2 Kings 13 Study Notes

13:1 The reign of Jehoahaz marked the low point of Hebrew fortunes between the greatness of Ahab and Jehoshaphat and the greatness of Jeroboam II and Azariah. Ironically, conditions became even worse after Joash’s tepid revival. The Assyrians were inactive in Aram and Palestine, so Hazael (possibly a second king by this name) had a free hand in plundering both Israel and Judah.

13:2 Jehoahaz’s father had destroyed Baalism in Israel (10:18-27), so Israel was more free from Baal than Judah was, but Jehoahaz restored the false worship that Jeroboam had instigated.

13:3 God’s judgment gave a free hand to Aram during the reign of Jehoahaz and the last half of the reign of Joash of Judah.

13:4-7 The record reports that Jehoahaz prayed to God for mercy and God was merciful. Historians generally agree that the deliverer was a new king of Assyria, Adad-Nirari III, who attacked the west in 805 BC and diverted Aramean power from Israel.

13:6-7 This mercy had no positive moral impact. Israel remained as firmly rooted in disobedience as before, though they did not return to Baal. Therefore, this Asherah pole probably represented the fertility consort of one of the historic Palestinian Baals. The numbers—fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers—showed the dismal military state of Israel. However, it is possible that God’s mercy had some influence on Jehoash, Jehoahaz’s son, particularly in his positive attitudes toward Elisha. Though still wicked, he was an improvement over his father.

13:8-9 Like the conclusions to Baasha’s (1Kg 16:5) and Jehu’s (2Kg 10:34) reigns, this one highlights the king’s might.

13:10-13 This negative estimate of Jehoash gives no hint of the good relations recorded between Elisha and Jehoash or of Jehoash’s successes against Aram. As already noted, early in Jehoash’s reign, a halt in Assyrian pressure gave Aram freedom to attack Hebrew territory once again. This threat may have been the setting for the deathbed interview with Elisha recorded in vv. 14-19. This closer for Jehoash’s reign is structurally correct since the normal pattern was to conclude the current record before taking up the next record (Amaziah, 14:1-22). The repetition of this material in 14:15-16 is out of its natural place.

13:14-19 On Jehoash’s words to Elisha, see note at 2:12. Elisha’s deathbed interview with Jehoash was appended to Jehoash’s official record. Despite the negative judgment against Jehoash, there was mutual affection between the king and Elisha. The prophet presented a symbolic oracle to Jehoash. Elisha designated the arrows as symbols of defeat for Aram. Then Elisha ordered the king to implement the curse by symbolically striking the ground. He then rebuked Jehoash for not striking the ground enough times, perhaps indicative of Jehoash’s lack of zeal.

13:20-21 God still had one more miracle to certify his work through Elisha, and, by extension, through Elijah also. A dead man was brought to life because his corpse came into contact with the bones of Elisha. Rather than signaling that Elisha’s bones held magical power, this miracle bore testimony to the power of God that was borne through his chosen prophet.

13:22-23 God in his mercy kept this promise to deliver the Israelites from Aram, though this came through a wicked king. The reason for this unwarranted mercy was God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For Judah, unwarranted mercy to wicked kings was possible because of the Lord’s promise to David.

13:24-25 Elisha’s dying oracle called for some record of the fulfillment of Elisha’s promise. Thus the record of those victories was appended here, not in the formal record.