Bible Strands
2 Kings 13:25
Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times, and so recovered the cities of Israel.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records King Jehoash of Israel acting immediately after the death of Ben-hadad’s father, Hazael. The passage documents Jehoash’s military campaign to reclaim territory previously lost to the Aramean king.
The words — The verb וַיָּשֶׁב (va.ya.shov) literally means “he returned” or “he took back,” marking the restoration of occupied land. The prepositional phrase מִיַּד (mi.yad) translates literally as “from the hand of,” indicating forceful extraction from enemy control.
The thread — This territorial recovery follows the earlier prophetic sign involving Elisha’s arrows (2 Kings 13:18) and anticipates Jeroboam II’s later boundary restoration (2 Kings 14:25). The campaign also reverses the territorial reductions Hazael previously enforced under divine allowance (2 Kings 10:32).
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that political and military shifts follow established historical patterns rather than mere chance. A reader must observe how concrete territorial changes serve as markers of covenantal judgment and restoration.
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The Hebrew words
King James Version
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 beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 13:18 Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them, and Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped.
- 2 Kings 10:32 In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory
- 2 Kings 14:25 This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.