II Kings 13:1-9 · Bible study
2 Kings 13:1-9 Commentary: Israel's Cry and God's Answer
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study of II Kings 13:1-9: Jehoahaz's prayer, God's deliverance, the savior, and persistent sin under divine judgment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God extends mercy in response to Jehoahaz’s cry, but Israel does not abandon Jeroboam’s idolatry, leading to continued judgment.
- Key words: וַיְחַל (entreated earnestly), מוֹשִׁיעַ (saviour/deliverer), לַחַץ (oppression), אֲשֵׁרָה (Asherah pole, symbol of persistent paganism).
- Main debate: The identity of the “saviour” (Jehoash or Jeroboam II) and whether Jehoahaz’s repentance was genuine; also the chronological inconsistency with verse 10.
- Theological theme: Divine judgment and mercy coexist; God hears the distressed even when their repentance is incomplete, but salvation does not guarantee transformation.
- Best use: A pastoral study on the nature of true repentance, the consequences of half-hearted reform, and God’s compassion toward the oppressed.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1In the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash son of Ahaziah over Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria seventeen years.
2And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
3So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad.
4Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the LORD, and the LORD listened to him because He saw the oppression that the king of Aram had inflicted on Israel.
5So the LORD gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel lived in their own homes as they had before.
6Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but they continued to walk in them. The Asherah pole even remained standing in Samaria.
7Jehoahaz had no army left, except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.
8As for the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, along with all his accomplishments and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
9And Jehoahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And his son Jehoash reigned in his place.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria for seventeen years.
2He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from it.
3Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, continually.
4Jehoahaz begged Yahweh, and Yahweh listened to him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them.
5(Yahweh gave Israel a savior, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel lived in their tents as before.
6Nevertheless they didn’t depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.)
7For he didn’t leave to Jehoahaz of the people any more than fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria destroyed them and made them like the dust in threshing.
8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son reigned in his place.
KJV King James Version 1769
1In 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.
2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
3And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben–hadad the son of Hazael, all their days.
4And Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.
5(And the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.
6Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)
7Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.
8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1In 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.
2And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
3And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, continually.
4And Jehoahaz besought Jehovah, and Jehovah hearkened unto him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, how that the king of Syria oppressed them.
5(And Jehovah gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as beforetime.
6Nevertheless 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.)
7For he left not to Jehoahaz of the people save fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria destroyed them, and made them like the dust in threshing.
8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1In the twenty and third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, hath Jehoahaz son of Jehu reigned over Israel, in Samaria--seventeen years,
2and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and goeth after the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, that he caused Israel to sin--he turned not aside from it,
3and the anger of Jehovah burneth against Israel, and He giveth them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-Hadad son of Hazael, all the days.
4And Jehoahaz appeaseth the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah hearkeneth unto him, for He hath seen the oppression of Israel, for oppressed them hath the king of Aram, --
5and Jehovah giveth to Israel a saviour, and they go out from under the hand of Aram, and the sons of Israel dwell in their tents as heretofore;
6only, they have not turned aside from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, that he caused Israel to sin, therein they walked, and also, the shrine hath remained in Samaria, --
7for he left not to Jehoahaz of the people except fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Aram hath destroyed them, and maketh them as dust for threshing.
8And the rest of the matters of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9And Jehoahaz lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in Samaria, and reign doth Joash his son in his stead.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1In 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, for seventeen years.
2And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin; he departed not from them.
3And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael, all those days.
4(And Jehoahaz besought Jehovah, and Jehovah hearkened to him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.
5And Jehovah gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before.
6Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin: they walked therein; and there remained also the Asherah in Samaria.)
7For he had left of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.
8And the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son reigned in his stead.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1In the three and twentieth year of Joas son of Ochozias, king of Juda, Joachaz, the son of Jehu, reigned over Israel, in Samaria, seventeen years.
2And he did evil before the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, who made Israel to sin; and he departed not from them.
3And the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael, the king of Syria, and into the hand of Benadad, the son of Hazael, all days.
4But Joachaz besought the face of the Lord, and the Lord heard him: for he saw the distress of Israel, because the king of Syria had oppressed them:
5And the Lord gave Israel a saviour, and they were delivered out of the hand of the king of Syria: and the children of Israel dwelt in their pavilions as yesterday and the day before.
