1 In the three and twentieth yeere of Ioash the sonne of Ahaziah king of Iudah, Iehoahaz the sonne of Iehu beganne to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, and reigned seuenteene yeeres.
2 And hee did that which was euill in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne, he departed not there from.
3 ¶ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and hee deliuered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the sonne of Hazael, all their dayes.
4 And Iehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord hearkened vnto him: for hee saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.
5 (And the Lord gaue Israel a sauiour, so that they went out from vnder the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before-time.
6 Neuerthelesse, they departed not from the sinnes of the house of Ieroboam, who made Israel sinne, but walked therein: and there remained the groue also in Samaria.)
7 Neither did he leaue of the people to Iehoahaz, but fiftie horsemen, and tenne charets, and tenne thousand footmen: for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.
8 ¶ Nowe the rest of the actes of Iehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9 And Iehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Ioash his sonne reigned in his stead.
10 ¶ In the thirty and seuenth yeere of Ioash king of Iudah, beganne Iehoash the sonne of Iehoahaz to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteene yeeres.
11 And hee did that which was euill in the sight of the Lord; hee departed not from all the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, who made Israel sinne: but hee walked therein.
12 And the rest of the actes of Ioash, and all that hee did, and his might, wherewith hee fought against Amaziah king of Iudah, are they not written in the booke of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13 And Ioash slept with his fathers, and Ieroboam sate vpon his throne: and Ioash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14 ¶ Nowe Elisha was fallen sicke, of his sicknesse whereof he died, and Ioash the king of Israel came downe vnto him, and wept ouer his face, and said, O my father, my father, the charet of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
15 And Elisha said vnto him, Take bowe and arrowes. And he tooke vnto him bowe and arrowes.
16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand vpon the bowe. And he put his hand vpon it: and Elisha put his hands vpon the kings hands.
17 And he sayd, Open the window Eastward. And hee opened it. Then Elisha sayd, Shoote. And he shot. And he said; The arrowe of the Lords deliuerance, and the arrowe of deliuerance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou haue consumed them.
18 And he sayd, Take the arrowes. And he tooke them. And hee said vnto the king of Israel, Smite vpon the ground. And he smote thrise, and stayed.
19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and saide, Thou shouldest haue smitten fiue or sixe times, then haddest thou smitten Syria till thou haddest consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
20 ¶ And Elisha died, and they buried him: And the bands of the Moabites inuaded the land at the comming in of the yeere.
21 And it came to passe as they were burying a man, that behold, they spyed a band of men, and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let downe, and touched the bones of Elisha, he reuiued, and stood vp on his feete.
22 ¶ But Hazael king of Syria, oppressed Israel all the dayes of Iehoahaz.
23 And the Lord was gracious vnto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect vnto them, because of his couenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast hee them from his presence as yet.
24 So Hazael the king of Syria dyed, and Benhadad his sonne reigned in his stead.
25 And Iehoash the sonne of Iehoahaz tooke againe out of the hand of Benhadad the sonne of Hazael, the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Iehoahaz his father, by warre: three times did Ioash beat him, and recouered the cities of Israel.
Reign of Jehoahaz. (1-9) Jehoash, king of Israel, Elisha dying. (10-19) Elisha's death, The victories of Jehoash. (20-25)1-9 It was the ancient honour of Israel that they were a praying people. Jehoahaz, their king, in his distress, besought the Lord; applied himself for help, but not to the calves; what help could they give him? He sought the Lord. See how swift God is to show mercy; how ready to hear prayer; how willing to find a reason to be gracious; else he would not look so far back as the ancient covenant Israel had so often broken, and forfeited. Let this invite and engage us for ever to him; and encourage even those who have forsaken him, to return and repent; for there is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared. And if the Lord answer the mere cry of distress for temporal relief, much more will he regard the prayer of faith for spiritual blessings.
10-19 Jehoash, the king, came to Elisha, to receive his dying counsel and blessing. It may turn much to our spiritual advantage, to attend the sick-beds and death-beds of good men, that we may be encouraged in religion by the living comforts they have from it in a dying hour. Elisha assured the king of his success; yet he must look up to God for direction and strength; must reckon his own hands not enough, but go on, in dependence upon Divine aid. The trembling hands of the dying prophet, as they signified the power of God, gave this arrow more force than the hands of the king in his full strength. By contemning the sign, the king lost the thing signified, to the grief of the dying prophet. It is a trouble to good men, to see those to whom they wish well, forsake their own mercies, and to see them lose advantages against spiritual enemies.
20-25 God has many ways to chastise a provoking people. Trouble comes sometimes from that point whence we least feared it. The mention of this invasion on the death of Elisha, shows that the removal of God's faithful prophets is a presage of coming judgments. His dead body was a means of giving life to another dead body. This miracle was a confirmation of his prophecies. And it may have reference to Christ, by whose death and burial, the grave is made a safe and happy passage to life to all believers. Jehoash was successful against the Syrians, just as often as he had struck the ground with the arrows, then a stop was put to his victories. Many have repented, when too late, of distrusts and the straitness of their desires.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.