Jehoahaz sees Israel ground to dust under Aram; dying Elisha sets the king's hands upon the bow — 'the arrow of Hashem's deliverance' — but Joash smites the ground only three times; a dead man revives at the touch of Elisha's bones.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.
verse value 5661
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 75 letters. The shortest word is "year" (שָׁנָ֔ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Ahaziah" (בֶּן־אֲחַזְיָ֖הוּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 355: year, year. The root שנה appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "upon·Israel" (root על, 116x in II Kings); "in·year·of" (root שנה, 109x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Radak
"In the twenty-third year." It should have said, "In the twenty-first year," for in the seventh year of Jehu, Joash [of Judah] became king; and twenty-seven and one make twenty-eight, and Jehu reigned twenty-eight years; thus his son [Jehoahaz] began to reign in the twenty-first year of Joash, king of Judah. We say that what is stated, "In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king," means at the beginning of the seventh year, and "in the twenty-third year of Joash" means at the beginning of the twenty-third year.
Ralbag
"In the twenty-third year of Joash" until the end of the book. "In the twenty-third year"—it is known that Joash was hidden for six years, and these six years are the years during which Jehu reigned prior to the reign of Joash. And thus it is clarified that at the beginning of the twenty-third year of Joash, Ahaziah reigned.
Metzudat David
"In the twenty-third year." Since Jehoash began to reign in the seventh year of Jehu, and Jehu died at the end of his twenty-eighth year of reign, which corresponds to the twenty-second year of Jehoash, and Jehoahaz began to reign in the beginning of the following year, it follows that this is the twenty-third year of Jehoash.
Seventeen years. And they were intermittent:
Malbim
"In the twenty-third year," according to the calculation mentioned above, that in the seventh year of Jehu, Joash reigned [and Jehu reigned for twenty-eight years; if so, Jehu died in the twenty-first year of Joash]. And Radak explains that there were partial years: what is stated, "in the seventh year of Jehu, Joash reigned," means at the beginning of the seventh year; and likewise, what is stated here, "in the twenty-third year," means at the beginning of that year, and thus there were twenty-one complete years.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of Hashem, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
verse value 3859
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 60 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "the·evil" (הָרַ֖ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·he·caused·to·sin" (אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱטִ֥יא, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "sins·of" (חַטֹּ֜את). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·he·caused·to·sin" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "and·did" (root עשה, 142x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֥עַשׂ [and·did] (386) + הָרַ֖ע [the·evil] (275) + בְּעֵינֵ֣י [in·eyes·of] (142) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וַ֠יֵּ֠לֶךְ [and·went] (66) + אַחַ֨ר [after] (209) + חַטֹּ֜את [sins·of] (418) + יָרׇבְעָ֧ם [Jeroboam] (322) + בֶּן־נְבָ֛ט [son·of·Nebat] (113) + אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱטִ֥יא [that·he·caused·to·sin] (534) + אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [Israel] (942) + לֹא־סָ֥ר [not·he·turned·aside] (291) + מִמֶּֽנָּה [from·her] (135) = 3859.
Malbim
And he did evil. And already he was a wicked son of a wicked father. In this case, [God] visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children. Therefore, the anger of the Lord burned against Israel to punish them.
And the anger of Hashem was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, continually.
verse value 2113
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·hand·of" (בְּיַ֣ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·days" (כׇּל־הַיָּמִֽים, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·burned·anger·of" (וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף), "and·in·hand·of" (וּבְיַ֛ד). The root יד appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king·Aram" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "son·of·Hadad" (root בין, 106x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף [and·burned·anger·of] (305) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [in·Israel] (543) + וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֞ם [and·he·gave·them] (506) + בְּיַ֣ד [in·hand·of] (16) + חֲזָאֵ֣ל [Hazael] (46) + מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָ֗ם [king·Aram] (331) + וּבְיַ֛ד [and·in·hand·of] (22) + בֶּן־הֲדַ֥ד [son·of·Hadad] (65) + בֶּן־חֲזָאֵ֖ל [son·of·Hazael] (98) + כׇּל־הַיָּמִֽים [all·the·days] (155) = 2113.
Metzudat David
"All the days." All the days of Jehoahaz:
Malbim
(3–7) The questions: How did He say that He gave them into the hand of the king of Aram all those days, and immediately said that they went out from under the hand of Aram? And what is the meaning of "Yet they did not turn away…" for He did not leave to Jehoahaz…? What is the connection between these matters?
"And He gave them" means that the Lord decreed a decree that they would be in the hand of Hazael and in the hand of his son Hadad for all the days, meaning the days of Hazael and Hadad. And certainly He informed them of this decree through a prophet.
And Jehoahaz besought Hashem, and Hashem hearkened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how that the king of Aram oppressed them.—
verse value 3393
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 61 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3393 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Jehoahaz" (יְהוֹאָחָ֖ז, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 541: face·of, Israel. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "face·of" (אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י), "the·oppression·of" (אֶת־לַ֣חַץ), "that·oppressed" (כִּי־לָחַ֥ץ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "to·him" (root אל, 113x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 11 words.