6But yet they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin, but walked in them: and there still remained a grove also in Samaria.
7And Joachaz had no more left of the people than fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen: for the king of Syria had slain them, and had brought them low as dust by threshing in the barnfloor.
8But the rest of the acts of Joachaz, and all that he did, and his valour, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
9And Joachaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria: and Joas, his son, reigned in his stead.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Kings 13:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that 2 Kings 13:1-9 traces a pattern of sin, judgment, cry, and mercy, but not full repentance. Jehoahaz walks in the sins of Jeroboam (worship of the golden calves), and God hands Israel over to Syria under Hazael and Ben-hadad. Verse 4 says Jehoahaz begged Yahweh; the Hebrew verb וַיְחַל (wayechal, from חָלָה) is a piel form meaning “entreated the face of,” suggesting earnest, repeated prayer. Gill notes that Jehoahaz did not turn to the calves he worshipped but to the Lord, and God listened, not because of the king’s righteousness, but because God saw the oppression of Israel (the verb רָאָה ra’ah implies compassionate observation). The “saviour” (מוֹשִׁיעַ, moshi’a) in verse 5 is widely identified as Jehoash (Joash) the son of Jehoahaz, or possibly Jeroboam II (Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Keil & Delitzsch). Yet the parenthetical verses 5-6 stress that the people did not turn from Jeroboam’s sins; the Asherah pole remained in Samaria. Matthew Henry observes that God’s mercy did not produce lasting reform. The chronological discrepancy between verse 1 (23rd year of Joash of Judah) and verse 10 (37th year) is noted by most commentators; some propose a coregency or a textual corruption, but they agree that the narrative’s theological point, God responds to distress but judgment falls when sin persists, remains clear.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Standard historical-grammatical reading: Accepts the chronology as difficult but secondary; focuses on the theological pattern: sin, judgment, cry, mercy, persistent rebellion.
- Critical textual solution: Argues that the chronological discrepancy results from a scribal corruption or two different methods of reckoning years (accession vs non-accession).
- Typological reading: Sees the unnamed ‘saviour’ as a foreshadowing of future deliverance, possibly messianic, supported by the term ‘saviour’ used elsewhere of God’s agents (Judges 3:9,15).
What is clear: God heard Jehoahaz's prayer and granted a deliverer, but the people did not abandon the sins of Jeroboam, demonstrating that physical relief does not equal spiritual renewal.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Chronology of Jehoahaz’s reign | The text notes his seventeen-year reign and synchronises it with Joash of Judah, but verse 1 and verse 10 give inconsistent starting points (23rd vs 37th year). | Some scholars propose a coregency between Jehoahaz and his son; others see a scribal error or different methods of reckoning regnal years (Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch). The solution is uncertain. |
| Identity of the ‘saviour’ in verse 5 | The deliverer is a human agent raised by God, not a supernatural figure. | Most identify him as Jehoash (Joash), the son of Jehoahaz (Gill, Barnes). Others point to Jeroboam II (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown), since he restored the boundaries of Israel. Both readings are possible. |
| Effectiveness of Jehoahaz’s prayer | God responded by providing a deliverer, showing that He hears the cry of the oppressed. | Some see the prayer as true repentance (Matthew Henry, Wesley); others argue it was self-interested desperation, since the people did not turn from sin (Cambridge Bible, Gill). |
| Significance of the Asherah pole | The Asherah, a Canaanite cult object, remained in Samaria despite Jehu’s earlier reform. | Some suggest Jehu’s reform was incomplete or that Asherah worship was too entrenched. The text implies this was a mark of continued disobedience, but whether the king actively promoted it or just tolerated it is debated. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Israel’s northern kingdom, established after the division under Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12), had two enduring religious problems: the state-sponsored calf worship at Bethel and Dan, and the incorporation of Canaanite fertility cults. Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, ruled for seventeen years from Samaria (2 Kings 10:35-36). The chronological note in verse 1 places his accession in the twenty-third year of Joash of Judah, a synchronism that has puzzled scholars because verse 10 gives Joash’s thirty-seventh year as the start of Jehoahaz’s successor. Barnes and Keil & Delitzsch suggest a coregency; others, like the Cambridge Bible, see a textual error. The difficulty aside, the period is one of severe Syrian oppression. Hazael, king of Aram (Syria), had been a constant threat since Elisha’s time (2 Kings 8:12-13). His son Ben-hadad III continued the pressure. The Assyrian campaigns of Shalmaneser III (841-840 BC) had weakened Hazael, but Israel’s army was devastated: verse 7 records only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen left, a stark contrast to earlier military strength. The mention of “the Asherah also remained in Samaria” (verse 6) points to the persistent cult of the Canaanite goddess, which Jehu had not removed when he destroyed Baal worship (2 Kings 10:26-28). This Asherah pole (a wooden symbol) stood as a visible sign of incomplete reform. The phrase “lived in their tents as before” (verse 5) echoes the peaceful, nomadic ideal of Israel’s early days (1 Kings 8:66), indicating a temporary respite from oppression.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note two textual variants. First, in verse 3, the phrase “continually” (WEB, ASV, BSB) or “all their days” (KJV) translates כָּל־הַיָּמִים (kol-hayyammim, literally “all the days”). The Cambridge Bible notes that the LXX reads “continually,” and the sense may be that oppression lasted all the days of Jehoahaz, not all the days of the Syrian kings (so Barnes). Second, in verse 5 the LXX has sōtērian (“salvation”) for “saviour,” but the Masoretic Text supports the personal deliverer. No other significant variants appear in the sources.
Reception History
This passage has been read across traditions as a sobering example of incomplete repentance. Early church fathers like Jerome saw the “saviour” as a type of Christ, a deliverer sent in mercy despite the people’s unworthiness. Medieval commentators, including the Glossa Ordinaria, focused on the Asherah as a symbol of lingering idolatry that even God’s judgment did not purge. The Reformers (Calvin, Luther) used the passage to argue that outward affliction does not automatically produce inward conversion; the heart must turn fully. In Wesleyan tradition, Adam Clarke highlighted the chronology puzzle but stressed God’s compassionate response to the oppressed. Modern evangelical preaching often returns to the tension between divine deliverance and human stubbornness, using it as a call to wholehearted devotion.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Sin invites judgment that strips us bare. Israel’s persistent idolatry leads to military collapse, only a remnant of an army remains (v.7). The king’s prayer does not immediately remove the consequences.
- God hears the cry of the desperate. Despite unrepented sin, when Jehoahaz begs Yahweh, God listens because He sees the oppression. Mercy is not earned; it is given.
- Deliverance without transformation is incomplete. The saviour rescues the people, but they do not turn from the sins of Jeroboam. God’s kindness is meant to lead to repentance, but here it does not.
Five-point outline
- The reign of Jehoahaz: evil and continuity (vv.1-2). He follows the pattern of Jeroboam, showing that the dynasty of Jehu did not reform worship.
- Divine anger and Syrian domination (v.3). God uses Hazael and Ben-hadad as instruments of discipline, “continually.”
- Prayer from a cornered king (v.4). Jehoahaz pleads with God; the text emphasizes God’s compassion on the oppressed, not the petitioner’s worth.
- A deliverer and temporary peace (vv.5-6). The “saviour” (likely Jehoash or Jeroboam II) provides relief, but the people persist in sin and keep the Asherah.
- Impoverished might and the record of history (vv.7-9). The army is reduced to almost nothing; the chronicle commends his “might” (courage) even amid failure, showing that human strength cannot substitute for obedience.
Illustration hooks
- A field after locusts. Imagine a farmer whose crop has been devoured. He plants again, but the soil is thin. Israel’s army after the Syrians was like that field, barely a trace of former abundance.
- A child’s heartfelt apology that fails to change behavior. The child says sorry and is forgiven, but goes right back to the same misstep. That is Israel after the saviour: rescued, but unchanged.
- A bandage on a deep wound. The saviour brings temporary relief, but the infection of idolatry remains. True healing requires cutting out the sin.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God answered Jehoahaz’s prayer, why did He not also change the people’s hearts?
- What does the “saviour” in verse 5 mean for us, does this point to a pattern of deliverance that anticipates Christ?
