2 Kings 13:14-25--The Death of Elisha

2 Kings 13:14-25
English Standard Version

The Death of Elisha
14 Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” 18 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. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”

20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

22 Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.

24 When Hazael king of Syria died, Ben-hadad his son became king in his place. 25 Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from Jehoahaz his father in war. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.

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Elisha got sick and it was obvious he was going to die, so Josah, king of Israel (where Elisha lived and ministered), went to visit him before his death.  Elisha had one departing prophecy for the king--that he would indeed fight the Syrians and defeat them, but the LORD showed Joash that he did not have the determination to keep fighting them until they were fully defeated--for if he had shown such determination, the LORD would have surely given all of Syria over into the hands of Israel at this time.  Instead, they would be defeated, but live to fight another day.

As Elisha was being buried, a band of Moabite marauders and they quickly threw another dead man into the grave of Elisha so that they could turn to fight the marauders, and as soon as the man touched the body of Elisha, he was brought back to life and made well so that he stood on his feet.

Hazael king of Syria attempted to oppress Israel just as they had done before, but this time the LORD was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them because He remembered the covenant that He had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He would not destroy them.  So He delivered them from the hand of the Syrians and He had not cast them from His presence "until now" (which seems to indicate that this was written prior to the Exile or during the Exile to indicate how the LORD dealt differently with them in that time then He had dealt with them in the past, and it brings to light a question that Israel had of how they could be cast out of the Land that was promised to them as an eternal inheritance through the Abrahmaic Covenant).

Hazel, the king of Syria, died and his son Ben-hadad ruled in his place.  Jehoash (who we have been calling Joash) the son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad the cities that Hazael had taken in battle from Jehoahaz.  Just as Elisha said, Joash defeated Syria three times in battle and recovered all the cities of Israel that the LORD had given to them through the Conquest during the time of Moses, Joshua, and the Judges that followed.