2 Kings 13

Jehoahaz Reigns in Israel 1
Sins of Jeroboam continued; Jehohaz dies 6
Jehoash son of Jehoahaz begins to reign in Israel 10
Death of Joash reported 12
Joash visits Elisha who is terminally ill but shows the king his laziness 14
Elisha dies but revived in a strange situation 20
Hazael oppresses Israel until he dies 22
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Text
Explanation
.1 ¶ 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 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 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 Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days.
 1 -Jehohaz The account of his reign begins here although the fact that he began to reign is found in 2ki1035. The list of kings was generally recorded in the order of accession to the throne. In other words, we found out he began to reign in chapter 10 but the story of what he did begins here.
  3 -.Anger of the Lord Not like human anger which is hateful. God's response to sin is called "anger." He always acts in redemptive ways until evil is permanently confirmed by the sinners. We can begin to understand God in Christ ga0404, jn1409. We see how he acted in cleasing the temple, for example jn0213, and in rebuke mt23. Such actions were with great sadness knowing that those who witnessed them could thus best understand the way of salvation.
 3 - Delivered them ... Hazael God withdrew His hand of protection.
 4 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 (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.
  Saviour From a study of ancient records, it is believed that this help was from Adad-nirari III of Assyria who made Israel's oppressor, Syria, a vassal kingdom.
  In their tents An idiom for "at home" 1ki0866. Otherwise they would probably all go into walled cities at night.
.6 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 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.
  Grove The heathen cult of sacred trees thought to bring fertility.
  Leave of [for] the people Ahab was thought to have had 2000 chariots and 10,000 fighting men. Syria probably made these small numbers a rule in the surrender.
 8 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 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.
  Jehoahaz This king of Israel was also called Joash.
.10 ¶ 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 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.
  Joash king of Judah Notice the same name for the King of Israel (Samaria). Confusing.
  Departed not from ... Jeroboam He was the one who began deep apostasy at the time of the split in into northern and southern kingdoms.
.12 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 And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
  Chronicles In this case, not the Bible books of Chronicles but the record in the Bible books of Kings.
  Jeroboam sat Jewish scholars suggest that he had been associated with his father.
.14 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.   Joash ... wept The terminal illness would be a great loss. The prophet had been the strength (chariot and horsemen) of the nation. There may also have been remorse in the fact that the strength had been largely ignored. The term "father" implies that he had heard and maybe sought the advice of the prophet.
 15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
 16 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.
  We may see the visual lesson for the king and the role God intended for prophets.
.17 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 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 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.

  Eastward The direction of Giliad, then held by Syria.
  Deliverance They later took Damascus probably at at the battle at Aphek which was east of East of the Sea of Galilee on a road to Damascus. For another Aphek see 1sa0401.
  Wroth [angry] ... five or six A lesson for us who serve the Lord in daily life as well as in reaching out to others.
.20 ¶ And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
 21 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.
  Elisha died He didn't go to heaven in a chariot of fire as Elijah did 2ki0211 but, as many righteous people before and after, suffered and then slept jn1111, ec0905,7 waiting for the Messiah who will resurrect the righteous dead 1th0416.
  Coming of the year Civil years began in the spring which also was the normal time for conquest. (The sanctuary calendar began in the fall).
  They were burying As I read the story, those who had buried Elisha were burying someone else later in the same grave and perhaps asked help from the Moabite band who became witnesses to the miracle and realized that the God of the Israelites was still quite capable.
.22 But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
 23 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.
  As yet Their probation would continue a little longer.
 24 So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead.
 25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad 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.
  Benhadad This is the third Syrian king with that name which may have become somewhat of a title of office as was the custom of the Pharaohs.
  Three times As predicted in v17.
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