New English Translation
2 Kings 13:17
17Elisha said, “Open the east window,” and he did so. Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he did so. Elisha said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria. You will annihilate Syria in 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, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16Then Elisha told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.” He did so, and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. Elisha said, “Open the east window,” and he did so. Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he did so. Elisha said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria. You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!” 18Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so. He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 19The prophet got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! But now, you will defeat Syria only 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 out a messenger who told him, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan; your skin will be restored and you will be healed.”
- John 2:5His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”
- John 11:39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, because he has been buried four days.”
- Exodus 4:2The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.”
- Judges 7:9That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up! Attack the camp, for I am handing it over to you.
- 2 Samuel 5:24When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, act decisively. For at that moment the Lord is going before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:18For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
- 1 Samuel 4:1Samuel revealed the word of the Lord to all Israel. Then the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. They camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped at Aphek.
- 1 Kings 20:26In the spring Ben Hadad mustered the Syrian army and marched 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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