2 Kings 13:14

14 Forsooth Elisha was sick in a sickness, by which and he was dead (Now Elisha was sick with the sickness from which he would die); and Jehoash, king of Israel, went down to him, and wept before him, and said, My father! my father! the chariot of Israel, and the charioteer thereof!

2 Kings 13:14 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 13:14

Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died,
&c.] The prophets do not live for ever; this sickness was unto death; Elisha died, and was not translated as Elijah was:

and Joash the king came down unto him;
from his palace to the prophet's house, to visit him in his sickness; which was an instance of great condescension and respect, and especially in a wicked prince that could not be reformed by him:

and wept over his face;
held his head over him, and wept, perceiving he was near his end, and sensible that his death would be a public loss; the nation having often reaped the benefit of his prayers, though his counsel and advice were neglected and despised:

and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the
horsemen thereof;
the same words Elisha said to Elijah, as he went up to heaven, which very probably Joash had heard of; (See Gill on 2 Kings 2:12), and here, as there, the Targum is,

``my master, my master, who was better to Israel by his prayers than chariots and horsemen.''

2 Kings 13:14 In-Context

12 Forsooth the residue of [the] words of Jehoash, and all things that he did, but also his strength, how he fought against Amaziah, king of Judah, whether these be not written in the book of [the] words of [the] days of the kings of Israel?

13 And Jehoash slept with his fathers; forsooth Jeroboam (II) sat upon his throne (and his son, Jeroboam II, sat on his throne). And Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

14 Forsooth Elisha was sick in a sickness, by which and he was dead (Now Elisha was sick with the sickness from which he would die); and Jehoash, king of Israel, went down to him, and wept before him, and said, My father! my father! the chariot of Israel, and the charioteer thereof!

15 And Elisha said to him, Bring thou a bow and arrows. And when he had brought to Elisha a bow and arrows,

16 he said to the king of Israel, Set thine hand on the bow. And when he had set his hand (on it), Elisha setted his hands on the hands of the king,