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Elisha Makes One Final Prophecy

14 Now Elisha had a terminal illness.[a] King Jehoash of Israel went down to visit him.[b] He wept before him and said, “My father, my father! The chariot[c] and horsemen of Israel!”[d] 15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so.[e] 16 Then Elisha[f] told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.”[g] He did so,[h] and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. 17 Elisha[i] said, “Open the east window,” and he did so.[j] Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he did so.[k] Elisha[l] said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria.[m] You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!”[n] 18 Then Elisha[o] said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so.[p] He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 19 The prophet[q] got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria![r] But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”

20 Elisha died and was buried.[s] Moabite raiding parties invaded[t] the land at the beginning of the year.[u] 21 One day some men[v] were burying a man when they spotted[w] a raiding party. So they threw the dead man[x] into Elisha’s tomb. When the body[y] touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man[z] came to life and stood on his feet.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 13:14 tn Heb “Now Elisha was ill with the illness by which he would die.”
  2. 2 Kings 13:14 tn Heb “went down to him.”
  3. 2 Kings 13:14 tn Though the noun is singular here, it may be collective, in which case it could be translated “chariots.”
  4. 2 Kings 13:14 sn By comparing Elisha to a one-man army, the king emphasizes the power of the prophetic word. See the note at 2:12.
  5. 2 Kings 13:15 tn Heb “and he took a bow and some arrows.”
  6. 2 Kings 13:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  7. 2 Kings 13:16 tn Heb “Cause your hand to ride on the bow.”
  8. 2 Kings 13:16 tn Heb “and he caused his hand to ride.”
  9. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  10. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “He opened [it].”
  11. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “and he shot.”
  12. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  13. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “The arrow of victory of the Lord and the arrow of victory over Syria.”
  14. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “you will strike down Syria in Aphek until destruction.”
  15. 2 Kings 13:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  16. 2 Kings 13:18 tn Heb “and he took [them].”
  17. 2 Kings 13:19 tn Heb “man of God.”
  18. 2 Kings 13:19 tn Heb “[It was necessary] to strike five or six times, then you would strike down Syria until destruction.” On the syntax of the infinitive construct, see GKC 349 §114.k.
  19. 2 Kings 13:20 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
  20. 2 Kings 13:20 tn Heb “entered.”
  21. 2 Kings 13:20 tc The MT reading בָּא שָׁנָה (baʾ shanah), “it came, year,” should probably be emended to בְּבָא הַשָּׁנָה (bevaʾ hashanah), “at the coming [i.e., ‘beginning’] of the year.” See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 148.
  22. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “and it so happened [that] they.”
  23. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “and look, they saw.”
  24. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “the man”; the adjective “dead” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  25. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “the man.”
  26. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the dead man) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Otherwise the reader might think it was Elisha rather than the unnamed dead man who came back to life.

Elisha’s Final Prophecy

14 When Elisha was in his last illness, King Jehoash of Israel visited him and wept over him. “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” he cried.

15 Elisha told him, “Get a bow and some arrows.” And the king did as he was told. 16 Elisha told him, “Put your hand on the bow,” and Elisha laid his own hands on the king’s hands.

17 Then he commanded, “Open that eastern window,” and he opened it. Then he said, “Shoot!” So he shot an arrow. Elisha proclaimed, “This is the Lord’s arrow, an arrow of victory over Aram, for you will completely conquer the Arameans at Aphek.”

18 Then he said, “Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground.” So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times. 19 But the man of God was angry with him. “You should have struck the ground five or six times!” he exclaimed. “Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times.”

20 Then Elisha died and was buried.

Groups of Moabite raiders used to invade the land each spring. 21 Once when some Israelites were burying a man, they spied a band of these raiders. So they hastily threw the corpse into the tomb of Elisha and fled. But as soon as the body touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man revived and jumped to his feet!

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