2 Kings 13

1 In the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash [given by the Lord] son of Ahaziah [Jehovah holds] over Judah, Jehoahaz [Jehovah has seized] son of Jehu became king [to reign, ruler] of Israel, and he reigned [exercised royal authority] in Samaria [watch mountain] seventeen [seven and ten] years. word study 2 And he did evil [wickedly, morally bad] in the sight [before the eyes, in full view] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] and followed [walked after, imitated] the sins [transgressions, rebellions] that Jeroboam [the people will contend] son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit [led astray, made to sin]; he did not turn away [depart, remove himself] from them [those sins, that evil]. word study 3 So the anger [burning fury, intense wrath] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] burned [was kindled, ignited] against Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people], and He delivered [gave, handed over] them continually [all their days, repeatedly] into the hands [power, control] of Hazael [one who sees God, a king of Syria] king of Aram [also known as Syria] and his son [descendant, offspring] Ben-hadad [son of the false god, a Syrian king]. word study 4 Then Jehoahaz [besought, prayed to] sought the favor of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], and the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] listened [hearkened, gave attention] to him because He saw [perceived, had insight into] the oppression [cruel treatment, distress] that the king of Aram [Syria, the region] had inflicted [oppressed, treated unfairly] on Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people]. word study 5 So the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] gave Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants] a deliverer [saviour, one who saves from danger], and they escaped [went out from under] the power [hand] of the Arameans [people of Aram, also known as Syria]. Then the people of Israel lived [dwelt, remained] in their own homes [tents, nomad’s home] as they had [as beforetime, yesterday] before. word study 6 Nevertheless, they did not turn away [depart, remove themselves] from the sins [guilt, rebellion against God] that the house [dynasty, family] of Jeroboam [the people will contend] had caused Israel [God’s chosen people] to commit [to sin, to miss the mark], but they continued to walk [to go, to follow] in them [in the same sinful path]. The Asherah pole [a tree or pole near an altar] even remained standing [to stand, to endure] in Samaria [watch mountain, the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel]. word study 7 Jehoahaz had no army left [except a small remnant], except fifty horsemen [cavalry soldiers], ten chariots [vehicles for war], and ten thousand foot soldiers [infantrymen, on foot], because the king of Aram [Syria, a neighboring nation] had destroyed them [utterly, leaving none] and made them like the dust [powder, crushed] at threshing [a process of separating grain]. word study 8 As for the rest [remainder, what is left] of the acts [accomplishments, deeds] of Jehoahaz [Jehovah has seized], along with all [everything, his entire record] his accomplishments [valiant deeds, mighty works] and his might [strength, power, bravery], are they not [is it not the case] written [recorded, inscribed] in the Book [scroll, written document] of the Chronicles [history, events, words] of the Kings [rulers, monarchs] of Israel [God’s chosen people]? word study 9 And Jehoahaz [Ahaziah, Jehovah has seized] rested [slept, lay down] with his fathers [ancestors, predecessors] and was buried [interred, laid to rest] in Samaria [the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, watch mountain]. And his son [descendant, offspring] Jehoash [Joash, given by the Lord] reigned [ruled, governed] in his place [stead, position, underneath him]. word study 10 In the thirty-seventh [thirty and seventh] year of the reign [rule, kingdom] of Joash [given by the Lord] over Judah [the tribe descended from Judah], Jehoash [Jehovah has given] son of Jehoahaz [Jehovah has seized] became king [to reign, ruler] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob] in Samaria [watch mountain], and he reigned [exercised royal authority] sixteen [six and ten] years. word study 11 And he did [that which was] evil [morally wrong, wicked] in the sight [presence, awareness] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] and did not turn away [depart, remove himself] from all [every, the entirety of] the sins [guilt, punishment for sin] that Jeroboam [the people will contend] son of Nebat [an Ephraimite] had caused Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, his descendants] to commit [to sin, to miss the mark], but he walked [followed, lived] in them [the sins, the evil ways]. word study 12 As for the rest [remainder, what is left] of the acts [deeds, accomplishments] of Jehoash [given by the Lord], along with all [everything, every aspect] his accomplishments [achievements, successes] and his might [strength, power, bravery], including his war [battle, fight] against Amaziah [Jehovah is mighty] king of Judah [the tribe of Judah, the southern kingdom], are they not written [recorded, inscribed] in the Book [scroll, written document] of the Chronicles [events, history] of the Kings [rulers, monarchs] of Israel [the people of God, the northern kingdom]? word study 13 And Jehoash [Joash, given by the Lord] rested [slept, died] with his fathers [ancestors, predecessors], and Jeroboam [the people will contend] succeeded him on the throne [seat of power, authority]. Jehoash was buried [laid to rest, interred] in Samaria [watch mountain, capital of Israel] with the kings [rulers, monarchs] of Israel [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob]. word study 14 When Elisha [the prophet of God] had fallen sick with the illness [disease, sickness] from which he would die, Jehoash [Joash, given by the Lord] king of Israel came down to him and wept [cried, shed tears] over him, saying, “My father [abba, dear father], my father, the chariots [vehicles of war] and horsemen [cavalry, riders] of Israel [God’s chosen people]!” word study 15 Elisha [the prophet, God’s messenger] told him, “Take [receive, grasp] a bow [a weapon for battle] and some arrows [sharp objects for hunting or war].” So Jehoash took [obtained, acquired] a bow [an instrument of warfare] and some arrows [projectiles for battle]. word study 16 Then Elisha [the prophet of God] said to the king [the ruler] of Israel [God’s chosen people], “Put your hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] on the bow [a weapon of strength].” So the king put his hand on the bow, and Elisha [God’s messenger] put his hands [indicating guidance or support] on the king’s hands [the king’s authority]. word study 17 “Open the east [front, direction of the rising sun] window,” said Elisha [God is salvation, a prophet]. So he opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot [release the arrow, let it go]!” So he shot. And Elisha declared: “This is the LORD’s [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] arrow of victory [deliverance, salvation], the arrow of victory [triumph, conquest] over Aram [Syria, a region and its people], for you shall strike [smite, hit] the Arameans in Aphek [a city, an enclosure] until you have put an end [finished, consumed] to them.” word study 18 Then Elisha said, “Take [pick up, grasp] the arrows [sharp projectiles]!” So he took [received, acquired] them, and Elisha said to the king [ruler, monarch] of Israel [God’s chosen people], “Strike [smite, hit] the ground [land, earth]!” So he struck [hit, beat] the ground three [thrice] times and stopped [stood still, ceased]. word study 19 But the man [a prophet, messenger of God] of God was angry [intensely displeased, furious] with him and said, “You should have struck [hit, smitten] the ground five [a small number] or six [a few] times. Then you would have struck down [defeated, conquered] Aram [Syria, a neighboring nation] until you had put an end [finished, consumed] to it. But now [at this time, presently] you will strike down [attack, defeat] Aram only [limited to, merely] three [a few times] times.” word study 20 And Elisha [a famous prophet, God’s messenger] died [passed away, came to the end of his earthly life] and was buried [laid to rest, interred]. Now the Moabite [from the land of Moab, descendants of Lot] raiders [bands of soldiers, invading armies] used to come [invade, enter] into the land [the territory, the region of Israel] every spring [at the coming in of the year, during the seasonal change]. word study 21 Once, as the Israelites [they, a group of men] were burying [intering, laying to rest] a man, suddenly they saw a band [group, troop] of raiders [souldiers, marauders], so they threw [cast, tossed] the man’s body into Elisha’s [the prophet’s] tomb [sepulchre, grave]. And as soon as his body touched [came into contact with, reached] the bones [remains, skeletal frame] of Elisha, the man was revived [brought back to life, quickened] and stood up on his feet [rose, got up]. word study 22 And Hazael [king of Syria, Aram’s ruler] king of Aram [a region, also known as Syria] oppressed [treated cruelly, afflicted] Israel [Jacob’s descendants, God’s chosen people] throughout [all the days, during the entire period] the reign [kingly rule, royal authority] of Jehoahaz [Jehovah has seized, a king of Israel]. word study 23 But the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] was gracious [showing kindness, favor] to Israel and had compassion [pity, mercy] on them, and He turned [faced, looked] toward them because of His covenant [promise, agreement] with Abraham [the father of faith], Isaac [he laughs], and Jacob [he supplants]. And to this day, the LORD has been unwilling [refused, denied] to destroy [ruin, corrupt] them or cast [throw, reject] them from His presence [face, being]. word study 24 When Hazael [the king who saw God] king [ruler, monarch] of Aram [Syria, the region] died [passed away, came to an end], his son [descendant, offspring] Ben-hadad [son of the false god] reigned [ruled, took the throne] in his place [stead, position]. word study 25 Then Jehoash [Joash, given by the Lord] son of Jehoahaz took back [recovered, restored] from Ben-hadad [son of the false god Hadad] son of Hazael [one who sees God] the cities [towns, settlements] that Hazael had taken [captured, seized] in battle [war, conflict] from his father Jehoahaz [Jehovah has seized]. Jehoash defeated [struck, smote] Ben-hadad three [thrice, on three occasions] times, and so recovered [restored, returned] the cities [towns, settlements] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people]. word study