Ralbag
"And Jehoahaz entreated the favor of the Lord." Although Jehoahaz was not worthy for his prayer to be heard, nevertheless the Lord heard him because He saw the oppression of Israel, that the king of Aram was oppressing them. For had He not heard his prayer, the ten tribes would have been completely destroyed, and the covenant of the Lord with the tribes would have been annulled on account of the fathers. However, we said that His covenant with the tribes remains, for it has already been explained in the Torah that not one of them will be entirely cut off, as we explained there. And I believe that the Lord heard his prayer to preserve Israel so that Hazael would not afflict them in this wondrous manner in which he was slaughtering them, and this occurred during Jehoahaz's lifetime. Nevertheless, even so, he oppressed them all the days of his life, as will be mentioned later. And He raised up for them a savior from his hand after the death of Jehoahaz, and he was his son Joash, as will be mentioned later. And after they were delivered from the hand of Aram, Israel dwelt in their tents as in days of old. However, Israel did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, and in them Jehoahaz walked, and the Asherah still stood in Samaria; Jehoahaz did not destroy them. And behold, despite all this, the Lord heard the prayer of Jehoahaz to lighten the oppression with which Hazael was oppressing them in his days, and to give to Israel after Jehoahaz a savior from the hand of the king of Aram, and he was Joash. This was because, due to the great oppression with which Hazael was oppressing them, Israel would easily have been destroyed, as we have mentioned, and the Lord was compelled on account of His covenant with the fathers to have mercy on them, as will be mentioned later. And this is [what is meant]: "Yet He left not to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Aram had destroyed them, and made them like the dust at threshing."
Metzudat David
For he saw, etc. And were it not for this, his prayer would not have been worthy of being accepted.
Metzudat Zion
And he entreated. And he prayed:
He pressed. He forced:
Malbim
"And he entreated" — Indeed, through the prayer of Jehoahaz, the Lord heard him to mitigate the decree; and this was necessary because He saw the distress of Israel. This is the meaning of the verse: "And he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord heard him," and thereby:
And Hashem gave Israel a deliverer, so that they went out from under the hand of the Arameans; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.
verse value 4897
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 63 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·gave" (וַיִּתֵּ֨ן, 4 letters) and the longest is "sons·of·Israel" (בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "savior" (מוֹשִׁ֔יעַ), "hand·Aram" (יַד־אֲרָ֑ם), "in·their·tents" (בְּאׇהֳלֵיהֶ֖ם). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "to·Israel" (root ישראל, 101x in II Kings); "sons·of·Israel" (root בן, 66x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hand·Aram', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיִּתֵּ֨ן [and·gave] (466) + יְהֹוָ֤ה [Hashem] (26) + לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ [to·Israel] (571) + מוֹשִׁ֔יעַ [savior] (426) + וַיֵּ֣צְא֔וּ [and·went·out] (113) + מִתַּ֖חַת [from·under] (848) + יַד־אֲרָ֑ם [hand·Aram] (255) + וַיֵּשְׁב֧וּ [and·they·dwelt] (324) + בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל [sons·of·Israel] (603) + בְּאׇהֳלֵיהֶ֖ם [in·their·tents] (93) + כִּתְמ֥וֹל [before] (496) + שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם [day·yesterday] (676) = 4897.
Rashi
And the Lord gave to Israel a deliverer. Joash son of Jehoachaz, of whom it is said (below verse 19): three times you shall strike Aram:
Radak
"And the Lord gave Israel a savior." This refers to Joash, son of Jehoahaz, because throughout the days of Jehoahaz, the king of Aram oppressed them.
Metzudat David
"Savior." Joash, his son, was the savior, as is mentioned afterward: in the days of the reign of Jehoahaz, the salvation began.
Metzudat Zion
The day before yesterday. The third day before the present day:
Malbim
"And the Lord gave to Israel a savior" – this was at the end of the days of Jehoahaz, when his son Joash reigned and saved them, as will be explained.
Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, wherewith he made Israel to sin, but walked therein; and there remained the Asherah also in Samaria.—
verse value 4324
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "indeed" (אַ֠ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "house·of·Jeroboam" (בֵּית־יָרׇבְעָ֛ם, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "sin offering" (מֵחַטֹּ֧את), "house·of·Jeroboam" (בֵּית־יָרׇבְעָ֛ם), "that·he·caused·to·sin" (אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱטִ֥י). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·he·caused·to·sin" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "house·of·Jeroboam" (root בית, 141x in II Kings); "he·went" (root הלך, 98x in II Kings). First appearance of the root אשרה ("the·Asherah") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·went', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַ֠ךְ [indeed] (21) + לֹא־סָ֜רוּ [not·they·turned·aside] (297) + מֵחַטֹּ֧את [sin offering] (458) + בֵּית־יָרׇבְעָ֛ם [house·of·Jeroboam] (734) + אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱטִ֥י [that·he·caused·to·sin] (533) + אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [Israel] (942) + בָּ֣הּ [in·it] (7) + הָלָ֑ךְ [he·went] (55) + וְגַם֙ [and·also] (49) + הָאֲשֵׁרָ֔ה [the·Asherah] (511) + עָמְדָ֖ה [stood] (119) + בְּשֹׁמְרֽוֹן [in·Samaria] (598) = 4324.
Radak
"Who caused Israel to sin, he walked in it." [The word] is written without an aleph [הֶחֱטִי rather than הֶחֱטִיא], and similar to it is "and the LORD was pleased to crush him, He made him ill" (Isaiah 53:10) — [where] "made him ill" [הֶחֱלִי] is likewise written without an aleph.
"And also the Asherah." For Jehu did not cut it down; rather, it was the Baal that he destroyed.
Metzudat David
"But they did not turn away": This refers back to the preceding verse, to say that although Jehoahaz entreated the favor of the Lord, nevertheless he and his people did not turn away from the sin of the house of Jeroboam, and thus the prayer was accompanied by the clasp of sin.
