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2 Kings 13:19

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Kings 13:19 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times: then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it, whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times: then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it, whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
2 Kings 13:19 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Kings 13

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
16And he said to the king of Israel, Put thy hand upon the bow; and he put his hand [upon it]. And Elisha laid his hands upon the king`s hands.
17And he said, Open the window eastward; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot; and he shot. And he said, Jehovah`s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Syria; for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.
18And he said, Take the arrows; and he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground; and he smote thrice, and stayed.
19And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times: then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it, whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
20And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
21And 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.
22And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the man of God was wroth with him, etc.] Because he ceased smiting, and smote no oftener; for it was revealed to the prophet, by an impulse upon his mind, that by the number of times he smote on the ground, it would be known how often he should get the victory over his enemies; but this was to be left to the king’s own will, how often he would smite, and thereby the prophet would know also with what spirit he would pursue his victories, and the advantages he would gain: and said, thou shouldest have smitten five or six times, then hadst thou smitten Syria until thou hadst consumed it; as a nation, as well as routed their several armies: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice; beat…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The unfaithfulness of man limits the goodness of God. Though Joash did the prophet’s bidding, it was without any zeal or fervour; and probably without any earnest belief in the efficacy of what he was doing. Compare Mark 6:5-6. God had been willing to give the Israelites complete victory over Syria 2 Kings 13:17; but Joash by his non-acceptance of the divine promise in its fulness had checked the outflow of mercy; and the result was that the original promise could not be fulfilled. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“the man of God: Kg2 1:9-15, Kg2 4:16, Kg2 4:40, Kg2 6:9 was wroth: Lev 10:16; Num 16:15; Mar 3:5, Mar 10:14 now thou shalt: Kg2 13:25; Mar 6:5 4 Kings (2 Kings) 13:20”
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Related study paths

Read 2 Kings 13 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification