2 Kings 13:4 - Exposition

And Jehoahaz besought the Lord ; literally, besought the face of the Lord . Jehoahaz, as Josephus says, "betook him-serf to prayer and supplication of God, entreating that he would deliver him out of the hands of Hazael, and not suffer him to continue subject" ('Ant. Jud.,' 2 Kings 9:8 . § 5). He did not turn from his sin of idolatry, perhaps did not suspect that it was this sin which had provoked God's anger; but in a general way he repented, humbled himself, and besought God's mercy and assistance. And the Lord hearkened unto him. God accepted his repentance, all imperfect as it was, so far as to save the people from the entire destruction with which it was threatened by the severe measures of Hazael ( 2 Kings 13:7 ), to continue the national existence ( 2 Kings 13:23 ), and ultimately to restore the national prosperity ( 2 Kings 13:25 and 2 Kings 14:25-27 ). But he did not remove the oppression, as Josephus imagines, in Jehoahaz's time. 2 Kings 13:22 makes this fact absolutely certain. For he saw the oppression of Israel, because the King of Syria oppressed them. Oppression is always hateful to God, even when he is using it as his instrument for chastising or punishing a guilty people. He "sees" it, notes it, lays it up in his remembrance for future retribution (camp. Exodus 3:7 ; Isaiah 10:5-12 , etc.). (On the nature and extent of the oppression of this period, see 2 Kings 13:7 , and the comment ad loc .)