Jehoahaz King of Israel
Study note
Jehoahaz son of Jehu ruled Israel for seventeen years and continued in the sins of Jeroboam. Because of this, God allowed King Hazael and later his son Ben-hadad of Syria to oppress Israel severely. Syria reduced Israel's army to almost nothing -- only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers. When Jehoahaz prayed to God for help, God listened and provided a deliverer, though the people still did not abandon their sinful worship practices.
1 In the twenty-third year of King Joash of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria. He reigned for seventeen years. 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 He did what the Lord considered evil. He kept right on with the same sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel into and never gave them up. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
3 The Lord became very angry with Israel. He allowed King Hazael of Syria and later his son Ben-hadad to defeat them over and over. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, all their days.
4 Jehoahaz begged the Lord for help, and the Lord heard his prayer. God could see how harshly the Syrian king was treating Israel. And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.
5 The Lord provided someone to rescue Israel, and they broke free from Syrian domination. The people went back to living in safety, the way things had been before. (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.
6 Even so, the people refused to abandon the sinful practices that Jeroboam's family had started. They continued in those ways. The wooden idol pole even remained standing in Samaria. Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)
7 Jehoahaz's military had been crushed until almost nothing was left -- fifty horse riders, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers. The Syrian king had ground the rest of them to dust, like dirt on a threshing floor. 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 threshing.
8 All else about Jehoahaz is in the history of Israel's kings. 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 When Jehoahaz died, he was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoash became the next king. And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.
Jehoash King of Israel
Study note
Jehoash (also called Joash) son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel and ruled for sixteen years. Like his predecessors, he continued in the sins of Jeroboam. He was a capable military leader who even fought against King Amaziah of Judah.
10 In the thirty-seventh year of King Joash of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria. He reigned for sixteen years. 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 He did what the Lord considered evil. He kept practicing all the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel into and never stopped. 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 All else about Jehoash is in the history of Israel's kings. This includes his war with King Amaziah of Judah. And the rest of the acts of Joash, 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 When Jehoash died, Jeroboam the Second succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria among Israel's other kings. And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
Elisha's Death and Final Prophecy
Study note
Elisha became ill with the sickness that would kill him. King Jehoash visited him and wept, using the same words Elisha had said when Elijah was taken to heaven. In a symbolic act, Elisha told the king to shoot an arrow eastward as a sign of victory over Syria. Then he told the king to strike the ground with the arrows. The king struck only three times, which angered Elisha -- if he had struck five or six times, he would have completely destroyed Syria. After Elisha died and was buried, a remarkable miracle occurred: a dead man thrown into Elisha's tomb came back to life when his body touched Elisha's bones.
14 Elisha had fallen ill with the sickness that would take his life. King Jehoash of Israel came to visit him. He wept over him and said, "My father! My father! You mean more to Israel than all our chariots and horsemen!" 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 Elisha told him, "Find a bow and some arrows." The king brought them. And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
16 Elisha said, "Grip the bow." When the king did, Elisha placed his own hands on top of the king's hands. 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 Elisha said, "Slide open the window facing east." The king opened it. Then Elisha said, "Now shoot!" He shot. Elisha declared, "That is the Lord's arrow of victory -- victory over Syria! You will crush the Syrians completely at Aphek." 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.
18 Then Elisha said, "Now pick up the remaining arrows." The king took them. Elisha told him, "Strike them against the ground." The king hit the ground three times and then stopped. 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 stayed.
19 Elisha was furious. He said, "You should have hit the ground five or six times! Then you would have wiped out Syria completely. Now you will only defeat them three times." 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.
20 Elisha died and was buried. Every spring, bands of Moabite raiders would cross into Israel. And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
21 One day, some men were in the middle of burying someone when they spotted a band of raiders approaching. In a hurry, they tossed the body into Elisha's tomb. The instant the dead man's body touched Elisha's bones, the man came back to life and jumped to his feet. 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.
Israel Recovers Its Cities
Study note
Hazael of Syria had oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. But God showed compassion because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When Hazael died and his son Ben-hadad took over, King Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times and recovered the Israelite cities that had been taken, just as Elisha had predicted with the three strikes on the ground.
22 King Hazael of Syria kept pressing Israel the whole time Jehoahaz was king. But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
23 But the Lord treated Israel with kindness and compassion. He cared about them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Even now, he has not been willing to destroy them or throw them out of his sight. And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.
24 When King Hazael of Syria died, his son Ben-hadad took his place. So Hazael king of Syria died; and Ben-hadad his son reigned in his stead.
25 Jehoash son of Jehoahaz won back the towns that Hazael had taken from his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash beat Ben-hadad three separate times and got Israel's cities back. 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.