Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might ,.... Which he exerted against the Syrians, being a man of courage, though not successful, because the Lord was not with him, but against him: are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel ? where their acts, and the events of their reigns, were recorded. read more
THE REIGN OF JEHOAHAZ . The writer returns in this chapter to the history of the Israelite kingdom, taking it up from the death of Jehu, which was recorded in the closing verses of 2 Kings 10:1-36 . He sketches briefly the reign of Jehu's son and successor, Jehoahaz, in the present section, after which he passes to that of John's grandson, Jehoash or Joash. The Syrian oppression was the great event of Jehoahaz's reign. read more
The reigns of Jehoahaz and Joash, kings of Israel. Observe here I. THE PERPETUITY OF EVIL . How sad it is to read of one king after another, "He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord"! And then the statement is usually made, "He departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin." A bad man does harm to others besides himself. "None of us liveth to himself." Not merely while we live, but after we are gone, our lives and words and deeds will... read more
The death of Elisha. "In the three and twentieth," etc. The Book of Kings is, to a large extent, a record of crime, and of crime of the most heinous and aggravated character. The terrible monstrosities recorded are, for the most part, ascribable, directly or indirectly, to kings. In this very chapter we have a sketch of two of those monarchs who have been among the greatest curses of their race. Jehoahaz, son and successor of Jehu King of Israel, whose reign was disastrous to the kingdom to... read more
REIGNS OF JEHOAHAZ , SON OF JEHU , AND JOASH , SON OF JEHOAHAZ , OVER ISRAEL . NOTICES OF ELISHA . WAR OF ISRAEL WITH SYRIA . read more
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might ; rather, his prowess , or his valor . Though defeated and reduced to subjection by the Syrians, yet Jehoahaz had distinguished himself, and shown his own personal courage, in the course of the war. Are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? . The regular use of the phrase is one of the indications that the two Books of the Kings are by one author, and form one book. read more
Joash and Elisha. Jehoahaz reigned for seventeen years, and was succeeded by his son Jehoash, or Joash. In this reign, after a long interval, Elisha again appears. I. ACCESSION OF JOASH . The change of rulers was in some respects a gain for Israel. Joash was a man of better disposition than his father, and under his reign the kingdom, which has been so sorely broken down, was again partially built up. But he still adhered to the cardinal sin of the nation—the calf-worship-so that... read more
2 Kings 13:8. And his might For, though he had not success, he showed much personal valour and courage. Which is observed to intimate, that the Israelites were not conquered because of the baseness and cowardice of their king; but merely from the righteous and dreadful judgments of God, who was now resolved to reckon with them for their apostacy. read more
13:1-17:41 HISTORY TO THE FALL OF ISRAELAfter the anti-Baal revolution (13:1-14:22)Jehu’s son Jehoahaz followed the sins of earlier Israelite kings, and so did his people. The Syrian attacks foreseen by Elisha were so severe that, had God not mercifully intervened, the whole population would have been left homeless and the entire army destroyed (13:1-9).The next king, Jehoash, learnt from Elisha that he would win three battles against Syria. He would have won more, had he not lacked faith in... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 13:1-9
This general account of the reign of Jehoahaz, and of the state of Israel during his seventeen years, though short, is long enough to let us see two things which are very affecting and instructive:? I. The glory of Israel raked up in the ashes, buried and lost, and turned into shame. How unlike does Israel appear here to what it had been and might have been! How is its crown profaned and its honour laid in the dust! 1. It was the honour of Israel that they worshipped the only living and true... read more