Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · 2 Kings · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
IN the 23. of Ioash King of Iudah, Iehohaz the sonne of Iehu began to reigne, &c.] V. 1. V. 2. V. 3.This King as his father had begun to him, went on in the sin of Ieroboam, worshipping the golden calves, and the Lord accordingly went on to punish him and his people, by Hazael the king of Syria, and his sonne Benhadad after him, who did so waste and destroy the people of Israel, that, as it is said v. 7. they left him not above 50. horsemen, 10. chariots, and 10000. footmen. But when Iehohaz was brought thus low, he sought to the Lord, who heard him, and gave them a saviour, &c. who V. 4, 5.this saviour was, because it is not expressed, Lyra saith, that R. Solomon conjectureth, Lyra.that Ioash his sonne is meant, of whom it is said, v. 25. that he smote the Syrians three times in the dayes of Benhadad the sonne of Hazael, and recovered the cities which Hazael had taken from his father Iehohaz, and Iunius followeth Junius. Wolphius.the same. But Lyra rejecteth it, because it is said, he was delivered out of the hands of the King of Syria, whereas the victories by Ioas obtained against the Syrians were after the death of Iehohaz. But Lyra was herein much mistakens for it is not said in the text, he was delivered, but God gave a deliverer to the people of Israel, & liberatus est populus, the people or Israel, not the king, of whom no mention is made. Wherefore notwithstanding this objection, that exposition may be good. God gave Ioas, a saviour to the people, although not in his fathers time, yet soon after. Whereas it is said, yet they ceased not from their sins, as if the deliverance were then; it may be conceived that immediatly there was by Gods mercy a cessation from war, some good angel of God being sent out for this purpose, to stay the king of Syria from coming against them any more, by striking a terrour into him and his people, or some other way as seemed best unto him, as the same Lyra conceiveth. Tostatus saith, that by this saviour is meant Ieroboam, the son of Ioas, because Tostatus. Chap. 14. 27.it is said, that by him God saved Israel. By the savior then here spoken of, is not meant one onelyonly at one time, but three. First, immediately upon their humiliation, he sent a good spirit invisibly to stay the Syrians from coming any more against them in the time of Iehohaz. Secondly, Ioas saved them yet more through the prophesying of Elishah, v. 19. when he went three times against them, and overcoming them, recovered his cities formerly lost out of their hands. Thirdly, Ieroboam most of all, who recovered all the land of Israel out of the enemies hands, from the entring in of Hamath, unto the sea of the wildernesse by the prophesying of Ionah, chap. 14. 25. Iosephus saith, that God made Iehohaz himself a saviour to Israel, who having but 500. horsemen and 10000. foot left him, (he should have said 50.) went with Josephus.them against the Syrians, and took from them many great cities, and made great slaughters of them. Which is manifestly false, because it is expresly said v. 25. that Ioas the son took the cities, which his father had lost; and of the state of Israel, whilest Iehohaz lived, no more is said, but that they came out of the hand of the Syrians and sate in their tents, as in times past; that is, being quiet and no more vexed with warres, the Syrians being held by a divine power, thenceforth from making warre upon them. For the name [saviour] it is commonly given to men extraordinarily stirred up by the spirit of God to save Israel, being oppressed by his enemies a long time before.
But they departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam, &c. but walked in every one of V. 6.them, and the grove stood still in Samaria.] Of which grove see 1 King. 16. 35. and how it was planted by Ahab. And thus they did, although they were beaten by V. 7.warres of the Syrians, even as the dust under our feet, and of so great multitudes, which might formerly have been raised to go to war out of Israel, now there were left onelyonly 50. horsemen, 10. chariots, and 10000 foot. Which is set down, as to make it appear, how deeply grounded this wickednesse was in them by a continuall accustoming Note. themselves to it, that we may be ware of sinfull customes. So to magnifie the goodnesse of God, that he would be entreated, and his power, that he could by such an handfull of men (who could not be much encreased in so short a time, as between this and the time that Ioash went against the Aramites) give so great victories to Israel. But it was not for any complacency that he had in their seeking to him with their lips, when their hearts were farre away from him, but to keep his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, &c. as is expressed chap. 14. 27. and because he had yet set them a longer time, before he would destroy them, that his exceeding great patience might be admired by all men, and praised, who still upheld their state, when they were so near to utter ruine, and that when afterwards having so long a time of repentance granted, they abused it, and were destroyed by the Assyrians, his judgements might be acknowledged to be most just.
