Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary2 Kings 13

The Reign of Jehoahaz.This section gives a summary of Jehoahaz’s seventeen-year reign over Israel. It shows how far Israel had fallen from its former glory because of sin, but also reminds us that God is merciful and listens to prayer, even when His people have turned away from Him.v. 1: Jehoahaz became king of Israel and ruled for seventeen years. During his reign, Israel was in a sad state. The nation had lost its honor and was no longer what it used to be. Israel’s greatest honor was worshipping the one true God, but now the people followed idols, especially the golden calves. The king continued in the sins of Jeroboam, and the people did not turn away from these sins (2 Kings 13:2; 2 Kings 13:6 ).

v. 2: Jehoahaz did evil in the sight of the Lord

v. 3: The Lord

v. 4: In his trouble, Jehoahaz prayed to the Lord

v. 5: The Lord

v. 6: Even after God helped them, the people of Israel did not stop sinning. They continued to worship the idols Jeroboam had set up .

v. 7: Israel became very weak. Their army was reduced to only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers. This was a very small force compared to what they once had. Their sin had brought them low (2 Kings 13:7 ).

The Reign of Joash, King of Israel.This section tells about Joash (also called Jehoash), the son of Jehoahaz, who became king of Israel. His reign is described as similar to other kings before him. Although he was not the worst king, he continued the sin of idol worship started by Jeroboam. The most important part of his story is his meeting with the prophet Elisha, which teaches us about faith, obedience, and the importance of honoring God’s servants.v. 10-13: Joash became king of Israel and ruled for sixteen years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord

v. 14: Elisha became sick and was about to die. He had served as a prophet for about sixty years, much longer than Elijah. Even though Elisha was not taken to heaven in a fiery chariot like Elijah, he was still greatly honored by God. Sometimes, God lets His servants live quietly in their later years, but they are still valuable and useful .King Joash visited Elisha on his deathbed and wept over him, saying, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” (2 Kings 13:14 ). This showed that Joash respected Elisha and understood how important he was for Israel’s safety. Good people are a blessing to their country, and their loss should be mourned.

v. 15-17: Elisha told Joash to take a bow and arrows and shoot an arrow out the window toward Syria. Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands to show that God would give him strength and success. The arrow was called the arrow of the Lord

v. 18-19: Then Elisha told Joash to strike the ground with the arrows. Joash struck the ground three times and stopped. Elisha was angry and said Joash should have struck five or six times. Because he only struck three times, he would only defeat Syria three times instead of completely destroying them. This teaches us not to limit our faith or efforts when God gives us a promise (2 Kings 13:18-19 ).

The Death of Elisha.This section describes the end of Elisha’s life and the events that followed. Elisha died at a good old age and was buried. His death marked a turning point for Israel, as trouble soon came from unexpected places. Even after his death, God showed Elisha’s importance through a miracle at his tomb. The story also tells how God continued to help Israel, not because they deserved it, but because of His mercy and promises.v. 20: Elisha died and was buried. After his death, bands of Moabite raiders began to invade Israel. This happened right after Elisha’s passing, showing that the presence of God’s faithful prophets helps protect a nation. When they are gone, trouble can come from places we do not expect.

v. 21: A miracle happened at Elisha’s tomb. Some Israelites were burying a man when they saw a group of Moabite raiders. In a hurry, they put the dead man’s body into Elisha’s grave. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came back to life and stood up. This miracle proved that Elisha was truly God’s prophet and showed that there is life after death. It also pointed forward to the hope believers have because of God’s power .

v. 22-23: Hazael continued to oppress Israel, but God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Because of this promise, He did not destroy Israel completely (2 Kings 13:22; 2 Kings 13:23 ; Leviticus 26:42 ). Even though Israel had sinned, the Lord

v. 24-25: Joash, king of Israel, fought against Benhadad, king of Syria, and won back the cities that had been taken from Israel. Joash defeated the Syrians three times, just as Elisha had said. But his victories stopped there, because he had not shown greater faith when Elisha told him to strike the arrows (2 Kings 13:25 ).