Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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2 Kings
Book: 2 Kings
Chapter: 13
Overview:
Reign of
Jehoahaz.
(1-9) Jehoash,
King of
Israel,
Elisha
dying.
(10-19) Elisha's
Death, The victories of
Jehoash.
(20-25)
1-9 It was the ancient honour of
Israel that they were a
praying people.
Jehoahaz, their
King, in his distress, besought
the
Lord; applied himself for help, but not to the calves; what
help could they give him? He sought the
Lord. See how swift
God
is to show
Mercy; how ready to hear
Prayer; how willing to find
a reason to be gracious; else he would not look
So far back as
the ancient
Covenant Israel had
So often broken, and forfeited.
Let this invite and engage us for ever to him; and encourage
even those who have forsaken him, to return and repent; for
there is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared. And if the
Lord answer the mere cry of distress for temporal relief, much
more will he regard the
Prayer of
Faith for spiritual blessings.
10-19 Jehoash, the
King, came to
Elisha, to receive his dying
counsel and blessing. It may turn much to our spiritual
advantage, to attend the sick-beds and
Death-beds of good men,
that we may be encouraged in religion
By the living comforts
they have from it in a dying
Hour.
Elisha assured the
King of
his success; yet he must look up to
God for direction and
strength; must reckon his own hands not enough, but go
On, in
dependence upon Divine aid. The trembling hands of the dying
Prophet, as they signified the power of
God, gave this arrow
more force than the hands of the
King in his full strength.
By
contemning the sign, the
King lost the thing signified, to the
grief of the dying
Prophet. It is a trouble to good men, to see
those to whom they wish
Well, forsake their own mercies, and to
see them lose advantages against spiritual enemies.
20-25 God has many ways to chastise a provoking people. Trouble
comes sometimes from that point whence we least feared it. The
mention of this invasion
On the
Death of
Elisha, shows that the
removal of
God's
Faithful prophets is a presage of coming
judgments. His dead body was a means of giving
Life to another
dead body. This
Miracle was a confirmation of his prophecies.
And it may have reference to
Christ,
By whose
Death and
Burial,
the
Grave is made a safe and happy
Passage to
Life to all
believers.
Jehoash was successful against the Syrians, just as
often as he had struck the ground with the
Arrows, then a stop
was
Put to his victories. Many have repented, when too late, of
distrusts and the straitness of their desires.