Malbim
However, he explained that the salvation did not come about because they did teshuvah (repentance) and the Lord turned back from His fierce anger; for in truth, they did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, and the asherah (sacred pole) remained, adding sin upon sin. Rather, the cause of the salvation was because:
For there was not left to Jehoahaz of the people save fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Aram destroyed them, and made them like the dust in threshing.
verse value 5544
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 78 letters. Verse gematria: 5544 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Jehoahaz" (לִיהוֹאָחָ֜ז, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: for, for, for. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "to·Jehoahaz" (לִיהוֹאָחָ֜ז), "if·fifty" (אִם־חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים), "horsemen" (פָּֽרָשִׁים֙). The root כי appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "not" (root לא, 106x in II Kings); "for" (root כי, 76x in II Kings). First appearance of the root עפר ("as·the·dust") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'foot', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 7 words.
Radak
"For he left nothing to Jehoahaz." This is not the reason for attaching it to the preceding verse, but rather for what was stated above: "for the king of Aram oppressed them."
Metzudat David
"For he did not leave." For because of this, Aram did not leave a people for Jehoahaz, etc.:
Like dust to be trodden: Like dust that is trodden underfoot by man.
Metzudat Zion
To tread. From the word tread and crush:
Malbim
"For He left not to Jehoahaz a remnant, etc." And already was fulfilled what was said through Elijah: "And I have left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed unto Baal." And the king of Aram destroyed them and made them like dust, until from this aspect He saw the affliction of His people, that if He were to abandon them further without salvation, they would be utterly destroyed. And as it is stated in verse 23: "And He turned unto them for the sake of His covenant, etc."
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.
verse value 5902
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 67 letters. Verse gematria: 5902 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "six" (שֵׁ֥שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Jehoahaz" (בֶּן־יְהוֹאָחָ֤ז, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 355: year, year. The root שנה appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "upon·Israel" (root על, 116x in II Kings); "in·year·of" (root שנה, 109x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 8 words.
Rashi
In the thirty-seventh year and so on. This verse is refuted from two sides, and I found no repair for it, for he should have said thirty-nine, for his father stood in the twenty-third year of Joash, and reigned seventeen years, and it turns out that he died in the thirty-ninth year of Joash. And furthermore it is said below in the matter, in the second year of Joash son of Jehoachaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah reigned, and it turns out that Joash son of Jehoachaz stood in the fortieth year of Joash which was his last year, and in the second year of Joash son of Jehoachaz Amaziah reigned, and even if you say that Amaziah reigned in the year of his father's death, and the verse called it the second year of Joash, you learned that Joash king of Israel did not reign until the thirty-ninth year of Joash king of Judah:
Radak
"In the thirty-seventh year." He should have said "in the thirty-ninth year," for at the beginning of the twenty-third year of Jehoash, king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king, and he reigned seventeen years. Thus his seventeen years were completed in the thirty-ninth year of Jehoash, king of Judah. And it appears that Jehoash reigned during the lifetime of his father Jehoahaz for two years; this is what is meant by "And the LORD gave Israel a savior" — the savior being Jehoash. Now, after Jehoahaz entreated the LORD, and it says "And the LORD heeded him," how would one know that the LORD heeded him, unless the salvation began in his days? Rather, it teaches that the salvation began in his days, but not through him — through his son. And perhaps it was through a prophet that he [Jehoahaz] made him [Jehoash] king during his own lifetime — [a prophet] who had told him that the salvation would come through his son; and so that he might see the salvation first, he made him king while he was still alive.
Ralbag
"In the thirty-seventh year." It has already been stated above that when Joash, king of Judah, was in the twenty-third year of his reign, Jehoahaz began to reign. And he reigned seventeen years, with portions cut off from both ends of his reign, which may amount to less than sixteen full years. Therefore, we are compelled to understand their statement "in the thirty-seventh year" as meaning after thirty-seven years had passed for Joash, and it was his thirty-eighth year, which was incomplete. And this may be slightly less than sixteen years. Thus, the beginning of the year of the kings of the house of Jehu appears as distinct from the beginning of the year of the kings of the house of David. In this manner, the first year of Jehoahaz was partial, and the last year as well, and by this means this numerical count is reconciled. And we have already explained above that sometimes this phrasing implies that these years passed in full for his kingship, and sometimes it implies that it was within that year.
Metzudat David
"In the thirty-seventh year." For Joash, king of Israel, reigned for two years during his father's lifetime; thus, we count two years from his lifetime. Now, Jehoahaz reigned in the twenty-third year of Joash, king of Judah. And since Joash, king of Israel, reigned for two years during his father's lifetime, this means that he reigned in the thirty-seventh year of Joash, king of Judah.
Sixteen years. The number of those years he reigned after his father's death:
Malbim
(10-14) The Questions: According to the calculation, did he not reign in the fortieth year of Joash, rather than in the thirty-seventh year? How is it that after recounting that Joash died, and his son Jeroboam reigned, and Joash was buried, the text returns to recount the matters of Joash and his wars a second time, from verse 14 through verse 15 of chapter 14, and there it repeats once more, "And Joash was laid to rest with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria, and Jeroboam reigned in his stead"? This is a great and very strange matter.
