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2 Kings 13

God preserves Israel because of his covenant, even as its kings persist in sin and its victories remain limited.

Syria has reduced Israel’s army to a fraction of its strength under King Jehoahaz. He begs YHWH for help, and God hears him, though Israel continues in the sins of Jeroboam. His son Jehoash, also called Joash, follows the same course. As Elisha lies dying, he announces victories over Syria through a sign involving arrows. After the prophet’s death, a dead man revives in his tomb, and Jehoash recovers Israel’s captured cities.

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1In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria for seventeen years.
2He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from it.
3The LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, continually.
4Jehoahaz begged the LORD, and the LORD listened to him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them.
5(The LORD gave Israel a savior, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel lived in their tents as before.
6Nevertheless they didn’t depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.)
7For he didn’t leave to Jehoahaz of the people any more than fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria destroyed them and made them like the dust in threshing.
8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son reigned in his place.
10In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria for sixteen years.
11He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight. He didn’t depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; but he walked in them.
12Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14Now Elisha became sick with the illness of which he died; and Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”
16He said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow;” and he put his hand on it. Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands.
17He said, “Open the window eastward;” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he shot. He said, “The LORD’s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Syria; for you will strike the Syrians in Aphek until you have consumed them.”
18He said, “Take the arrows;” and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground;” and he struck three times, and stopped.
19The man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times. Then you would have struck Syria until you had consumed it, but now you will strike Syria just three times.”
20Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
21As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a band of raiders; and they threw the man into Elisha’s tomb. As soon as the man touched Elisha’s bones, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
22Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
23But the LORD was gracious to them, and had compassion on them, and favored them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them and he didn’t cast them from his presence as yet.
25Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Joash struck him three times, and recovered the cities of Israel.
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Key verses
2 Kings 13:23God’s covenant with the patriarchs explains his compassion toward Israel, while the closing qualification leaves future judgment unresolved.
2 Kings 13:7The remnants of Jehoahaz’s army show how far Syrian oppression has brought Israel under God’s judgment.
2 Kings 13:14Joash’s tears and words acknowledge Elisha’s importance to Israel’s defense as the prophet faces his own death.
Where this chapter reaches

Genesis records God’s covenant with the patriarchs named here, and Exodus also links God’s concern for oppressed Israel with his remembrance of that covenant. The repeated references to Jeroboam’s sins connect with 1 Kings, which recounts his establishment of rival worship in Israel.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What stands out to you about God hearing Jehoahaz while Israel’s false worship continues?

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How does the covenant explanation in verse 23 shape your reading of Israel’s losses and recoveries?

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Questions people ask about 2 Kings 13

Why was Elisha angry when Joash struck the ground three times?

Elisha explains that five or six strikes would have meant victory until Syria was consumed; three strikes meant three victories. The account does not say why Joash stopped or whether he understood the sign beforehand. Its closing verse records three victories, matching the limit Elisha announced.

Why did a dead man come back to life after touching Elisha’s bones?

The text reports that the man revived when his body touched Elisha’s bones, but it gives no explanation of how the miracle occurred. The event shows that Elisha’s death did not end God’s life-giving power associated with his ministry. It provides no command to seek healing through human remains.

Who was the savior God gave Israel in 2 Kings 13?

Verse 5 does not name the savior or describe how the rescue happened. It says that God freed Israel from Syrian control so the people could live as before. Later, Jehoash recovers captured cities, but the chapter does not identify him as the savior mentioned earlier.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).