For the rest of the acts of Iehohaz and his valour, we are referred to the book of V. 8. Wolphius.the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, that is, their annals; and his valour saith, Wolphius, is mentioned to intimate, that Israel was not brought so low in his time, Note. through his sloth or cowardise, but by the judgement of God, justly making the valour of the wicked vain. For no power or fortitude is of any avail against enemies invading us, if God be forsaken, and so becometh an enemy.
Then Iehohaz dying (and being buried, his son Ioas reigned in his stead, anno 37. of Ioas king of Iudah he began, &c.] Whereas v. 1. Iehohaz is said to have reigned V. 9. V. 10. Junius. Wolphius.17. years, beginning anno 23. which must needs be to the 39. of Joash, the king of Iudah at the least, it is conceived by expositours, that he made his sonne consort of the kingdome with him two years before his death, or as some think three, and he reigued 16. years, whereof two or three passed in his fathers time, the rest he reigned alone. The Septuagint reconcile this difference by rendring it thus, anno 39. of Ioas, not respecting so much the Hebrew verity, as the making of the matter plain.
The wicked life and death of Ioash is spoken of by anticipation, and Ieroboams succeeding him in the kingdome, as appeareth v. 14, 15, &c. where his history is V. 11, 12, 13.again prosecuted, and ch. 14. 8, 9, &c. The reason of this brief running over the history of Ioash at the first, as Wolphius well observeth, may be, because all which he did worthy of remembrance, was to be brought in under the histories of Elishah and Amaziah, which here follow, by the prophesying of the one he being encouraged and made successefull in his warres against the Syrians, and by the provocation of the other being drawn out to that victory against him. The sacred historian therefore stayeth not in telling any thing of Ioash, but of his wicked life and death, and so hasteneth to Elishah his last sicknesse and death, where there is occasion again to speak of him, and then to Amaziah, in the time of whose reign, what happened between him and Ioash is recorded.
And Elishah was sick of the sicknesse, whereof he died, and Ioash went down unto V. 24. Seder Olam.him and wept, &c.] This was according to the Hebrew Chronology, anno 10. of Ioash, from whence it is gathered, that Elishah had been a prophet above 60. years, as the same Chronology speaketh, seven under Iehoshaphat, five under Ioram, sixe Athaliah, forty Ioash, eight Amaziah, unto which if twelve be added, whilest he followed Elijah and the years of his age, when he called him thirty, as may be conjectured, Wolphius.the whole time of his life, was 108. Yet others, saith Wolphius, think, that Elishah died in the beginning of the reign of Ioash, unto which he rather assenteth, because even in the time of Iehohaz his father, it is said, that God sent them a saviour, therefore saith he, it is not probable, that it was deferred to his tenth year. But if they were quiet and free from the invasion of the Syrians all that time, the fulfilling of this was begun long before, and from henceforth more. Touching Ioash his visiting of Elishah and weeping, although he were a wicked king, yet herein he gave a good example to visite the sick, and to shew other Princes, in what account they should have the holy prophets of the Lord. And yet I cannot think, that this Note. visite was without the singular hand of God leading him, that he might be made by the ministry of the prophet, a deliverer to Israel from the hands of the Syrians. And therefore the hand which brought him, made him weep when he was come, to see so worthy a man as Elishah ready to depart, who was as he called him, as a father to care for him and his kingdome, although unworthy, and the chariots of Israel and horsemen thereof, that is, the greatest strength to defend it, that he might be moved by the spirit, where with he was endued, to do something for him now before his departure, seeing his case and the peoples would be lamentable, as he conceived, when they had lost him their greatest strength, by reason of the power which he had with God. And it is to be noted, that he speaketh to him in the same words, wherewith Elishah spake to Elijah when he was taken away, 2 King. 2. 12. as if he were led by the same spirit of love and reverence towards him. Wolphius observeth it as a remuneration of Elishah his piety towards Elijah in that the like was now ascribed to him. But how could Ioash speak thus to Elishah when as he yet living the Israelites were so greatly oppressed by the Syrians, as hath been already shewed? Answ. He had heard of his assigning the kingdome to his grandfather Iehu, Ioram being slain, and that his prophesying was verified, seeing he was mightily set up, and his son after him, and now himself being the second generation of the four, to whom the promise was made, and in the dayes of Ioram, that he had divers times disappointed the Syrians forces, by discovering their plots, and 2 Kings 6.lastly, bringing them into the kings power. Wherefore he conceived, that if he would, he could still do as great things for Israel, if he might live amongst them, and hereupon he so stiled him, that he might insinuate into him, and obtain his favour to do as much for him before he died, as in times past for others, his predecessours in that kingdome.
