2 Kings 13:4

2Ki 13:4 And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.

Ver. 4. And Jehoahaz besought the Lord.] Affliction exciteth devotion, as blowing doth the fire; whereas rarae fumant felicibus arae. Jehoahaz was now brought very low by the Syrians, {2Ki 13:7} else God had not been thought on or sought unto.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 13:4. The Lord hearkened unto him — Not for his sake, for God regards not the prayers of the wicked and impenitent, but for other reasons, expressed 2Ki 13:23. For he saw the oppression of Israel — His chosen and once beloved people. He now helps them because of his former and ancient kindness to them. Because the king of Syria oppressed them — To wit, very grievously, as it is expressed 2Ki 13:7. So that God helped them, not because they were worthy of his help, but because of the rage of their enemies, and the blasphemies which doubtless accompanied it. See Deu 32:27.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13:4-5 Jehoahaz prayed . . . the Lord heard: Despite Jehoahaz’s poor spiritual condition, God graciously answered his prayer. The Lord graciously answers the earnest prayers of his people (see also 4:32-35; 6:17-20; 19:14-28; 20:2-6; 1 Kgs 3:8-14; 13:4-6; 17:21-23; 18:36-39; Ps 34:4-7; Jas 5:16). • provided someone to rescue the Israelites (cp. Judg 3:9, 15): Scholars have suggested many possibilities for Israel’s rescuer, the most likely being King Adad-nirari III of Assyria, whose westward thrusts brought about the capture of Damascus in 802 BC.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

he saw the oppression of Israel--that is, commiserated the fallen condition of His chosen people. The divine honor and the interests of true religion required that deliverance should be granted them to check the triumph of the idolatrous enemy and put an end to their blasphemous taunts that God had forsaken Israel (Deu 32:27; Psa 12:4).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(4) Besought.—Literally, stroked the face of; a metaphor which occurs in Exo_32:11; 1Ki_13:6).

And the Lord hearkened unto him.—Not, however, immediately. (See 2Ki_13:7.) The Syrian invasions, which began under Jehu, were renewed again and again throughout the reign of Jehoahaz (2Ki_13:22), until the tide of conquest began to turn in the time of Joash (2Ki_13:15), whose incomplete victories (2Ki_13:17; 2Ki_13:19; 2Ki_13:25) were followed up by the permanent successes of his son Jeroboam II. (2Ki_14:25-28).

The parenthesis marked in 2Ki_13:5 really begins, therefore, with the words, “And the Lord hearkened.” The historian added it by way of pointing out that although the prayer of Jehoahaz did not meet with immediate response, it was not ultimately ineffectual.

For he saw the oppression.—Comp. Exo_3:7; Deu_26:7.

The king of Syria.—Intentionally general, so as to include both Hazael and Ben-hadad III., his son (2Ki_13:24).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord hearkened unto him] Just as in the case of punishment God does not always visit at once, even though an Ahab have sold himself to work wickedness, so in the case of mercy, the intervention of Jehovah is postponed to another generation. The Syrians are allowed to oppress Israel all the days of Jehoahaz, though we are told that his prayer had been heard. In the days of Jehoash, the next successor, some alleviation was afforded by the victories of that king over Benhadad (2Ki_13:25), but it was not, as it seems, till the following generation that the full answer to the prayer came.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord hearkened unto him,.... He did not apply in his distress to the calves he worshipped, but to the Lord; who had a regard to his prayer, not for his sake, or any righteousness of his, or even his repentance and humiliation, which were only external; but for the sake of Israel, and because they were oppressed, who were his people, and he their God, though they had sadly departed from him:

for he saw the oppression of Israel; not only with his eye of omniscience, but with an eye of mercy and compassion:

because the king of Syria oppressed them; by his incursions upon them, and wars with them.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Lord hearkened unto him; not for his sake, for God regards not the prayers of the wicked and impenitent, Psa 66:18; Pro 1:28; 15:8; but for other reasons, expressed below, 2Ki 13:23.

He saw, i.e. he observed it with care and compassion.

The oppression of Israel; his chosen and once beloved people. He now helps them, because of his former and ancient kindness to them.

The king of Syria oppressed them, to wit, very grievously, as it is expressed, 2Ki 13:7. So that he helped them not for their own sakes, but because of the rage of their enemies, and their blasphemies, which doubtless accompanied it. See Deu 32:27; Psa 12:4.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. Jehoahaz besought the Lord — The oppression of the Syrian kings humbled his spirit, and led Jehovah to give temporary deliverance; but there was no reformation deep enough to lead to any permanent or great results.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Jehoahaz besought the Lord; literally, besought the face of the Lord. (comp. 1Ki_13:6, and the comment ad loc.) Jehoahaz, as Josephus says, "betook him-serf to prayer and supplication of God, entreating that he would deliver him out of the hands of Hazael, and not suffer him to continue subject" ("Ant. Jud:," 9:8. He did not turn from his sin of idolatry, perhaps did not suspect that it was this sin which had provoked God"s anger; but in a general way he repented, humbled himself, and besought God"s mercy and assistance. And the Lord hearkened unto him. God accepted his repentance, all imperfect as it was, so far as to save the people from the entire destruction with which it was threatened by the severe measures of Hazael (ver. 7), to continue the national existence (ver. 23), and ultimately to restore the national prosperity. (ver. 25 and 2Ki_14:25-27) But he did not remove the oppression, as Josephus imagines, in Jehoahaz"s time. Ver. 22 makes this fact absolutely certain.

For he saw the oppression of Israel, because the King of Syria oppressed them. Oppression is always hateful to God, even when he is using it as his instrument for chastising or punishing a guilty people. He "sees" it, notes it, lays it up in his remembrance for future retribution (Exo_3:7; Isa_10:5-12, etc.) (On the nature and extent of the oppression of this period, see ver. 7, and the comment ad loc.)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.