In the thirty-seventh year of Joash, according to what was stated in the first verse, that in the twenty-third year of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, reigned seventeen years; if so, [his reign] concluded in the fortieth year of Joash. And it is necessary that Jehoash reigned over Israel for two years during the lifetime of his father Ahaziah, regarding which it is said, “And the Lord gave Israel a savior.” And regarding this it is stated (in chapter 14) that in the second year of Jehoash, Amaziah reigned. It turns out that what is written here, the narrative of Jehoash (which is duplicated in chapter 14, verses 15–16, where its proper place is, for there the deeds of Jehoash and his matters are recorded), did not come for its own sake, but only to explain the preceding verses, what is written: “And the Lord gave Israel a savior,” etc., but they did not depart from the sin of Jeroboam. And it explains what is written, “And the Lord gave Israel a savior,” namely, that in the thirty-seventh year of Joash, Jehoash reigned, and he began to save [Israel] during the lifetime of Ahaziah. And what is written, “But they did not depart from the sin of Jeroboam,” it explains [by stating] “And he did evil in the sight of the Lord.” And to complete what is written, “And He raised up for Israel a savior,” it says, “And the rest of the deeds of Jehoash, and his might, etc.,” meaning that there it is written in detail how he saved Israel. And this salvation lasted for many days, until the days of Jeroboam, regarding which it is said, “And Jeroboam sat on his throne,” meaning that he was mighty and a savior like his father (as it is stated below, that he restored the border of Israel, etc.). According to this, all of this is mentioned incidentally to inform that even though they sinned during all this time, out of His love and compassion He redeemed them and saved them for the sake of His Name. And the salvation lasted for approximately fifty-seven years, until afterwards, when the king of Assyria began to come upon the land.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of Hashem; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; but he walked therein.
verse value 3612
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3612 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·all·sins·of" (מִכׇּל־חַטֹּ֞אות, 8 letters). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·he·caused·to·sin" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "and·did" (root עשה, 142x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: וַיַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה [and·did] (391) + הָרַ֖ע [the·evil] (275) + בְּעֵינֵ֣י [in·eyes·of] (142) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + סָ֠ר [turned·aside] (260) + מִכׇּל־חַטֹּ֞אות [from·all·sins·of] (514) + יָרׇבְעָ֧ם [Jeroboam] (322) + בֶּן־נְבָ֛ט [son·of·Nebat] (113) + אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱטִ֥יא [that·he·caused·to·sin] (534) + אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [Israel] (942) + בָּ֥הּ [in·it] (7) + הָלָֽךְ [he·went] (55) = 3612.
Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
verse value 5700
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 85 letters. Verse gematria: 5700 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "with" (עִ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "king·Judah" (מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֑ה, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 216: words·of, words·of. The root דבר appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king·Judah" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "and·all·that" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "words·of" (root דבר, 147x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'king·Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 7 words.
Radak
"And the rest of the acts of Joash." Why did he mention here the end of the reign of Joash, when he was yet to recount what he did, and only afterward [say], "And the rest of the acts of Jehoash"? Rather, he connected the beginning of his son's reign to the beginning of his own reign, and said, "And Jeroboam sat on his throne," to inform us that in his days he was made king, just as he himself had reigned in his father's lifetime. Perhaps he perceived that there were other sons of his who would dispute his succession; therefore, before his death, he seated him on the throne. This is what is meant by "Jeroboam sat on his throne," and it does not say, "And Jeroboam his son reigned in his place," as it says regarding the other kings. Rather, since it is expressed in this language, it appears that his son sat on the throne before his death. And in Seder Olam it states: Jeroboam reigned in the lifetime of his father for one year, as it is said, "And Jeroboam sat on his throne."
Metzudat David
"And the rest, etc." Even though after this it will still recount further deeds of Joash, and even though these two verses are stated there, perhaps because it hinted briefly that he would be a savior for Israel from the hands of Aram, and it attached itself to the narrative of his father, for it came about through his prayer, and even though it began in the days of his reign, therefore it deemed it necessary to mention all his deeds briefly until after his death, it returns to explain his deeds at length, and continues until after his death.
And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne; and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
verse value 3995
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "with" (עִ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "with·his·fathers" (עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 317: Joash, Joash. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·Jeroboam" (וְיָרׇבְעָ֖ם), "upon·throne" (עַל־כִּסְא֑וֹ). The root יואש appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "kings·of" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "Israel" (root ישראל, 101x in II Kings); "with·his·fathers" (root עם, 65x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·throne', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב [and·he·slept] (338) + יוֹאָשׁ֙ [Joash] (317) + עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו [with·his·fathers] (529) + וְיָרׇבְעָ֖ם [and·Jeroboam] (328) + יָשַׁ֣ב [dwelt] (312) + עַל־כִּסְא֑וֹ [upon·throne] (187) + וַיִּקָּבֵ֤ר [and·he·was·buried] (318) + יוֹאָשׁ֙ [Joash] (317) + בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן [in·Samaria] (598) + עִ֖ם [with] (110) + מַלְכֵ֥י [kings·of] (100) + יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [Israel] (541) = 3995.
Rashi
And Jeroboam sat on his throne. He was his [Joash's] son, and there is wonder, why were these two verses written here, for yet before us is he telling and going in the words of Joash, and he returns and writes and the rest of the words of Joash and so on, and Joash slept with his fathers and so on. And I say, that they were not written except to interrupt, not to connect the death of Elisha to the verse of idolatry, to say and he did evil and so on, and Elisha was sick and so on:
Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he was to die; and Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said: ‘My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof! ’
verse value 5027
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 79 letters. Notable word values: "my·father" (אָבִ֣י) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "in·him" (בּ֑וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "king·Israel" (מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 13: my·father, my·father. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "sickness" (אֶת־חׇלְי֔וֹ). The root אב appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king·Israel" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "and·he·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "that" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings). First appearance of the root בו ("in·him") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 12 words.
Radak
"And Elisha was stricken with an illness." We have already written above what they expounded regarding this verse, that Elisha fell ill with three illnesses, and from this third illness he died.
Ralbag
"My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen." For he is the might of Israel and their strength; through him they win their battles, by his counsel that he gives them through the word of the Lord.
