2 Kings 13:10

In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10-25) THE REIGN OF JOASH, OR JEHOASH.ELISHA FORETELLS HIS SUCCESSES AGAINST THE SYRIANS.

(10) In the thirty and seventh year.—This does not agree with 2Kings 13:1. The Ald. LXX. reads,” thirty-ninth,” which is right.

Began . . . to reign, and reigned sixteen years.—The Hebrew is briefer, reigned sixteen years.

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 13:10. In the thirty and seventh year of Joash, king of Judah, &c. — A difficulty arises in comparing this with 2 Kings 13:1, where it is said, Jehoahaz began to reign in the twenty-third year of Joash, king of Judah, and reigned seventeen years: from whence it follows, that this Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, began to reign, not in the thirty-seventh, but in the thirty-ninth or fortieth year of Joash, king of Judah. This difficulty, however, is solved by supposing, what is very probable, that Jehoahaz had made his son Jehoash king, jointly with himself, two or three years before his death. This is the more probable, because he was perpetually in a state of war, and consequently in danger of an untimely death; and because his son was a man of valour, as is implied, 2 Kings 13:12, and declared, 2 Chronicles 25:17-24.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:10-19 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The meaning is that "he, the king of Syria" (2 Kings 13:4 Hazael) limited the standing army of Jehoahaz.

Like the dust by threshing - An expression not only employed metaphorically, and importing defeat, conquest, and grinding oppression Jeremiah 51:33; Micah 4:12, but implying also the literal use of threshing-instruments in the execution of prisoners of war (marginal reference, and compare 2 Samuel 12:31).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Ki 13:8-25. Joash Succeeds Him.

8. his might—This is particularly noticed in order to show that the grievous oppression from foreign enemies, by which the Israelites were ground down, was not owing to the cowardice or imbecility of their king, but solely to the righteous and terrible judgment of God for their foul apostasy.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

By which, compared with 2 Kings 13:1, it may be gathered that Jehoahaz had two or three years before his death made his son Jehoash king with him; which is very probable, because he was perpetually in the state of war, and consequently in danger of an untimely death, and because he was a man of valour, as is implied here, 2 Kings 13:12, and declared 2Ch 25.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah, began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria,.... But inasmuch as his father began to reign in the twenty third of Joash, and reigned seventeen years, 2 Kings 13:1 this king must begin to reign in the thirty ninth or fortieth of Joash; for the reconciling of which it may be observed, that two of the years of his reign may be supposed to be imperfect; or rather that his son reigned two or three years in his lifetime, being raised up before his father's death to be a saviour of Israel from the Syrians; and so his father lived to see his prayer answered, 2 Kings 13:4,

and reigned sixteen years.

Geneva Study Bible

In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king {g} of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.

(g) His chief purpose is to describe the kingdom of Judah, and how God performed his promise made to the house of David: but in the process he shows how Israel was afflicted and punished for their great idolatry, who though they had now degenerated, yet God both by sending them many prophets and various punishments, called them to him again.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10–13. Reign of Jehoash king of Israel (2 Chronicles 25:17-24)

10. In the thirty and seventh year of Joash] See above on verse 1.

Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz] As in the case of Jehoash king of Judah (see 2 Kings 12:2; 2 Kings 12:19-20) so here the longer form, in the previous verse the shorter form of this name is written. This was the second of the four generations promised to Jehu.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 10-25. - THE REIGN OF JOASH. The writer passes from the reign of Jehoahaz, Jehu's son, to that of Joash, Jehu's grandson, which he seems to have intended at first to dispatch in the short space of four verses (vers. 10-13). He afterwards, however, saw reason to add to his narrative, first, an account of an interview between Joash and Elisha, shortly Before the death of the latter (vers. 14-19); secondly, an account of a miracle wrought soon afterwards by means of Elisha's corpse (vers. 20, 21); and thirdly, a brief notice of Joash's Syrian war (vers. 22-25). Verse 10. - In the thirty and seventh year of Joash King of Judah. Three years before his death, since he reigned forty years (2 Kings 12:1). The two Joashes were thus contemporary monarchs for the space of three years. Began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign ever Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. The construction is the same as that of ver. 1, and is equally ungrammatical. Our translators again amend the faulty phrase by introducing the words "and reigned" The "sixteen years" of the reign of Joash are confirmed by Josephus ('Ant. Jud.,' 9:8. § 6), but still present some difficulty (see the comment on 2 Kings 14:23). 2 Kings 13:10

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Reign of Jehoash or Joash of Israel. - On the commencement of his reign see at 2 Kings 13:1. He also walked in the sins of Jeroboam (compare 2 Kings 13:11 with 2 Kings 13:2 and 2 Kings 13:6). The war with Amaziah referred to in 2 Kings 13:12 is related in the history of this king in 2 Kings 14:8-14; and the close of the reign of Joash is also recorded there (2 Kings 14:15 and 2 Kings 14:16) with the standing formula. And even here it ought not to be introduced till the end of the chapter, instead of in 2 Kings 13:12 and 2 Kings 13:13, inasmuch as the verses which follow relate several things belonging to the reign of Joash. But as they are connected with the termination of Elisha's life, it was quite admissible to wind up the reign of Joash with 2 Kings 13:13.