בִּשְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וְשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנָה לְיוֹאָשׁ בֶּן־אֲחַזְיָהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מָלַךְ יְהוֹאָחָז בֶּן־יֵהוּא עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה

During the twenty-third year of Yo’ash son of Ahazyahu, king of Judah, Yeho’ahaz son of Yehu became king over Israel in Samaria. He reigned for seventeen years.

וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' וַיֵּלֶךְ אַחַר חַטֹּאת יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא־סָר מִמֶּנָּה

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and he followed the sins of Yorovam son of Nevat, who caused Israel to sin; he did not turn away from them. Yeho’ahaz continued to follow the customs of the previous kings of Israel, such as worshipping the golden calves.

וַיִּחַר־אַף ה' בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתְּנֵם בְּיַד חֲזָאֵל מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם וּבְיַד בֶּן־הֲדַד בֶּן־חֲזָאֵל כָּל־הַיָּמִים

The wrath of the Lord was enflamed against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram and into the hand of Ben Hadad son of Hazael, all the days of Yeho’ahaz. These were difficult years for Israel, as the kingdom of Aram grew stronger.

וַיְחַל יְהוֹאָחָז אֶת־פְּנֵי ה'וַיִּשְׁמַע אֵלָיו ה' כִּי רָאָה אֶת־לַחַץ יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי־לָחַץ אֹתָם מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם

Yeho’ahaz implored the Lord, he prayed to God in his hour of distress, and the Lord heeded him, for He saw the affliction of Israel, for the king of Aram afflicted them.

וַיִּתֵּן ה' לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשִׁיעַ וַיֵּצְאוּ מִתַּחַת יַד־אֲרָם וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאָהֳלֵיהֶם כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם

The Lord provided Israel a savior, and they emerged from under the hand of Aram; the children of Israel dwelled in their tents, as they had done previously. It seems that Israel’s salvation came from the Assyrians, who had begun to weaken the kingdom of Aram. However, some commentaries maintain that this verse refers to Yeho’ash son of Yeho’ahaz, who would strike Aram three times, as related in the verses below.

אַךְ לֹא־סָרוּ מֵחַטֹּאת בֵּית־יָרָבְעָם אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּהּ הָלָךְ וְגַם הָאֲשֵׁרָה עָמְדָה בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן

However, they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Yorovam son of Nevat, who caused Israel to sin; he, Yeho’ash, or alternatively, the Kingdom of Israel, continued in it; additionally, the sacred tree stood in Samaria; it was not removed.

כִּי לֹא הִשְׁאִיר לִיהוֹאָחָז עָם כִּי אִם־חֲמִשִּׁים פָּרָשִׁים וַעֲשָׂרָה רֶכֶב וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים רַגְלִי כִּי אִבְּדָם מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם וַיְשִׂמֵם כֶּעָפָר לָדֻשׁ

Indeed, there were no people of the army left by the king of Aram for Yeho’ahaz except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry, as the king of Aram had eliminated them, and he rendered them like dust to be trampled and humiliated. During the reign of Yeho’ahaz, the Kingdom of Israel was overpowered, and it was left with very limited military capability.

וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יְהוֹאָחָז וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וּגְבוּרָתוֹ הֲלוֹא־הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

The rest of the matters of Yeho’ahaz, everything that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

וַיִּשְׁכַּב יְהוֹאָחָז עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן וַיִּמְלֹךְ יוֹאָשׁ בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו

Yeho’ahaz lay with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Yo’ash his son reigned in his place. This was the first time that a third-generation ruler of the same dynasty reigned in the Kingdom of Israel.

בִּשְׁנַת שְׁלֹשִׁים וָשֶׁבַע שָׁנָה לְיוֹאָשׁ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מָלַךְ יְהוֹאָשׁ בֶּן־יְהוֹאָחָז עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה

In the thirty-seventh year of Yo’ash king of Judah, Yeho’ash son of Yeho’ahaz reigned over Israel in Samaria, and his reign lasted for sixteen years.

וַיַּעֲשֶׂה הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' לֹא־סָר מִכָּל־חַטֹּאות יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּהּ הָלָךְ

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not turn away from all the sins of Yorovam son of Nevat, who caused Israel to sin; he continued in it, the path of sin.

וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יוֹאָשׁ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וּגְבוּרָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר נִלְחַם עִם אֲמַצְיָה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה הֲלֹא־הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

The rest of the matters of Yo’ash, everything that he did, and his might in that he made war against Amatzya king of Judah, as related in the verses below, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

וַיִּשְׁכַּב יוֹאָשׁ עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וְיָרָבְעָם יָשַׁב עַל־כִּסְאוֹ וַיִּקָּבֵר יוֹאָשׁ בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן עִם מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

Yo’ash lay with his fathers, and Yorovam his son, King Yorovam II, sat on his throne; Yo’ash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

ואֱלִישָׁע חָלָה אֶת־חָלְיוֹ אֲשֶׁר יָמוּת בּוֹ וַיֵּרֶד אֵלָיו יוֹאָשׁ מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּבְךְּ עַל־פָּנָיו וַיֹּאמַר אָבִי אָבִי רֶכֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפָרָשָׁיו

During Yo’ash’s reign, Elisha fell ill with the illness from which he would die, and Yo’ash king of Israel, who respected him greatly, went down to him, and wept over him, and said: My father, my father, chariot of Israel and its horsemen; you are the source of the strength of the nation of Israel.

