II Kings 13: 14 - 25

Translation by Mordechai Cogan

for Anchor Bible commentary / Notes

Now Elisha fell ill_ with a sickness

of which he was to die.  Joash

King of Israel went down to him;

he wept over him and said:

My Father, my Father.  The

Chariots of Israel and its

Horsemen!"

Elisha said to him: "Take a bow

and arrows" and he did take

a bow and arrows.  Then he

said to the King of Israel,

"Put you hand to the bow."

He put his hand to the bow and 

Elisha put his hands on the

king's hands and said, "Open

the window facing east."  He

opened it.  Elisha said, "Shoot"

and he shot.  He said, "An

arrow of victory for YHWH.  An

arrow of victory over Aram (Syria).

You will defeat Aram at Aphek

completely."  Then he said, "Take

the arrows," and he took them.

He said to the King of Israel, "Strike

the ground!"  He struck the ground

three times and stopped.  But the

man of God was angry at him and

said, "Had you struck five or six 

times, then you would have defeated

Aram completely.  Now you will

defeat Aram only three times."  Then

Elisha died and was buried.

Moabite bands used to raid the land

with the start of the year.  Once, they

were burying a man and they spotted

such a band.  They threw the body

("the man") into the grave of Elisha

and left.  When the body touched

the bones of Elisha, it came alive

and stood on its feet.  

Hazael King of Aram oppressed

Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

But YHWH was gracious and had

mercy upon them.  He showed

regard for them because of his

covenant with Abraham, Isaac,

and Jacob.  He would not destroy

them, and so has not rid himself

of them until now.  When Hazael 

king of Aram died, Ben-Hadad his

son succeeded him.  Jehoash son

of Jehoahaz recaptured the cities

from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael,

which had been taken in war

from Jehoahaz his father.  Joash

defeated him three times and

thus recovered the cities of Israel.