2 Kings 13:1–14:29

13:3–4 It is fair to say that this era is not a good time to be an Israelite. In fact, it is remarkably similar to the time of Judges. Again and again, the Assyrians and the Syrians, when they are not fighting each other, take turns ravaging Israel. This is God’s way of expressing just how angry he is with his people: “The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael.” We have already seen how the endlessly bubbling tension between Syria and Israel through this period of history serves as a reliable indicator of the spiritual state of the northern kingdom.

However, the turn of events recorded next is surprising, as in verse 4 “Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them.” On the one hand, it seems that Jehoahaz is not utterly ungodly, and, on the other, that Yahweh has not yet given up on his people.

Under Jehoahaz, Israel rebels over and over again. But while Yahweh expresses his anger and acts in judgment, he then astonishingly listens to the prayer of the idolatrous king because “he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them.” Why does he listen to this calf worshiper? God’s action is rooted in his compassion. Our God is a God of love.

13:5–6 The commentary offered on these events, however, serves as a summary of the history of Israel to this point, and as a clear signal of how their story will end: “Therefore the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians.” But rather than any expression of gratitude or joy, we read the ominous note that the people of Israel live in their homes as formerly. The writer seems to be preparing his readers for a day in which God will not intervene and his people will even lose their homes. The damning indictment of verse 6 confirms the direction in which the narrative is heading: God’s intervention is surprising, but from a human perspective not actually all that significant, it appears, as the intervention does not change things one little bit. The people do not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, and the Asherah also remains in Samaria. Kings may come and kings may go, but Israel remains essentially the same.

Verse 5 is wonderfully cryptic: in the middle of the chaotic up-and-down reign of Jehoahaz, “The Lord gave Israel a savior.” There is almost endless scholarly discussion about who this unnamed savior is. It is striking that in a text so full of names, at this point the writer deliberately chooses to omit the name of this rescuer. It may be that, in a passage strongly reminiscent of the endless cycle of failure and rescue of the book of Judges, the writer is making the simple point that God is still committed to rescuing his people and that he often works through unexpected (and, in this case, unidentified) rescuers. As in Judges, God’s people repeatedly get into trouble. As in Judges, God hears and answers his people. As in Judges, it makes no difference. Not to the people; not to king Jehoahaz. They still worship golden bulls and the pillars of the Asherah cult. Yahweh’s mercy apparently makes no difference. The warmth of his love does not soften their hearts one bit. And the nation’s slide into disaster continues almost uninterrupted.

13:7–9 The fact that there has been no change of heart in Israel despite Yahweh’s persistent kindness is the underlying cause of the decline recorded in verses 7–9. Despite his wisdom in calling on Yahweh, and Yahweh’s gracious rescue of Israel, Jehoahaz presides over a significant decline in Israel’s strength, as the army now consists of less than fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria has “destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.” Israel is being “softened up” for future destruction.

13:10–13 The intermingling of similar-sounding and similar-acting kings north and south of the border is part of the narrative strategy of the writer. It is not simply the names of the kings that are similar. Both north and south of the border there is a worryingly similar trend toward half-heartedness. Israelite-sounding kings in the south do not bode well, while Judean-sounding kings in the north make little or no difference to the trajectory of the nation. The Judean Joash/Jehoash, as we have seen, is basically godly, but with some significant flaws. His northern counterpart, however, demonstrates in his “sixteen years” that he is cut from the same cloth as his predecessors: “He also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them.” His reign is basically dismissed as more of the same in verses 12 and 13, and “Jeroboam sat on his throne.” Joash is an unremarkable king with no persistence at all. Even his name is unoriginal, and the account of his reign in 13:10–13 is deliberately boring: he came, and he went. And in between? He fought with Judah. And that is that. Or almost that.

13:14 Somewhat unexpectedly, Elisha reappears in the narrative. There has been no mention of the aging prophet since 9:1, the narrative introducing Jehu’s bloody purge. And now we learn that “Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die.” This is Elisha’s swan song, but although the old prophet is dying, it is very clear who is calling the tune: Yahweh is in control, and in the rest of the chapter, it is the word of Yahweh through his prophet that controls events. And how a man responds to the word of Yahweh turns out to count more than anything else. God works through his word.

What is surprising is that “Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him.” We have seen nothing to suggest that the Israelite Joash is any lover of the word of Yahweh, and yet he seems deeply upset at the impending death of this fierce spokesman for God, repeating Elisha’s own words in 2 Kings 2:12, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” first spoken on the departure of Elisha’s mentor, Elijah. We are not told if Elisha is pleased to see Joash, nor even if the king is sincere when he repeats Elisha’s own words concerning Elijah. Just as Elisha acknowledged Elijah’s prophetic authority and the fact that Yahweh had been “fighting his enemies” through this prophet, Joash appears to say that once Elisha departs this mortal coil, nothing will be the same and his people will be left defenseless (of course, the fact that his father lost all of Israel’s chariots did not help much). Joash’s words highlight the fact that there is no prophet in line to succeed Elisha, and, rather than receiving acclaim from a like-minded wholehearted follower, this prophet receives a eulogy from a double-minded Israelite king.