Metzudat David
“in which he shall die.” This refers to the illness from which he was destined to die.
"Father, my Father, etc." Rabbi, Rabbi, who helped Israel with his prayer like chariots and horsemen.
Malbim
"Elisha fell sick." Behold, Elisha anointed Hazael as king over Aram (in accordance with the prophecy of Elijah) and prophesied to him that he would do evil to Israel. It was not possible for this [prophecy] to be nullified during his [Elisha's] lifetime. And when he fell ill with the illness in which he was destined to die, Joash came down to him. This occurred at the beginning of his reign, while Jehoahaz was still alive, and he wept before him until the prophet took pity on him.
And Elisha said to him: ‘Take bow and arrows’; and he took to him bow and arrows.
verse value 2891
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 38 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (לוֹ֙) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (לוֹ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·said" (וַיֹּ֤אמֶר, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 800: bow, bow. The root לקח appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "to·him" (root אל, 113x in II Kings); "take" (root לקח, 72x in II Kings). First appearance of the root חץ ("and·arrows") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·arrows', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + לוֹ֙ [to·him] (36) + אֱלִישָׁ֔ע [Elisha] (411) + קַ֖ח [take] (108) + קֶ֣שֶׁת [bow] (800) + וְחִצִּ֑ים [and·arrows] (154) + וַיִּקַּ֥ח [and·took] (124) + אֵלָ֖יו [to·him] (47) + קֶ֥שֶׁת [bow] (800) + וְחִצִּֽים [and·arrows] (154) = 2891.
Malbim
(15-18) The Questions: Why was he required to perform this action—taking arrows and a bow—rather than the prophet simply blessing him with words that he would defeat Aram?
And Elisha said to him: Since Hazael’s power was established through the utterance of Elisha, one utterance does not come and nullify another; therefore, he was required to perform an action in conjunction with his prophecy, so that it would stand against the first utterance and nullify it. This was accomplished by commanding him to take a bow and arrows.
And he said to the king of Israel: ‘Put your hand upon the bow’; and he put his hand upon it. And Elisha laid his hands upon the king’s hands.
verse value 3358
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "your·hand" (יָֽדְךָ֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·bow" (עַל־הַקֶּ֔שֶׁת, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "your·hand" (יָֽדְךָ֙), "upon·the·bow" (עַל־הַקֶּ֔שֶׁת). The root יד appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "upon·hands·of" (root על, 116x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·hand', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + לְמֶ֣לֶךְ [king] (120) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל [Israel] (541) + הַרְכֵּ֤ב [put] (227) + יָֽדְךָ֙ [your·hand] (34) + עַל־הַקֶּ֔שֶׁת [upon·the·bow] (905) + וַיַּרְכֵּ֖ב [and·had·him·ride] (238) + יָד֑וֹ [his·hand] (20) + וַיָּ֧שֶׂם [and·put] (356) + אֱלִישָׁ֛ע [Elisha] (411) + יָדָ֖יו [his·hands] (30) + עַל־יְדֵ֥י [upon·hands·of] (124) + הַמֶּֽלֶךְ [king] (95) = 3358.
Radak
"His hands upon the king's hands." To strengthen his heart to believe in the sign of the arrows.
Ralbag
And Elisha laid his hands upon the king’s hands. This is to teach that his hands would be with him in his wars, by way of miracle and particular providence on account of the prophet. And indeed, these miracles occurred even after his death, just as the miracle of the manna continued even after the death of Moses, and just as God, blessed be He, revived the man who touched Elisha’s bones, for the sake of his honor even after his death.
Metzudat David
"Place [your hand]." Place your hand on the bow and take hold of it:
Malbim
"And he said" — and there was an action in this matter: 1. In that He commanded him to place his hand upon the bow, and the prophet placed his hands upon the king’s hands to impart power from his holy hands to perform wonders.
And he said: ‘Open the window eastward’; and he opened it. Then Elisha said: ‘Shoot’; and he shot. And he said: ‘Hashem’S arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory against Aram; for you shall smite the Arameans in Aphek, till you have consumed them.’
verse value 6317
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 87 letters. The shortest word is "opening" (פְּתַ֧ח, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Hashem" (לַֽיהֹוָה֙וְחֵ֣ץ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said, and·said. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "eastward" (קֵ֖דְמָה), "throw" (יְרֵה֙), "and·he·shot" (וַיּ֔וֹר). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "and·you·shall·strike" (root נכה, 58x in II Kings). First appearance of the root קדם ("eastward") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·opened', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 13 words.
Rashi
The window opening eastward. Opposite the land of Aram which is in the east, as it is said (Isaiah 9:11): Aram from the east:
"Shoot!" and he shot. [Aramaic:] "shadi" and "shada" [i.e., "cast!" and "he cast" — the parallel imperative and past forms]:
And he said an arrow of deliverance and so on. Elisha said this arrow shall be a sign of deliverance for Israel:
At Aphek. The name of the city:
Radak
"And He said, 'Open the window.'" [The question is:] Did He already tell him this before he placed his hand on the bow, or did He say "Open" to one of those standing there?
"Kedmah." Since Aram was to the east of the Land of Israel, as it is written: "Aram from the east..." (Isaiah 9:11), and the first arrow is the one that is shot through the window, but the others he struck into the ground. And Elisha said, as he was shooting the arrow: "This arrow shall be an arrow of salvation" that will save Israel. And among which nation will the arrow fall, so that salvation will come to Israel from it? "In Aram the arrow will fall." This is what is stated: "An arrow of salvation for the Lord, and an arrow of salvation in Aram."