Then Elishah bade him take bow and arrowes, and lay his hand upon the bow, which done, the Prophet laid his hands upon the Kings, having first bidden him, open the V. 15.window towards the East. Then at the direction of the Prophet the King shot, and Elishah said, the arrow of the salvation of the Lord against the Syrians, &c.] By an out ward symbol or signe of bow and arrowes, he would, that he should understand and not by word of mouth onelyonly, what the Lord would do by Ioas, as the instrument for the saving of Israel from the Syrians, and for their destruction who had now long oppressed them. So the prophet Abijam formerly shewed Ieroboam, that the Lord would make him King over ten tribes, by renting his garment into twelve parts and giving him ten, for his further confirmation, and to make in him the deeper impression, and also to streng then him to this mighty work, and the prophets afterwards did often use signes, of all which, as of holy sacraments, this was the use. And this of shooting an arrow towards Syria, for it stood eastward, saith Lyra, to Lyra.which part the window opened, was a most apt signe to shew the piercing of the Syrians with the Israelites arrowes, through Gods power, who hereby shewed, that he would strengthen the kings and their hands for this end, when the Prophet laid his hands upon the kings, although Lyra derogating from God saith, that it shewed victory to come unto him by the merits of the prophet. But whereas Elishah addeth, thou shalt strongly smite the Syrians, till thou hast consumed them, he being about to shew it by a further signe, wherein Ioas not doing according to his expectation, he retracted and said, now thou shalt onelyonly smite the Syrians three times. For he bade him take the rest of the arrowes and smite against the ground, and he V. 17, 18, 19.smote three times and then ceased, at which the Prophet waxing angry, said, thou shouldst have smitten five or sixe times, and so thou shouldst have smitten the Syrians to consumption, &c. It seemeth, that God had revealed to Elishah, that if Ioas being bidden by him to smite the ground, should smite with his arrowes five or sixe times, the Syrians should by him be utterly destroyed, but if under that number, he should onelyonly so many times overcome them, this work of their utter consumption, being reserved for another, as it was indeed, for his sonne Jeroboam after his death. Wherefore Elishah said no more, but bade him smite, supposing, that he would have continued to do so, till he had cried enough. But seeing him give over so soon, he was greatly offended for the discredit of his prophesie, which now could not take such effect through Ioash his fault, he had stinted himself to the number of smitings, wherewith he should smite them, and therefore should now go no further in victories over them. The word translated here [fortiter] strongly, by Iunius who I follow in this particular, is Aphek in Hebrew, and commonly rendred, thou shalt smite them in Aphek, a certain place saith Wolphius, being named, the more to assure him, and not an uncertain Oracle like that of Apollo being uttered. Now there Wolphius.was an Aphek a city of Iudah, of which Iosh. 15. and another in Ashur, Iosh. 19 and at this last most probably this destruction of the Syrians should be made, the very place, to which they formerly chose to come in the time of Ahab, and were destroyed 1 King. 20. 26.unto 127000. and therefore it is now again appointed to be the place, for more confirmation. Pellican saith, that Aphec in Iudah is meant. For the mystery The Mystery.of this, that Ioas smote the earth onelyonly three times and no more, doing thus against himself to his hindrance, in respect of the utter destruction of his deadly enemies, which for this his remissenesse he could not compasse. It is according to Wolphius, hereby shewed that we through our own negligence cannot conquer over our spirituall enemies, because having begun well and with a good spirit to fight this spirituall battell we persevere not, but so give in, that they continue still to hinder our felicity, seeing such as endure to the end only, shall be saved. Or Mattb. 23. 13. Rabanus.according to Rabanus, that who so believeth onelyonly in the trinity set forth by the three times, and doth not adde unto his faith also charitable and vertuous actions, prejudiceth himselfe in respect of everlasting salvation, for he must smite the earth five or six times, that the Syrian like evill spirits hindering his salvation, may be utterly subdued; for faith without works is dead.
