King James Version

What Does 2 Kings 13:20 Mean?

“And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.”

Context

And 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.

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 .

And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.

And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet. was: Heb. went down

But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(20) **And the bands of the Moabites invaded.**—Rather, *And troops of Moabites used to invade.* They took advantage of the weakened condition of Israel to revenge the devastation of their country described in 2Kings 3:25. **At the coming in of the year.**—So the Targum and the LXX. The Syriac, Vulg., and Arabic understand,” in that (or, ‘the same’) year.” The preposition *bě *has probably fallen out of the Hebrew text: read, *běb*ô *shānāh*, “when the year came in”—*i.e.*, in the spring. (Comp. 2Samuel 11:1.)

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of 2 Kings. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

2 Kings 13:20 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.