"At Aphek, until destruction." Aphek is one of the cities of Judah. Although there was also an Aphek in the portion of the tribe of Asher, this one belonged to the tribe of Judah, as explained above in the matter of Ahab. It is the place where Israel fought against the king of Aram in the days of Ahab, and the Israelites struck down one hundred thousand foot soldiers of Aram in a single day. It was prophesied to Elisha that in that very place where the salvation had previously occurred, there would be yet another salvation for Israel in the war against Aram. Elisha said to him, "Until destruction," for thus it had been revealed to him in prophecy: if the king were to shoot arrows many times, Elisha assumed that the king would not cease shooting until he was told to stop. Therefore, Elisha became angry with him when he stopped.
Ralbag
And it says, “Open the window eastward.” Behold, this was an allusion to the striking of Aram, for they were to their east.
And Elisha said, "Shoot!" and he shot; and he said, "An arrow of victory for the LORD." He aroused him [to action], for by this strength that he acquired from Elisha's hand he would be victorious in the war against Aram, and this arrow that he shot now is a sign of this. And he said that he would strike Aram at Aphek until finished. Behold, he chose that the battle would be at Aphek, because from there it would be more possible for him to defeat them. And we have already mentioned that when the Lord performs miracles, He does so in a manner that contains within it the least amount of strangeness.
Metzudat David
Kedemah. "Opposite Aram, which dwells in the east," as it is stated (Isaiah 9:11): "Aram, which is in the east."
"Shoot!" Cast the arrows from the bow:
And he shot. He heeded him and shot.
"And he said." At the time that he shot [the arrow], the prophet said:
“An arrow of salvation, etc.” – This means: Through the arrow there will be a salvation particular to Hashem, to come from Him. And among which nation will the arrow fall, so that through it salvation will come to Israel? It will fall in Aram.
At Aphek. “In the place of Aphek you shall strike them, until you finish them off.”
Metzudat Zion
Shoot! And he shot. A matter of shooting arrows:
Malbim
And it says: B. In that he opened the window to the east, to show that the shooting would be against Aram, which is in the east, as it is written, “Aram from the east.” C. In what is stated, “he shot,” and when he shot the arrows, the prophet said that there would be an arrow of salvation attributed to the Lord and His great power, and this would be in Aram; and he indicated to him that he should strike them in a manner such that Aram had already been struck there by a prophet in the days of Ahab, and the place was prepared for salvation.
And he said: ‘Take the arrows’; and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel: ‘Smite upon the ground’; and he smote thrice, and stayed.
verse value 2917
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "and·he·smote" (וַיַּ֥ךְ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "take" (קַ֥ח, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·king·of·Israel" (לְמֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "the·arrows" (הַחִצִּ֖ים), "strike·to·the·ground" (הַךְ־אַ֔רְצָה), "three·times" (שָׁלֹשׁ־פְּעָמִ֖ים). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·king·of·Israel" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "take" (root לקח, 72x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·took', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֛אמֶר [and·said] (257) + קַ֥ח [take] (108) + הַחִצִּ֖ים [the·arrows] (153) + וַיִּקָּ֑ח [and·took] (124) + וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + לְמֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ [to·king·of·Israel] (661) + הַךְ־אַ֔רְצָה [strike·to·the·ground] (321) + וַיַּ֥ךְ [and·he·smote] (36) + שָׁלֹשׁ־פְּעָמִ֖ים [three·times] (870) + וַֽיַּעֲמֹֽד [and·stood] (130) = 2917.
Ralbag
“Strike the earth.” Behold, there were many arrows there, and the prophet thought that he would strike the earth with all of them, since it was said to him, “Take the arrows.” And for this reason, it was said to him that he would strike Aram in Aphek until it was destroyed. However, Joash struck only three times and ceased from striking further. And the man of God was angry with him because he diminished the good that was to be given to him over Aram.
Metzudat David
"Strike to the ground." Cast down with the bow the arrows to the earth:
And he stood. He ceased from casting further:
Malbim
And he said: After having indicated to him the first victory, which occurred in a miraculous manner, because the Israelites were then but a few in number, He commanded him to take the arrows and strike the ground. He intended that he should continue to strike them according to the number of times he would strike with the arrows. However, he struck only three times, because he did not understand the prophet’s intention. And it was said to him that he ought to have struck five or six times, and he would have achieved victory corresponding to that number; but now, only three times shall he strike Aram.
And the man of God was wroth with him, and said: ‘You should have smitten five or six times; then hadst you smitten Aram till you hadst consumed it; whereas now you shall smite Aram but thrice.’
verse value 6349
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 76 letters. The shortest word is "then" (אָ֛ז, 2 letters) and the longest is "God" (הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 642: Aram, Aram. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "to·strike" (לְהַכּ֨וֹת), "or·six" (אוֹ־שֵׁשׁ֙). The root נכה appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "man" (root איש, 119x in II Kings); "upon·him" (root על, 116x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'until·all', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 5 words.
Rashi
And he said, to strike five or six times. You should have [struck that many times]:
Then. If you had done so, you would have struck Aram five or six times, for I had positioned your hands on the bow as a sign of victory:
Radak
"To strike five times." If it had entered your mind to strike five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until it was destroyed.
Metzudat David
"To strike five, etc.": "You were to strike five, etc., and then you would have utterly destroyed Aram."
