II KINGS 13

II Kings 13:3 Hazael was sent to punish Israel.

II Kings 13:7 Look at the number of horsemen and chariots left. Ahab's army forty years earlier had 2,000 chariots and 10,000 footmen, according to Assyrian records.

II Kings 13:11 What was the sin of King Jeroboam? Jacques Ellul says it was using God to enhance the state, as Jeroboam does in verse 14. Other say that it was calf worship at Dan and Bethel.

II Kings 13:14 The estimated age of Elisha at this point was at least eighty.

This verse may be saying that Elisha is Israel's might, its chariots, and horsemen. These are the same words Elisha used of Elijah earlier (2 Kings 2:12). The last appearance of Elisha had been in 2 Kings 9:1-3 at the anointing of Jehu forty years earlier. There was no real history given in between. This final appearance is to show that God (through prophets), not kings, governs history.

Josephus interpreted it to mean that Elisha was departing and leaving Israel defenseless. The tendency today is to invest “people” with God's power (especially politicians, prominent evangelists).

Another parallel passage to consider is 2 Kings 6:15-16.

II Kings 13:15 This is somewhat like Joshua stretching out his sword in Joshua 8:18. It is not a case of sympathetic magic.

II Kings 13:16 Laying on of hands transmits the prophet's power as a man of God to the king.

II Kings 13:17 I Kings 20:26 indicates that it is the site of an earlier victory of Israel over Benhadad, also predicted by a prophet. This was also a case of partial victory because of disobedience, lack of faith.

This is not a magical act overturning God's will since the arrow is called God's arrow of victory. Also see verse 4.

It was shot toward trans-Jordan territory, still in Syrian hands.

It was shot toward Damascus. The testing of Israel is at an end for now. Syria will be defeated.

This is like other symbolic acts that the prophets later performed at God's initiative.

II Kings 13:18 See Ezekiel 21:21 for the use of arrows in foretelling the future. This is an example of “moderately enthusiastic zeal” according to some commentators and lack of determination, character and faith by others.

Some translations say, “shoot the arrows to the earth.” That more closely connects the two symbolic acts.

II Kings 13:19 As in Hazael's announcement, this is a strange combination of God's decision and man's initiative.

Compare the end of verse 19 with the end of verse 17. Is this a contradiction or were their unspoken conditions to the prophecy?

II Kings 13:21 Elisha's cycle began with a deadly curse (2 Kings 2:23-25) and ended with a life-giving miracle. This is similar to the use of Elisha by God to first chastise Israel and then to bless her at his death.

They were probably digging a grave and in their haste opened a cave where Elisha happened to be buried and threw in a corpse.

The revival was a sign that the promise to the king would be fulfilled. In the Bible a short-term fulfillment is often utilized as a guarantee that a longer-term promise will also be fulfilled.

II Kings 13:23 The three patriarchs are only mentioned together in one other place in Kings (I Kings 18:36).

II Kings 13:24 Elisha is linked to Hazael's life. Hazael received power at Elisha's announcement and loses power at Elisha's word and death.

Jacques Ellul (Politics, pp. 90-91) says, “During the whole of the long life of Elisha Israel is under constant trial. It moves from defeat to famine and from revolution to massacre. The hand of God is heavy upon it at this time. Chastisement follows chastisement. But it should always be remembered that God does not strike without healing, that he does not condemn without consoling, that he does not judge without the gospel. During these 70 years of testing, Elisha is there.”

II Kings 13:25 Assyria came to power during this time and distracted Syria's forces. This allowed Israel to re-conquer lost territory. Assyria may actually be the “savior” mentioned in II Kings 13:5.