- How do we handle chronological discrepancies in the Bible without losing trust in Scripture?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a king who cries out to God in desperation, receives mercy, yet the nation continues in sin. It invites us to examine our own patterns of repentance and the depth of our turning from sin.
Discussion questions
- Read 2 Kings 13:1-3. What specific sins are named, and what was their consequence? Why does the writer link judgment to the “sins of Jeroboam”?
- Verse 4 says Jehoahaz “begged Yahweh.” How would you describe his prayer from the language used (the Hebrew suggests earnest entreaty)? What does this tell us about the nature of repentance?
- God listened “for he saw the oppression of Israel.” Does God’s compassion depend on our sincerity, or is it based solely on His character? Discuss the tension here.
- Who is the “saviour” in verse 5? Look at 2 Kings 13:25 and 14:25-27 for clues. How does this temporary deliverance fit into God’s larger plan?
- What does the phrase “nevertheless they didn’t depart from the sins” (v.6) reveal about the human heart? Why might God grant relief even when hearts are not fully changed?
- The Asherah pole remained in Samaria (v.6). What does this detail suggest about the incomplete nature of Israel’s reform? How do “little” compromises become big problems?
- Verse 7 paints a picture of military weakness. How does this physical poverty mirror Israel’s spiritual state? What might God be teaching through such reduction?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 8:26 | Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri king of Israel. |
| II Kings 10:35 | Jehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. |
| II Kings 10:36 | The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years. |
| II Kings 11:4 | In the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the captains over hundreds of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him into Yahweh’s house; and he made a covenant with them, and made a covenant with them in Yahweh’s house, and showed them the king’s son. |
| II Kings 11:21 | Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign. |
| I Kings 12:26 | Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house. |
| I Kings 12:33 | He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn incense. |
| I Kings 14:16 | He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he has sinned, and with which he has made Israel to sin.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke resolves the apparent chronological puzzle of Jehoahaz's reign by noting he ruled fourteen years alone and then three years jointly with his son Joash, so the fourteenth year had barely begun. This clarifies
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes corrects the verse's date to the twenty-first year and clarifies that "all their days" refers only to Jehoahaz or Hazael, not both Syrian kings. He notes that the "saviour" is Joash, who acted after Jehoahaz's death, and suggests the Asherah grove survived Jehu's purge because its worship was too entwined with the ancient high places to remove easily.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary highlights a chronological discrepancy in the reign of Jehoahaz and notes that his prayer for deliverance, though heard, was only fully answered in the reign of his grandson Jeroboam II. This delay shows that God's mercy sometimes comes across generations, not immediately.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that God answered Jehoahaz's desperate prayer not because the king repented, but simply because God saw how severely Israel was being crushed by their enemies. Even after God sent a deliverer and restored peace, the people stubbornly kept worshipping the Asherah pole and following Jeroboam's sins.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Jehoahaz prayed to the Lord rather than the golden calves, yet his repentance was only outward. God answered not for the king's sake but because He saw Israel's oppression and had compassion on His covenant people. Even after deliverance, the people continued in Jeroboam's idolatry, showing striking ingratitude.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that God heard Jehoahaz's desperate prayer not because the king deserved it but solely out of faithfulness to the ancient covenant with the patriarchs. He clarifies that the "saviour" was not one person but the successive victories of Joash and Jeroboam. The brutal image of being ground "like dust in threshing" comes from a literal war custom Hazael practiced.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch identifies the unnamed saviour as the two kings who followed Jehoahaz, Jehoash and Jeroboam, who together delivered Israel from Syrian oppression. They also specify that the phrase "the whole time" refers to Jehoahaz's reign, not the reigns of the Syrian kings.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange draws attention to why King Joash stopped striking the ground after only three times. He argues it was not fear or shame but the common belief that three acts completed a task. By stopping too soon, the king showed a lack of tireless faith, which limited his victory over Syria to three defeats instead of total destruction.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees the reign of Jehoahaz as the glory of Israel raked into ashes, its former honor laid in the dust. He marks the tragedy that even after God heard their cry and sent a savior, the people still clung to their sins and refused to turn back.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley points out that the Israelite king showed personal bravery in battle, yet still lost. This detail is included to show that the defeat came from God's righteous judgment on Israel's apostasy, not from any failure of courage on the king's part.