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֱלִישָׁע קַח קֶשֶׁת וְחִצִּים וַיִּקַּח אֵלָיו קֶשֶׁת וְחִצִּים

Elisha said to him: Bring a bow and arrows. He brought to him a bow and arrows.

וַיֹּאמֶר לְמֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַרְכֵּב יָדְךָ עַל־הַקֶּשֶׁת וַיַּרְכֵּב יָדוֹ וַיָּשֶׂם אֱלִישָׁע יָדָיו עַל־יְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ

He said to the king of Israel: Place your hand on the bow, like one who is preparing to shoot; and he placed his hand on it. Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands, in the two places where the king was grasping the bow.

וַיֹּאמֶר פְּתַח הַחַלּוֹן קֵדְמָה וַיִּפְתָּח וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלִישָׁע יְרֵה וַיּוֹר וַיֹּאמֶר חֵץ־תְּשׁוּעָה לַה' וְחֵץ־תְּשׁוּעָה בַאֲרָם וְהִכִּיתָ אֶת־אֲרָם בַּאֲפֵק עַד־כַּלֵּה

He, Elisha said: Open the window to the east, and he, Yo’ash, opened it. Elisha said: Shoot; and he shot. He, Elisha, said: An arrow of salvation for the Lord, and an arrow of salvation against Aram; you shall smite Aram in Afek to annihilation.

וַיֹּאמֶר קַח הַחִצִּים וַיִּקָּח וַיֹּאמֶר לְמֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַךְ אַרְצָה וַיַּךְ שָׁלֹשׁ־פְּעָמִים וַיַּעֲמֹד

He, Elisha, said to the king: Take the arrows; and he took them. He said to the king of Israel: Strike upon the ground; continue to shoot toward the ground; and he struck three times, and then he stopped shooting.

וַיִּקְצֹף עָלָיו אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לְהַכּוֹת חָמֵשׁ אוֹ־שֵׁשׁ פְּעָמִים אָז הִכִּיתָ אֶת־אֲרָם עַד־כַּלֵּה וְעַתָּה שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים תַּכֶּה אֶת־אֲרָם

The man of God was incensed with him, and he said: In striking five or six times, if you had done so, then you would have smitten Aram to annihilation. Now, you will smite Aram three times. Each of the arrows shot represents one of the blows that you will deliver to Aram on the battlefield.

וַיָּמָת אֱלִישָׁע וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ וּגְדוּדֵי מוֹאָב יָבֹאוּ בָאָרֶץ בָּא שָׁנָה

Elisha died, and they buried him. Bands from Moav would come into the land with the coming of the year. Alternatively, the verse means that bands from Moav would come every year, or that they came a year after Elisha died. With the Kingdom of Israel in a weakened state, the Moavites, who had previously been subjugated to Israel, also began to raid the land.

וַיְהִי הֵם קֹבְרִים אִישׁ וְהִנֵּה רָאוּ אֶת־הַגְּדוּד וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּ אֶת־הָאִישׁ בְּקֶבֶר אֱלִישָׁע וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִּגַּע הָאִישׁ בְּעַצְמוֹת אֱלִישָׁע וַיְחִי וַיָּקָם עַל־רַגְלָיו

It was as they were burying a man, and behold, they saw the band of Moavite raiders; they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. Since they were caught off-guard and had to flee, they did not have enough time to bury the man in a separate plot; instead, they threw him into Elisha’s grave, which was nearby. The man went, the corpse rolled into the grave, and touched the bones of Elisha, and he lived and rose upon his feet. This fulfilled Elisha’s request that he should merit to perform double the number of miracles that his master Elijah had done, as this was the second time that Elisha revived the dead.

וַחֲזָאֵל מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם לָחַץ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּל יְמֵי יְהוֹאָחָז

Hazael king of Aram had afflicted Israel all the days of Yeho’ahaz.

וַיָּחָן ה' אֹתָם וַיְרַחֲמֵם וַיִּפֶן אֲלֵיהֶם לְמַעַן בְּרִיתוֹ אֶת־אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב וְלֹא אָבָה הַשְׁחִיתָם וְלֹא־הִשְׁלִיכָם מֵעַל־פָּנָיו עַד־עָתָּה

But nevertheless, the Lord showed them favor and had mercy on them, and He turned to them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was unwilling to destroy them and until now has not cast them from His presence. Israel had not suffered complete defeat despite Aram’s afflictions.

וַיָּמָת חֲזָאֵל מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם וַיִּמְלֹךְ בֶּן־הֲדַד בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו

On the contrary, Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben Hadad his son reigned in his place.

וַיָּשָׁב יְהוֹאָשׁ בֶּן־יְהוֹאָחָז וַיִּקַּח אֶת־הֶעָרִים מִיַּד בֶּן־הֲדַד בֶּן־חֲזָאֵל אֲשֶׁר לָקַח מִיַּד יְהוֹאָחָז אָבִיו בַּמִּלְחָמָה שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים הִכָּהוּ יוֹאָשׁ וַיָּשֶׁב אֶת־עָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

Yeho’ash son of Yeho’ahaz took back from the hand of Ben Hadad son of Hazael the same cities that he had taken from the hand of Yeho’ahaz his father, in the war. Yo’ash smote him three times, and he restored the cities of Israel. This fulfilled Elisha’s prophecy that Yeho’ash would defeat Aram on three occasions.