Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So Jehoash took a bow and some arrows.
Parallel translations
- WEB Elisha said to him, “Take bow and arrows”; and he took bow and arrows for himself.
- KJV And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
- NKJV And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows.
- NASB And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows.
- NLT Elisha told him, “Get a bow and some arrows.” And the king did as he was told.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Elisha tells King Joash to take a bow and arrows, beginning a prophetic sign-act about coming victory.
Overview
Prophets often delivered God's word through symbolic actions, not words alone. By involving the king physically, Elisha draws Joash into a living promise of deliverance from Syria (Aram). The episode shows that even on his deathbed the prophet continues to be the channel of God's gracious purposes toward an undeserving nation.
Cross-references & the web
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 13:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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