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

16Elisha told him, “Put your hand on the bow,” and Elisha laid his own hands on the king’s hands. 17Then he commanded, “Open that eastern window,” and he opened it. Then he said, “Shoot!” So he shot an arrow. Elisha proclaimed, “This is the Lord’s arrow, an arrow of victory over Aram, for you will completely conquer the Arameans at Aphek.” Then he said, “Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground.” So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times. 19But the man of God was angry with him. “You should have struck the ground five or six times!” he exclaimed. “Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times.” 20Then Elisha died and was buried. Groups of Moabite raiders used to invade the land each 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 20:2the Lord told Isaiah son of Amoz, “Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.” Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot.
• Ezekiel 4:1“And now, son of man, take a large clay brick and set it down in front of you. Then draw a map of the city of Jerusalem on it.
• Ezekiel 5:1“Son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a razor to shave your head and beard. Use a scale to weigh the hair into three equal parts.
• Ezekiel 12:1Again a message came to me from the Lord:
• 2 Kings 4:6Soon every container was full to the brim! “Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons. “There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.
• Exodus 17:11As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage.

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