And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites used to invade the land at the coming in of the year.
verse value 1948
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "going·in" (בָּ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·buried·him" (וַֽיִּקְבְּרֻ֑הוּ, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·bands·of" (וּגְדוּדֵ֥י). The root בוא appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·will·go·in" (root בוא, 146x in II Kings); "year" (root שנה, 109x in II Kings); "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 67x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·they·buried·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיָּ֥מׇת [and·he·died] (456) + אֱלִישָׁ֖ע [Elisha] (411) + וַֽיִּקְבְּרֻ֑הוּ [and·they·buried·him] (329) + וּגְדוּדֵ֥י [and·bands·of] (33) + מוֹאָ֛ב [Moab] (49) + יָבֹ֥אוּ [they·will·go·in] (19) + בָאָ֖רֶץ [in·the·land] (293) + בָּ֥א [going·in] (3) + שָׁנָֽה [year] (355) = 1948.
Rashi
They used to come in the land. They were accustomed to come and plunder in the land:
In the new year. In the renewal of the year, when the land is full of grasses and there is food for their animals, it is the way of armies to go out:
Radak
Elisha died. In Seder Olam, it is the tenth year of Joash. From here you can calculate how many years Elisha sustained Israel: from the nineteenth year of Jehoshaphat until now—more than sixty years. And I do not know from where he derived this [longevity], for he died in the tenth year of Joash. But it appears that he died at the beginning of his reign, for then the salvation began, as from the time that Jehoahaz, his father, entreated the Lord, the Lord heard his prayer.
"And the bands of Moab." As soon as Elisha died, the calamity began to come; the bands of Moab began to come, for through him Israel had been saved from the hand of Moab, and Israel had done great harm to them, as it is written above. And from the time of his death, they began to come into the land.
“Bā shanah.” Its Targumic rendering is “bame’al sh’ta.” It is also possible that the aleph serves in place of the feminine he, so that it is like “bah shanah,” meaning: in that very year in which Elisha died, the bands of Moab came into the land. Similarly, “al-ken gavah komato” has an aleph in place of the feminine he; and likewise, “bah, be-rov gelulav” has a he in place of an aleph.
Ralbag
"And the bands of Moab came into the land ba shanah [at the coming of the year]." The word "ba" is spelled with an aleph, just as "bah" would be spelled with a heh, due to the interchangeability of heh and aleph, for they interchange. Or perhaps the intention here is that Elisha came to this tomb after a year had passed, and even so, this miracle was performed for the honor of Elisha, so that a wicked person would not be buried next to a righteous one. And behold, it mentions that immediately after they buried Elisha, the bands of Moab began to come into the land to oppress Israel, for in the days of Elisha they had been subdued, as previously stated.
Metzudat David
They will come into the land. They were accustomed to come into the land, to plunder spoils:
"When the year came." Targum Jonathan: "When the year entered," meaning: at the beginning of the year, while the land was still full of lush pastures for their livestock's food.
Malbim
"And Elisha died." The verse relates another miracle that Elisha performed after his death: when bands of Moabites invaded the land during a year—meaning, in a subsequent year, i.e., a year that had passed since the time of Elisha’s burial.
And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
verse value 5278
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 88 letters. Verse gematria: 5278 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "abundance" (הֵ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·band" (אֶֽת־הַגְּד֔וּד, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 411: Elisha, Elisha. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "burying" (קֹבְרִ֣ים), "the·band" (אֶֽת־הַגְּד֔וּד), "and·they·cast" (וַיַּשְׁלִ֥יכוּ). The root איש appears 3 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·was" (root היה, 119x in II Kings); "man" (root איש, 119x in II Kings); "and·went" (root הלך, 98x in II Kings). First appearance of the root עצם ("in·bones·of") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Elisha', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 8 words.
Radak
“And they cast the man.” Because of their great haste, driven by fear of the army, they cast him into the tomb of Elisha—that is, into the cave of Elisha in which he was buried. It was not necessary for them to do anything but open the mouth of the cave and cast him into it, and this was easier for them to do than to dig a grave for the man. And the meaning of “And it happened, they were burying a man” is that they were intending to bury him, engaged in the matter of his burial. And since they opened the mouth of the cave, they cast him there, and the man rolled until he touched the bones of Elisha. This is what is meant by “And the man went and touched the bones of Elisha.”
"And he lived, and he stood on his feet." From our Sages of blessed memory: for he lived and begot children. And the meaning is that he lived to fulfill the blessing of Elijah, which he gave him—double portion in his spirit. And Elijah revived one, and he revived two: one in his lifetime, the Shunammite's son, and one after his death, this man. And they said that he begot a son, and this man was Shalom son of Tikvah, and he was among the great ones of the generation, and he performed charitable deeds every day. And what charitable deeds did he perform? He would fill a water-skin with water and sit at the entrance of the city, and every person who came from the road, he would give him drink and restore his soul. And by the merit of the charitable deeds he performed, the Holy Spirit rested upon his wife, as it is said, "To Hulda the prophetess, the wife of Shalom, son of Tikvah." And when he died, all Israel showed him kindness and went out with him to bury him. And they saw the troop, and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha, and he touched the bones of Elisha, and he lived. And afterwards he begot Hanamel, as it is said, "Behold, Hanamel the son of your uncle." And so it is stated in the Targum of the Tosefta: "It is Shalom son of Tikvah, and he begot Hanamel after him." And from them they said that he did not live, but rather that he not be buried with Elisha the righteous. And this man was a wicked person; hence the verse says, "Do not gather my soul with sinners." And they scrutinized the text: "And he stood on his feet"—on his feet he stood, and he did not go to his house. Therefore, he did not live except so that he not be buried near Elisha. And when he came out of the cave, he died and was buried in another place. And the blessing of double portion was fulfilled when he healed Naaman's leprosy, for the leper is considered as dead.
Ralbag
"And he lived, and he stood upon his feet." His revival was complete, to the extent that he already stood upon his feet, unlike the case of the Shunammite’s son, whose revival occurred gradually, bit by bit. But this one immediately returned to his strength to stand upon his feet. Or perhaps the intention here is that he was revived in order to stand upon his feet, not to go to his house for his original purpose, but rather this was done to remove him from that grave, in honor of Elisha.
Metzudat David
"And it came to pass, they." This means: Once it happened that while they were burying a certain man, they saw a troop of Moabites approaching.
In the grave. Adjacent to the grave:
"And he went and touched." When they cast him down, he rolled until he reached the tomb and touched the bones of Elisha.
"And he lived." That dead man, and this is because Elisha did not want him to lie down beside him.
Malbim
"And it came to pass": Since twelve months had already passed, the flesh had been fully consumed, they deemed it unnecessary to be stringent regarding this matter, and out of fear of the band, they cast the man into the tomb of Elisha. When he touched his bones, he revived and stood upon his feet to leave that place, for the body of the righteous and his bones, which served as a unique ark for holiness, were not fit to be touched by the common.
And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
verse value 1600
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. Verse gematria: 1600 = 40². The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "Israel" (אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·Hazael" (וַֽחֲזָאֵל֙), "squeezed" (לָחַ֖ץ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "day" (root יום, 79x in II Kings); "all" (root כל, 66x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַֽחֲזָאֵל֙ [and·Hazael] (52) + מֶ֣לֶךְ [king] (90) + אֲרָ֔ם [Aram] (241) + לָחַ֖ץ [squeezed] (128) + אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (942) + כֹּ֖ל [all] (50) + יְמֵ֥י [day] (60) + יְהוֹאָחָֽז [Jehoahaz] (37) = 1600.
Ralbag
He oppressed Israel in the days of Jehoahaz. One might think that immediately upon his death, the oppression was removed from Israel, and indeed, the Lord saved them through Joash, who defeated Aram in battle three times and restored to Israel the cities that Aram had taken from them in war. And we do not know when this occurred—whether at the beginning of Joash’s reign or after he had reigned for some time. However, it appears from what is written here that after Jehoahaz died, the oppression of Aram was completely removed from Israel, for the Lord was not willing to destroy them, as mentioned. Therefore, the period of oppression lasted only throughout the days of Jehoahaz. But after the death of Hazael and the accession of Ben-Hadad, the deliverance occurred, whereby Joash recovered from the king of Aram all the cities of Israel that had been taken from him in war.
Malbim
And [the text] returns, concerning Hazael, to relate how the word of Elisha was fulfilled: that although Hazael oppressed Israel throughout the days of Jehoahaz, nevertheless:
But Hashem was gracious to them, and had compassion on them, and had respect to them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither has He cast them from His presence until now.
verse value 5015
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 84 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֨ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "them" (אֹתָ֤ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·He·cast·them" (וְלֹא־הִשְׁלִיכָ֥ם, 9 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·He·had·compassion·on·them" (וַֽיְרַחֲמֵם֙), "his·covenant" (בְּרִית֔וֹ), "Abraham" (אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "to·them" (root אל, 113x in II Kings); "and·not" (root לא, 106x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·Jacob', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Metzudat David
"Until now." This means: until the end of time, for anyone who reads this verse, each in his own time, says "until now."
Metzudat Zion
And He was gracious. From the word favor and compassion:
And he refused. And he did not wish:
Malbim
And the Lord showed them favor from the aspect of grace, and He had compassion on them from the aspect of mercy, and He turned toward them on account of the merit of the fathers, for even until now He did not desire to destroy them, for the punishment was only so that they would return in repentance, and the punishment was not through the concealment of the Divine Presence except in terms of providence, and regarding this it said, “He did not cast them off from before Him until now.” Therefore, when He saw that they would be completely destroyed, He returned to them, even though in the days of Hazael it was not possible, for Hazael was anointed for this purpose through the prophecy of Elijah.
And Hazael king of Aram died; and Ben-hadad his son reigned in his stead.
verse value 1886
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "his·son" (בְּנ֖וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "king·Aram" (מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֑ם, 6 letters). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king·Aram" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "son·of·Hadad" (root בין, 106x in II Kings); "his·son" (root בן, 66x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'king·Aram', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיָּ֖מׇת [and·he·died] (456) + חֲזָאֵ֣ל [Hazael] (46) + מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֑ם [king·Aram] (331) + וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ [and·he·reigned] (106) + בֶּן־הֲדַ֥ד [son·of·Hadad] (65) + בְּנ֖וֹ [his·son] (58) + תַּחְתָּֽיו [in·his·stead] (824) = 1886.
Metzudat David
"And Hazael died." In order that salvation might come to Israel, Hazael died and Ben-Hadad reigned, and in his days they were saved.
Malbim
“Then Hazael died, and Ben-Hadad reigned in his place.” Although the decree had been that they would also be under the hand of Ben-Hadad (as stated in verse 3), the decree was nullified.
And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash smite him, and recovered the cities of Israel.
verse value 5433
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 97 letters. Notable word values: "he·struck·him" (הִכָּ֣הוּ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "from·hand·of" (מִיַּד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Jehoahaz" (בֶּן־יְהוֹאָחָ֗ז, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 318: and·he·returned, and·he·recovered. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "the·cities" (אֶת־הֶעָרִים֙), "the·cities·of" (אֶת־עָרֵ֥י). The root שוב appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "son·of·Jehoahaz" (root בין, 106x in II Kings); "Israel" (root ישראל, 101x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'battle', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 7 words.
Malbim
"And Joash took the cities..." and he struck him three times, as Elisha had said to him.
Radak
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Malbim