God’s Word Translation
2 Kings 13:17
17Elisha said, “Open the window that faces east.” So the king opened it. “Shoot,” Elisha said, and the king shot. Then Elisha said, “That is the arrow of the Lord’s victory, the arrow of victory against Aram. You will completely defeat the Arameans at Aphek.”
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 told him, “Get a bow and some arrows.” So he got a bow and some arrows. 16Then Elisha told the king of Israel, “Take the bow in your hand.” So the king picked up the bow. Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. Elisha said, “Open the window that faces east.” So the king opened it. “Shoot,” Elisha said, and the king shot. Then Elisha said, “That is the arrow of the Lord’s victory, the arrow of victory against Aram. You will completely defeat the Arameans at Aphek.” 18Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows.” So the king took them. “Stomp on them,” he told the king of Israel. The king stomped three times and stopped. 19Then the man of God became angry with him. “You should have stomped five or six times!” he said. “Then you would have completely defeated the Arameans. But now you will only defeat the Arameans three times.”
Read all of 2 Kings 132 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 a messenger to him. He said, “Wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River, and your skin will be healthy and clean.”
- John 2:5His mother told the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”
- John 11:39Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, told Jesus, “Lord, there must already be a stench. He’s been dead for four days.”
- Exodus 4:2Then the Lord asked him, “What’s that in your hand?” He answered, “A shepherd’s staff.”
- Judges 7:9That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Attack! Go into the camp! I will hand it over to you.
- 2 Samuel 5:24When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, act immediately because the Lord has gone ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:18The message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved.
- 1 Samuel 4:1Israel went to fight against the Philistines and camped near Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
- 1 Kings 20:26Spring came, and Benhadad organized the Aramean army and went to Aphek to fight Israel.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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