverance can be contingent upon human responsiveness, zeal, and willingness to fully engage with His commands.
Consequences of Incomplete Effort
Joash's decision to "smite thrice, and stayed" serves as a poignant illustration of the negative consequences of half-hearted effort, limited vision, or insufficient expectation. This partial obedience directly limited the scope of God's intended deliverance for Israel, leading to a less-than-total victory over the Arameans, a point explicitly lamented by Elisha in 2 Kings 13:19.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H5221), נָכָה (nâkâh), carries a strong sense of striking, beating, or even conquering. In military contexts, it often denotes a decisive blow or a rout. Elisha's instruction was not merely a physical act but a symbolic and spiritual one, representing the forceful and repeated striking down of the enemy. The prophet expected a vigorous and persistent application of this "striking," signifying a relentless pursuit of victory until the enemy was utterly defeated.
The number three (H7969, combined with H6471 for "times"), שָׁלֹשׁ (shâlôwsh), frequently appears in biblical contexts, often signifying completeness, divine action, or emphasis (e.g., three days, three times a day for prayer). However, in this specific narrative, the significance of "thrice" is not its inherent completeness but rather its insufficient completion. Joash stopped at three, indicating a self-imposed limit that fell tragically short of what was implicitly desired for a full and overwhelming victory. It highlights a lack of perseverance rather than a divinely ordained stopping point.
The verb (H5975), עָמַד (ʻâmad), meaning to stand, cease, desist, or stop, is crucial as it emphasizes Joash's volitional act of stopping. He was not commanded to stop; he simply "stayed." This cessation points to a lack of zeal, a failure of imagination to grasp the full potential of the prophetic act, or an absence of full faith in the divine instruction, directly limiting the potential for God's complete deliverance.
Verse Breakdown
"And he said, Take the arrows. And he took [them]."
This initial exchange demonstrates Joash's immediate, albeit superficial, obedience. He follows the literal command to take the arrows, indicating a basic willingness to participate in the prophetic act. This sets the stage for the crucial test that follows, where his deeper commitment, or lack thereof, will be revealed. His compliance here is a necessary but insufficient step.
"And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground."
This is the core instruction, a profound test of Joash's faith, zeal, and spiritual insight. The command to "smite upon the ground" is given without a specified number of strikes. It is an open-ended directive, implying that the king's persistence and spiritual fervor would determine the extent of the victory. The ground symbolizes the territory of the enemy, Aram, and the striking represents the forceful subjugation and utter defeat of that enemy.
"And he smote thrice, and stayed."
This clause reveals Joash's critical failure and the tragic limitation of Israel's future. He performs the action, but only partially, demonstrating a profound lack of spiritual discernment and zeal. His decision to strike only three times, and then to "stay" (cease), indicates a limited vision, a spiritual weariness, or a failure to grasp the magnitude of the divine opportunity. This partial obedience directly limits the scope of God's intended deliverance, leading to Elisha's subsequent frustration and the tragic consequence for Israel, who would only achieve three victories against Aram instead of total annihilation.
Literary Devices
The narrative of 2 Kings 13:18 effectively employs several literary devices to convey its profound message. Symbolism is central, as the arrows themselves symbolize God's power and the victories to be won over Aram, while the act of striking the ground symbolizes the actual defeat and subjugation of the enemy's territory. Crucially, the number of strikes is symbolic of the number of future victories. There is an element of Dramatic Irony, as the reader, through Elisha's subsequent reaction, understands the profound significance and missed opportunity of Joash's limited action, while Joash himself seems oblivious to the full implications of his cessation. The passage also functions as Foreshadowing, where Joash's limited striking directly foreshadows the limited victories Israel will achieve against Aram, rather than the complete triumph that was potentially available. This narrative serves as a powerful Parable or object lesson, illustrating the spiritual principle that partial obedience yields partial results, and that the extent of divine blessing can be tied to human faith, zeal, and perseverance.