13:15–17 The events that unfold seem to provide a parallel to the appeal of Jehoahaz to Yahweh in 13:4, although on this occasion God himself (through his prophet) takes the initiative. Elisha rallies for long enough to tell the king to “take a bow and arrows,” which he duly does. The narrative slows to build tension, as each instruction is given and then followed: “‘Draw the bow,’ and he drew it. . . . ‘Open the window eastward,’ and he opened it. . . . ‘Shoot,’ and he shot.” The fact that “Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands” further emphasizes the intensity of this moment. The writer carefully conveys that this is a key moment in the unfolding history of his people. As the arrow soars through the open window, the dying man summons the energy to cry, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria!” Despite the lack of any evidence of change in the life of the nation, God continues to protect and rescue his people (although one wonders just how long this can continue). Elisha then spells out precisely what his statement means: “You shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” Aphek is the epicenter of the ongoing border conflict with Syria. To hold Aphek is, in all likelihood, to hold Syria at bay.

13:18–19 The old prophet is not quite finished, adding another halting command: “‘Take the arrows,’ and he took them.” Elisha then instructs Joash (here called “the king of Israel” to emphasize the fact that what happens next will highlight the basic problem with the entire northern kingdom): “‘Strike the ground with them.’ And he struck three times and stopped.” The careful rhythm of command and obedience built up through this episode is now broken, as Joash stops striking the ground after three blows. It comes as a slight surprise that “the man of God was angry with him and said, ‘You should have struck five or six times.’” One is tempted to feel sorry for the king at this point; striking the ground three times seems fairly sensible to us. But from the emphatic “and stopped” in verse 18, as well as Elisha’s reaction, it is pretty clear that the prophet intends the king to keep going until he has smashed up the ground or the arrows, or perhaps both, to smithereens. Whichever it is, three taps fall far short of what God is asking. And in this detail, the incident of the arrows sums up Joash pretty well: he hears the word of Yahweh but does not do exactly what it says.

Elisha’s reaction makes clear that Joash should have picked up on the fact that Elisha was asking for an ongoing action, and, even more important, that he should have known that this whole event was constructed as a sign to Israel, intended to enable him to grasp the key point that the nation of Israel always comes up short when it comes to obedience. If this is the case, Joash in a sense cannot win—Yahweh is revealing through his prophet that a day is coming when Israel will be judged. While the possibility was always there that a faithful Israel would have “struck down Syria until you had made an end of it,” the consistent reality has been (and now will continue to be) that Israel will come up short (so “you will strike down Syria only three times”). To come up short will guarantee disaster, and a defeated kingdom.

13:20–21 Unlike Elijah, Elisha’s death is quiet and the record of his passing matter-of-fact: “So Elisha died, and they buried him.” It is, however, no less poignant, for, as a result, the word of Yahweh appears to fall silent, although the note that is added reminds us of this man’s remarkable ministry. Israel’s fairly perilous state is reflected in the report that “bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year,” but a strange incident reassures us that all is not lost and that Yahweh has not stopped “speaking” through his prophet. A raiding party approaches during a funeral, and, in their haste to escape, the funeral party dumps the corpse “into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.” Even in his own death, the prophet continues to be used to bring life.

13:22–25 At this point in the narrative, however, the focus is squarely on the consistent trajectory of the people of Yahweh, and at the end of the chapter we return (somewhat surprisingly) to the reign of Jehoahaz: “Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.” We have already been told how God rescued Israel (v. 5). However, at this stage we read a rare example of theological analysis of these events: “But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.” Suddenly, the import of the “three strikes and you’re out” incident becomes clear. “Until now” are truly ominous words. The pattern of crying to Yahweh and rescue, followed by idolatry and apostasy, will not continue forever. We may be in a holding pattern (vv. 24–25), as “Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from Jehoahaz his father in war,” but the clock is ticking. “Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.” The preceding narrative has made it clear that time is very nearly up.

It is important not to pass over this reference to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In the narrative that runs from Judges to 2 Kings, this is one of only two explicit references to this trio. Elijah mentions the three patriarchs in 1 Kings 18:36 in his prayer, and then here in 2 Kings 13:23 we read this beautiful statement of how “the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.” Jehoahaz has been a foolish idolater. Jehoash has been a foolish idolater. They have experienced the curse of the covenant, expressed through the human agency of the Syrians. It appears that all hope has been extinguished; and yet there is still a glimmer of light in the darkness because of the promises that Yahweh made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is the astonishing grace of our compassionate God.

14:7–12 Any sense that Amaziah’s elimination of his father’s killers would be the end of his violent activity is quickly removed when we are told that “he struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and took Sela by storm, and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this day.” The abbreviated nature of these comments ensures that the focus is on the killing itself, creating a sense that Amaziah may be out of control, rather than celebrating a great victory of God’s people over their traditional enemies. This is quickly confirmed in verse 8, as Amaziah “sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, ‘Come, let us look one another in the face.’” The inclusion of the double patronymic (“son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu”) seems to underline just how problematic it is for the king of Judah to engage in this kind of confrontational behavior with the other half of God’s people.

