2 Kings 13:18

2 Kings 13:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.
• New International Version (NIV)Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground with them." And he struck three times and stopped.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped.

Context of 2 Kings 13:18

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. 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.” Then 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.” 20Elisha died and was buried. Moabite raiding parties used to invade the country in the spring.

2 Kings 13:18 word by word

וַיֹּ֛אמֶר קַ֥ח הַחִצִּ֖ים וַיִּקָּ֑ח וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לְמֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הַךְ־אַ֔רְצָה וַיַּ֥ךְ שָֽׁלֹשׁ־פְּעָמִ֖ים וַֽיַּעֲמֹֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• the arrowsחֵץchêts · arrowH2671
• unto the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• Smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• upon the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
• thriceפַּ֫עַםpa‛am pa‛ămâh · beatH6471
• thriceשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• and stayedעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975

Cross-references for 2 Kings 13:18

• Isaiah 20:2At that time the Lord told Isaiah, son of Amoz, “Take off the sackcloth that you are wearing, and take off your sandals!” Isaiah did this and walked around barefoot and naked.
• Ezekiel 4:1⌞The Lord said,⌟ “Son of man, take clay, put it in front of you, and draw a map of Jerusalem on it.
• Ezekiel 5:1⌞The Lord said,⌟ “Son of man, take a sharp blade, and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and beard. Take scales to weigh your hair and divide it ⌞into three even parts⌟.
• Ezekiel 12:1The Lord spoke his word to me. He said,
• 2 Kings 4:6When the containers were full, she told her son, “Bring me another container.” He told her, “There are no more containers.” So the olive oil stopped flowing.
• Exodus 17:11As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel would win, but as soon as he put his hands down, the Amalekites would start to win.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 13:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Smite upon the ground - As he was ordered to take his arrows, the smiting on the ground must mean shooting arrows into it. He smote thrice, and stayed - The prophet knew that this shooting was emblematical: probably the king was not aware of what depended on the frequency of the action; and perhaps it was of the Lord that he smote only thrice, as he had determined to give Israel those three victories only over the Syrians. Elisha's being wroth because…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Smite upon the ground - Some prefer to render - “Shoot to the ground;” i. e. “Shoot arrows from the window into the ground outside, as if thou wert shooting against an enemy.”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. 18-19Jehoash knew the arrows symbolized victory over Aram (2 Kings 13:17), but he did not act on it. By striking the ground only three times, he unknowingly limited his success against the Arameans. His son Jeroboam II achieved final victory later (2 Kings 14:25–28).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 13:18

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

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Coming
• Elisha
• Augury
• Jehoash; Joash
• Pekah

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