Then Elishah died and was buried, &c.] It may be marvailed, that the death and buriall V. 20. Josephus.of such a worthy is passed over with so few words. But Iosephus saith, that he was honoured sepulchromagnifico, but telleth not the place where, therefore some will have it in Samaria, some in Carmel, and some in Sebastea. They that are for Samaria, Esiphan in vita Elishae. Bed. in Martyro. Isidor. de vita & morte Sanct. Adrichomius. Tostatus.hold it and Sabastea all one, as Epiphanius, Beda, and Isidor. For Carmel is Adrichomius, saying that he was afterwards translated to Samaria. Tostatus thinketh that he was buried in the Sepulchers of his fathers, as it was said before of Samuel; the holy Scripture is so briefe, that the place is left uncertain, as not materiall to be known, but when he is said to have been buried, it is left to be understood, that he had a buriall according to his worth, seeing the king himselfe did so much honour him. And hast is made to tell of another thing happening about his Sepulcher, which honoured it more then if men had done all that they could to honour it, and so the mentioning of all solemnity is omitted. It is said onelyonly that they buried him, saith Wolphius, to condemne superstitious rites, since invented about the Wolphius. Xenophon.dead, and the superfluity of cost, alleadging the example of Cyrus, who charged his sonnes when he should dye, not to delay the time of his buriall by making costly preparation, but so soon as might be to put his body into the ground, as being the most kindly thing that they could doe for it, that it might again be mingled with the mother earth, out of which all things spring and grow. The thing that happened, after his putting into his sepulcher was this, certain forces of the Moabites coming, whilest they went about burying another man, they for fear cast him into the prophets sepulcher, and so soon as he touched his bones, he revived and arose, and stood V. 21.upon his feet.
These forces or troops, as the word signifieth, were robbers, which came into the land of Israel for booty, whereby the miserable estate of the Israelites appeared, now that they were so much weakned and disheartened by Syrians, they became a prey to other nations also, and were without all courage to resist, like fearfull deer, at the sight of them they ran away. They had by their sinnes lost Gods protection, Note. and so lay open to all their enemies to be robbed and pillaged, as the Misians, when their king Telaphus was gone into a farre country, were made a prey to all their enemies. But God out of this evill bringeth good at this time, as he doth often, turning the malicious attempts of the enemies of his people, into an occasion of good; for thus occasion was given to this miracle for the comfort and confirmation of Ioash and his people, who most probably had not yet attempted any thing against the Syrians, for then the Moabites would not have been so bold, but now such vertue coming from Elishah being dead, and hereby it being shewed, that God by his prophesying could strengthen the Israelites, which were made to be of a dead heart towards any warlike undertakings through the Syrians manifold oppressions, hee and they might well rouze up themselves, and prepare to goe against the said Syrians, as is by and by shewed that they did, and stood up so stoutly against them, that they overcame them time after time unto three times, as Elishah had prophesied, and took away from them their cities formerly lost; when this was done, viz. the reviving of the dead man is shewed in these words, the yeare coming or beginning, according to Iunius, the year following, according to Wolphius; the vulgar Latin, in ipso anno, but seeing it is in Hebr. foreign the yeare coming, I rest in the first. It was in the beginning of the year after the burying of Elishah, at what time being the spring, they most commonly went out, that invaded others; as is noted, 2 Sam. 11. and if Elishah dyed, Iune 14. as the Roman Martyrology hath it, this happened about ten months after in the month of March, the Chald. in the entrance of the year; Chald paraph. Tostatus.Tostatus in the return of the yeare, that is, saith he, in the beginning of the spring, or in the month of March. By their casting in of the dead man so speedily into the sepulcher of Elishah, it appeareth that hee was not laid into a grave and covered with earth, as the manner now is, but in a sepulcher of stone, having either a cover of stone to it, or standing open in some vault or cave; for so they buried Lazarus of old, and our Lord; and thus we may well conceive, how the dead mans corps being cast in, came soon to touch the corps of Elishah, if the stone covering him were but only remoued first. What became of this man the Scripture saith not, but the Rabbins bold to invent any thing and to set it forth as a truth, say that he by and by fell down dead again, being raised to come out of the sepulcher because he was unworthy for his wickednesse to lye so near the holy prophet. But if this had been so, it