2 Kings 13:17

2 Kings 13:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he said, "Open the window eastward," and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot," and he shot. And he said, "The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he said, “Open the east window”; 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 you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.”

Context of 2 Kings 13:17

15Elisha said to King Jehoash, ‘Fetch a bow and some arrows.’ The king did that. 16Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, ‘Prepare to shoot an arrow.’ When he had done that, Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. Elisha said, ‘Open the window towards the east.’ When the king opened it, Elisha said, ‘Shoot the arrow!’ The king shot the arrow and Elisha said, ‘That is the Lord's arrow which shows that you will win the battle against Syria. You will completely destroy Syria's army at Aphek.’ 18Then Elisha said, ‘Pick up the other arrows.’ When the king of Israel took them, Elisha said to him, ‘Hit the ground with them.’ The king hit the ground three times and then he stopped. 19The man of God then became angry with King Jehoash. He said, ‘You should have hit the ground five times or six times. Then you would have completely destroyed Syria's army. But now you will only win three battles against Syria.’

2 Kings 13:17 word by word

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר פְּתַ֧ח הַחַלּ֛וֹן קֵ֖דְמָה וַיִּפְתָּ֑ח וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלִישָׁ֤ע יְרֵה֙ וַיּ֔וֹר וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חֵץ־תְּשׁוּעָ֤ה לַֽיהוָה֙ וְחֵ֣ץ תְּשׁוּעָ֣ה בַֽאֲרָ֔ם וְהִכִּיתָ֧ אֶת־אֲרָ֛ם בַּאֲפֵ֖ק עַד־כַּלֵּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Openפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
• the windowחַלּוֹןchallôn · windowH2474
• eastwardקֵ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · eastH6924
• Then Elishaאֱלִישָׁע'ĕlîyshâ‛ · ElishaH477
• Shootיָרָאyârâh yârâ' · to shootH3384
• The arrowחֵץchêts · arrowH2671
• of the Lord’sיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• deliveranceתְּשׁוּעָהteshû‛âh teshû‛âh · deliverance: victoryH8668
• from Syriaאֲרָם'ărâm · SyriaH758
• for thou shalt smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• in Aphekאֲפֵק'ăphêq 'ăphîyq · AphekH663
• till thou have consumedכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: destroyH3615

Cross-references for 2 Kings 13:17

• 2 Kings 5:10Elisha sent his servant with a message to Naaman. He said, ‘Go to the Jordan River. Wash yourself seven times in the river. Then your skin will be clean again. You will not have the disease.’
• John 2:5His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you to do.’
• John 11:39He said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha, the dead man's sister, said to Jesus, ‘But Lord, by now his dead body will have a bad smell. He has been dead for four days!’
• Exodus 4:2Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘What is that thing in your hand?’ Moses answered, ‘It is a stick.’
• Judges 7:9That night the Lord said to Gideon, ‘Get up now. Go down and attack the camp of the Midianites. I have put them under your power.
• 2 Samuel 5:24When you hear a noise in the tops of the trees like marching men, go quickly to attack them. Then you will know that the Lord has gone in front of you. He will knock down the Philistine army for you.’
• 1 Corinthians 1:18Some people think that the message about Christ's death on the cross is silly. Those people are destroying themselves. But it is different for us, the people that God is saving. The message about the cross shows us God's power to save us.
• 1 Samuel 4:1Samuel spoke the Lord's messages to all the Israelites. The Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelite army put up their tents near the place called Ebenezer. The Philistine army put up their tents at Aphek.
• 1 Kings 20:26The next spring, King Ben-Hadad brought together the men for his army. The Syrian army marched to Aphek to fight against the Israelites.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 13:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Open the window eastward - This was towards the country beyond Jordan, which Hazael had taken from the Israelites. The arrow of - deliverance from Syria - That is, As surely as that arrow is shot towards the lands conquered from Israel by the Syrians, so surely shall those lands be reconquered and restored to Israel. It was an ancient custom to shoot an arrow or cast a spear into the country which an army intended to invade. Justin says that, as soon as…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Eastward - Syria of Damascus lay partly east, but still more north, of the holy land. The arrow was to be shot, eastward, not so much against Syria itself as against the scene of the recent Syrian successes, Gilead 2 Kings 10:33, which was also to be the scene of Joash‘s victories over them. Aphek is almost due east from Shunem, where it is not unlikely that Elisha now was. The arrow … - literally, “An arrow of deliverance from the Lord, and an arrow of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-19Verses 10-19 Jehoash, the king, came to Elisha, to receive his dying counsel and blessing. It may turn much to our spiritual advantage, to attend the sick-beds and death-beds of good men, that we may be encouraged in religion by the living comforts they have from it in a dying hour. Elisha assured the king of his success; yet he must look up to God for direction and strength; must reckon his own hands not enough, but go on, in dependence upon Divine aid…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-17Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands: This gesture gave spiritual strength for the upcoming battle with the Arameans at Aphek. Aphek was east of the Sea of Galilee (1 Kings 20:26), so the eastern window faced the battle site.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1914-19. Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died--Every man's death is occasioned by some disease, and so was Elisha's. But in intimating it, there seems a contrast tacitly made between him and his prophetic predecessor, who did not die. Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face--He visited him where he was lying ill of this mortal sickness, and expressed deep sorrow, not from the personal respect he bore for the…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 13:17

• Arrow
• Elisha
• Jehoash
• Prophecy
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Elisha
• Syria
• Syria, Ashur
• Aphik
• Coming
• Divination
• Aphek
• Augury
• Gravel
• Jehoash; Joash

Commentaries on 2 Kings 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings