2 Kings 13 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

In this chapter, the author continues to tell what the kings were like who ruled over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

1. King Jehoahaz of Israel (1–9)
2. King Jehoash of Israel (10–25)

The author formally concludes a brief account of the reign of King Jehoash of Israel in 13:10–11. However, after telling the story of the end of Elisha’s life, he gives further details of the reign of Jehoash in 13:22–14:14, and he formally concludes his reign again in 14:15–16. So within the overall outline of the book, the story of the end of Elisha’s life takes place within a special kind of time, a sacred time outside the reigns of kings, just like the story of the end of Elijah’s life in 2:1–18.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Who was the “savior” whom Yahweh gave to Israel?

In 13:4–5, after the author has introduced Jehoahaz as the next king of Israel, he says that when Yahweh “saw the oppression of Israel,” he “gave to Israel a savior,” that is, someone to deliver them from their enemies. Since he then describes how badly the Arameans defeated Jehoahaz, he probably does not mean that Jehoahaz was this savior. Rather, he is most likely looking ahead to the story of Jehoash in 13:14–19, in which Elisha promises Jehoash victories over the Arameans and he wins a few such victories. The author is probably looking ahead even more so to the story of Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash, in 14:23–29. There the author describes how Jeroboam won back much territory that the Israelites had lost and says that Yahweh “saved” them through the actions of Jeroboam, using a verb from the same root as “savior.”