Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The Arameans torment the Israelites, Jehoash replaces Jehoahaz as king of Israel, and Jehoash defeats the Arameans in battle. Although Elisha is buried, his grave is disturbed.
II. Photo
Elisha dies: “Elisha died and he was buried.” (v. 20a)
III. Important Verses
3-5: The LORD was angry with Israel and He repeatedly delivered them into the hands of King Hazael of Aram and into the hands of Ben-hadad son of Hazael. But Jehoahaz pleaded with the LORD; and the LORD listened to him, for He saw the suffering that the king of Aram inflicted upon Israel. So the LORD granted Israel a deliverer, and they gained their freedom from Aram; and Israel dwelt in its homes as before.
7: In fact, Jehoahaz was left with a force of only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers; for the king of Aram had decimated them and trampled them like the dust under his feet.
14-19: Elisha had been stricken with the illness of which he was to die, and King Joash of Israel went down to see him. He wept over him and cried, “Father, father! Israel’s chariots and horsemen!” Elisha said to him, “Get a bow and arrows”; and he brought him a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, “Grasp the bow!” And when he had grasped it, Elisha put his hands over the king’s hands. “Open the window toward the east,” he said; and he opened it. Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he shot. Then he said, “An arrow of victory for the LORD! An arrow of victory over Aram! You shall rout Aram completely at Aphek.” He said, “Now pick up the arrows.” And he picked them up. “Strike the ground!” he said to the king of Israel; and he struck three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said to him, “If only you had struck five or six times! Then you would have annihilated Aram; as it is, you shall defeat Aram only three times.”
20-21: Elisha died and he was buried. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land at the coming of every year. Once a man was being buried, when the people caught sight of such a band; so they threw the corpse into Elisha’s grave and made off. When the [dead] man came in contact with Elisha’s bones, he came to life and stood up.
IV. Outline
1-9. Jehoahaz king of Israel
1. Introductory statement
2. Jehoahaz’s sins
3-7. Sin; Aramean harassment; Deliverance
8-9. Summary statement
10-25. Jehoash king of Israel
10. Introductory statement
11. Jehoash’s sins
12-13. Summary statement
14-19. Elisha predicts victory over Aram
20a. Elisha dies
20b-21. A man is resurrected when his corpse touches Elisha’s
22-23. Aramean harassment
24-25. Jehoash recovers the cities from Aram
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Cogan, Mordechai and Hayim Tadmor. “II Kings” The Anchor Bible v. 11 (USA: Doubleday, 1988).
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Hobbs, T.R. “2 Kings” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 13 (Waco, Texas: Wordbooks, 1985).
Photo taken from http://19507.vws.magma.ca/bulletin/images/0907/shovel.jpg
