2 Kings 13:20-25

20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of 1Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year.
21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
22 2Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
23 3But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them, 4and he turned toward them, 5because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.
24 When Hazael king of Syria died, Ben-hadad his son became king in his place.
25 Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities 6that he had taken from Jehoahaz his father in war. 7Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.

2 Kings 13:20-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 13

This chapter gives an account of the wicked reign of Jehoahaz son of Jehu king of Israel, and of the low estate he was brought into by the Syrians, 2Ki 13:1-9, and of the reign of his son Joash, 2Ki 13:10-13, and of the sickness and death of Elisha; of the visit Joash made him in his sickness; and of his prediction of the king's success against the Syrians; and of the reviving of a dead man cast into the prophet's sepulchre, 2Ki 13:14-21 and of the success of Joash against the Syrians, according to the prediction of the prophet, 2Ki 13:22-25.

\\of Judah\\ The same year he was so zealous and busy in repairing the temple, 2Ki 12:6,

\\Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria\\; whereas Joash began to reign in the seventh year of Jehu, and Jehu reigned but twenty eight years, 2Ki 10:36, and 2Ki 12:1, this could be but the twenty first of Joash; to reconcile which it must be observed, that it was at the beginning of the seventh year of Jehu that Joash began to reign, and at the beginning of the twenty third of Joash that Jehoahaz began to reign, as the Jewish commentators observe:

\\and reigned seventeen years\\; the two last of which were in common with his son, as Junius, see 2Ki 13:10 17831-941219-2104-2Ki13.2

Cross References 7

  • 1. 2 Kings 1:1; 2 Kings 3:7; 2 Kings 24:2
  • 2. 2 Kings 8:12
  • 3. 2 Kings 14:27
  • 4. [Exodus 2:24, 25]
  • 5. Exodus 32:13
  • 6. [2 Kings 10:32; 2 Kings 14:25]
  • 7. ver. 18, 19; [Amos 1:4]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.