Theological and Thematic Connections
The account of Joash and Elisha's arrows serves as a powerful theological statement about the interplay between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, particularly concerning faith and obedience. God's power to deliver is absolute, yet the extent of that deliverance, in this instance, was made contingent upon the king's zealous response. Joash's half-hearted effort highlights a recurring biblical theme: God often works through human agency, and the measure of our faith and obedience can directly influence the manifestation of His will in our lives and circumstances. This is not to say that our faith earns God's favor, but rather that it opens the channel for His power to flow fully and unhindered. The narrative stands as a stark warning against spiritual complacency and a call to wholehearted engagement with God's commands and promises, reminding us that God desires not just compliance, but zealous participation in His redemptive plans, leading to the full measure of His intended blessings.
Reflection and Application
The story of King Joash and the arrows of deliverance offers profound lessons for contemporary believers. It challenges us to examine the depth of our faith and the sincerity of our obedience when faced with God's commands or promises. Are we prone to half-hearted efforts, stopping short of what God implicitly calls us to, thereby limiting the full scope of His intended blessings and victories in our lives, our churches, or our communities? This passage reminds us that spiritual battles, personal growth, and the advancement of God's kingdom often require sustained effort, unwavering faith, and persistent prayer, not just initial compliance. We are called to press on, to "smite upon the ground" with all the zeal and expectation that God's promises warrant, trusting that our perseverance in faith will unlock the full measure of His power and deliverance against the spiritual adversaries and challenges we face. It encourages us to cultivate a spirit of relentless pursuit of God's will, refusing to settle for partial victories when complete triumph is within reach through faith in the living God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Elisha so angry at King Joash's actions?
Elisha's anger, expressed in 2 Kings 13:19, stemmed from Joash's profound lack of zeal and faith, which directly limited the extent of God's promised deliverance for Israel. The prophet understood that the number of times Joash struck the ground would determine the number of decisive victories Israel would achieve over Aram. By stopping at three, Joash demonstrated a half-hearted commitment, effectively curtailing God's full intention for His people to utterly defeat their oppressors. Elisha was frustrated because Joash had squandered a divine opportunity for complete triumph, settling for partial success due to his limited faith and spiritual insight.
What is the significance of Joash striking "thrice" instead of more times?
While the number three often carries positive connotations of completeness or divine action in the Bible, in this specific context, "thrice" signifies an insufficient completion. It's not that striking three times was inherently wrong, but that Joash stopped at three when he was implicitly expected to continue until told otherwise or until exhaustion. His cessation at three reveals a lack of perseverance, a limited vision, or a profound failure of faith to grasp the full scope of God's desire for His people. It symbolizes a missed opportunity for total victory, as Israel would only achieve three victories over Aram, rather than utterly consuming them, a fact confirmed later in 2 Kings 13:25.
Does this passage mean God's power is limited by our faith?
God's power itself is infinite and limitless; it cannot be constrained by human actions. However, this passage illustrates that the manifestation of God's power and the extent of His work through human agents can indeed be influenced by our faith, obedience, and willingness to fully engage with His commands. It's not that God can't do more, but that He often chooses to work in partnership with human faith and zeal. Joash's story shows that our lack of spiritual urgency or partial obedience can limit the experience of God's full blessing and deliverance in our lives and circumstances, not His inherent capability. It emphasizes human responsibility in responding wholeheartedly to divine opportunities.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The narrative of Joash's partial obedience and its limiting consequences finds its ultimate contrast and fulfillment in the perfect, unwavering obedience of Jesus Christ. Unlike King Joash, who "smote thrice, and stayed," Jesus never stopped short of God's perfect will. From His incarnation to His agonizing journey to the cross, Christ's obedience was complete and wholehearted, culminating in His voluntary submission to death. He fully "smote" the enemies of humanity—sin, death, and the devil—not partially, but decisively and eternally. His triumphant cry on the cross, "It is finished!", signifies a complete and final victory, a perfect fulfillment of God's redemptive plan, unlike Joash's limited triumph. Through Christ's singular, perfect sacrifice, believers are granted not partial deliverance, but full and eternal salvation, having been "perfected forever by one offering." Where Joash's limited faith resulted in limited earthly victories, Christ's perfect faith and obedience secured an eternal, comprehensive victory, disarming "principalities and powers" and leading us into the fullness of God's promised rest and ultimate triumph over all spiritual adversaries. He is the one who pressed on, even to death on a cross, ensuring that God's deliverance for His people would be absolute and complete, leaving no victory unachieved.