might well have been suspected, whether he was indeed raised up or no. It is therfore more probable, that he lived and went to the king with his bearers, as witnesses, that both he and all the people might reverence Elishah the more, and give credit to his last prophesie to be stirred up immediately to prepare and goe against the Syrians, being assured, that his God that set him awork to prophesie so, was as well able by weak means to give life unto that state now after a sort dead, as by the bones of Elishah touching this man only, to give him life againe. This is made a ground by papals of going in pilgrimage to the bones of the Saints departed, and by praying at their monuments to seek help against their maladies and salvation to their souls. But forsomuch as we read not of any such use made of this miracle by the faithfull of those times, it is to be condemned, as grosse superstition. For if God for some mysticall end, of which by and by, and to confirm Ioash, as hath been said, touching the prophesie of Elishah did work at this time miraculously by his bones, but never did any more wonders hereby after, nor at any time before either by Samuels bones or Davids, Iosephs or Ioshuahs, or the bones of any other of his dearest Saints, what a madnesse is it, or giddi-headednesse to goe to the dead bones of Saints, purposely to have help by vertue coming from them, as if this had been propounded for a president unto us to invite us thus to doe? They had no such custome in the primitive Church, as we may gather from Ambrose, who saith no more of this, but that as the Virgin Mary being full of the spirit prophesied, so Elishah being dead, raised a dead Ambros. in Luc. lib. 1. Chrys. hom. 58. in in Matth. Euscb. lib. 4. c. 15.man by the touch of his bones. And Chrysostom only that by vertue coming from them, none believing this great miracle was wrought.
And Eusebius writeth of Polycarpe being martyred, that when the Christians desired to have his body to bury, the Iewes their deadly enemies sought to hinder it by saying, that if it were granted them, they would, leaving their Christ, worship it. But they replyed, that they could not forsake, but worship him, who had redeemed the whole world by his blood, and love his Martyrs and Disciples, as his imitatours. It is indeed not to be denied, that by Martyrs bones also, sometimes wonders have been wrought, when God would, for the confirmation of the true faith, but this hath been extraordinary and rare, not by being sought unto, but when God pleased unexpectedly in the times of infideliy, at what time onelyonly other miracles were wrought also,
The mystery of this, according to Ambrose and Rabanus, was to shew, that The mystery. Ambrosius. Rabanus.who so being dead in sin, believeth in Christ, who died for our sins, toucheth thus, as it were, his bones; and liveth by grace, and shall live again for ever, after that he is dead, in glory.
And Hazael oppressed Israel all the dayes of Iehohaz, then the Lord had pity upon V. 22.them for his Covenants sake with Abraham, &c. And Hazael died, and his sonne Benhadad reigned in his stead. And Ioash returned and took cities, &c. Here is V. 22. V. 23. V. 24. V. 25.shewed, how the prophesie of Elishah was accomplished, and that the power and truth of God and his mercy might be more magnified, least it should be conceived for that which was before said, touching a deliverer given unto them, that they were already exempt from their oppressions, it is prepared to tell of these victories of Ioash, by saying, that Hazael oppressed Israel all the dayes of his father Iehohaz, which that it may not seem contradictory to vers. 5. it is to be understood, that their resting in quiet, as in times past, there spoken of, is not meant of the present time, whil'st Jehohaz lived; but in his son Ioash his time, after that the Syrians had been overcome by them; although, as hath been said there, it is to be conceived, that the Syrians were even then by Gods providence restreined from vexing them any more; for Israel might still notwithstanding this, be said to be oppressed by them, because they yet held their cities formerly subdued. But now God enlarged his mercy towards them more for his Covenants sake with their holy forefathers, and restored their lost cities again unto them, the Syrians that had taken them, being expelled. This Covenant was, that he would be their God, and the God of their seed, and give them the land of Canaan for the pleasantnesse thereof, being a type of heaven; and by promising the seed, in which all nations should be blessed, intimating true blessednes also for ever, to come finally unto them.
Hazael, by whom God had as by a rod, scourged Israel about 50 years, now was taken away by death, and so his sonne reigning, these victories were atchieved. And here Wolphius noteth well, that this blessed change was granted unto Ioash in way Wolphius.of recompence, for his so kindly visiting Elishah in his sicknesse, to stirre men up Note. to kindnesse and respect towards the Prophets and Ministers of God.