Jehoash’s reply is cryptic: “A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,’ and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle.” In the first place, Jehoash is disparaging Judah’s military power compared to Israel, comparing a “thistle” to a “cedar.” Second, he dismisses the idea that they are even equals, parodying his challenge as a request for marriage from an unworthy suitor. His miniparable then comes to an abrupt halt as a “wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle.” His final point is that this kind of saber rattling will not end well for Judah. Joash response, therefore, is one to the effect of “You are not in my league, Amaziah. You are a thistle, and you should face your thistleness before you get squashed.” In verse 10, Jehoash sums up his response in the clearest possible terms: “You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?” The tone of this exchange is reminiscent of a schoolyard fight that flatters neither kingdom.

Unsurprisingly, “Amaziah would not listen,” and a civil war erupts. “So Jehoash king of Israel . . . and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah.” Amaziah has jeopardized the future of Judah, as “Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home.” Not only has Judah become like Israel; it is in danger of being annexed by Israel.

14:13–16 The decimation caused by Jehoash of Israel is detailed in verse 13. He not only “captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh” (note the stylized reference to the king of Judah , emphasizing the fact that, at the end of the day, all kings seem to be basically the same) but also “came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.” It seems astonishing that long before the Babylonians would come to destroy the city, their own brothers from Israel undertake the very same task. In short, Judah and Ahaziah are destroyed. The northern king also, according to verse 14, “seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord.” This despoiling of the temple is indicative of the sad state of the nation. The Israelites also plunder the “treasuries of the king’s house” as well as contravene multiple laws by taking “hostages.” At this juncture, Jehoash’s death is recorded in the usual fashion (vv. 15–16), and “Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.”

14:17–22 Back in Judah, “Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years.” The fact that he “lived” fifteen years alerts us to the fact that he is not going to live much longer! The details of his demise are then given in verse 19: “They made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there.” The pattern in Judah has rapidly declined to the internecine norm in Israel. After Amaziah’s departure, “all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.” The only cited achievement of Azariah at this point, “He built Elath and restored it to Judah,” may not be the sole extent of his activities, but it does seem to suggest that the spiritual temperature in Judah during his reign is not high.

14:23–29 Meanwhile, back north of the border, “Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years.” Jeroboam II, although one of the most politically significant figures in Israel’s history, receives scant treatment in the book of Kings. Jeroboam II is a big king. Perhaps even a great king. But, like Omri, he is a great king of absolutely no consequence in Yahweh’s eyes. This third king after Jehu does a great job of restoring the borders of Israel; in fact, they are now back in Solomon’s territory. But this is overshadowed by the now familiar condemnation. Yes, he extends the borders. Yes, he rules for as long as any of the kings of Israel and Judah. Yes, he makes it onto a few ancient steles as a significant ruler in the ancient Near East. But in God’s eyes? He warrants seven verses—and most of these are not actually about him. He is a great king of no consequence. And that is all there is to say! The end of Israel is approaching, and all that Jeroboam’s reign offers is a slight hiatus on the road to judgment.

The verdict on the king is routinely blunt in verse 24: “And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.” It is true that, according the verse 25, “he restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah.” Fascinatingly, this period of expansion is ascribed to the kind sovereignty of God, unfolding “according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel.” The expression “the God of Israel” unexpectedly recalls the rhythm of 1 Kings 15–16 (cf. 15:30; 16:13, 26, 33; and also 2 Kings 10:31), which repeatedly condemns the kings of the northern kingdom. Even more surprisingly, this positive word for Israel from Yahweh comes via “his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.” This appears to be the same prophet who gives his name to the book of Jonah and reluctantly preaches to the Ninevites.

The fact that a prophet of national expansion struggles to bring a message of grace to the nations does not seem surprising! What is unexpected, however, is the determination of God to show grace to his people—even godless Israel: “For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel.” This Exodus-type language is a reminder of God’s working to rescue his people through his own free grace, as he did in Egypt. The fleeting reference to Jonah in 14:25 is almost certainly not accidental. Yes, Jeroboam may have restored the borders of Israel, but only because God had decreed it through the ministry of a certain Jonah, son of Amittai. This is a bleak period in the history of God’s people. Israel is deeply infected with idolatry. Judah promises much but does not deliver—but God is still working through his word.

At this point, the writer adds an extremely helpful salvation-historical reflection. For the reader, it seems inevitable that Yahweh’s patience with Israel will run out. The writer makes it clear that we have not yet reached this point, for “the Lord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash” (v. 27). Their doom is coming—but not yet. Yahweh even uses Jeroboam to save his people because our God is a God of compassion.

In the summary of Jeroboam’s reign, it is very clear that he is a passionate and pugnacious leader: “Now . . . his might, how he fought, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?” We have no information about the loss of Damascus and Hamath, but it is here quietly celebrated that God orchestrates their recovery, which is the only detail of Jeroboam’s reign that is noted before “Zechariah his son reigned in his place.”