Lectionary Calendar
Friday, July 25th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

2 Kings 13:18

Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Arrow;   Doubting;   Elisha;   Jehoash;   Prophecy;   Symbols and Similitudes;   Thompson Chain Reference - Earnestness-Indifference;   Elisha;   Half-Heartedness;   Service;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Kings;   Syria;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Elisha;   Joash or Jehoash;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Jehoash;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Kings, First and Second, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Zeal;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Damascus;   Jonah;   Judah, Kingdom of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Aphek;   Damascus;   Joash;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Lots;   Numbers (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Damascus;   Elisha ;   Jehoahaz ;   Joash ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Joash;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Eli'sha;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Augury;   Elisha;   Jehoash;   Kings, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
He said, Take the arrows; and he took them. He said to the king of Yisra'el, Smite on the ground; and he struck thrice, and stayed.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
And he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground with them." And he struck three times and stopped.
New Century Version
Elisha said, "Take the arrows." So Jehoash took them. Then Elisha said to him, "Strike the ground." So Jehoash struck the ground three times and stopped.
New English Translation
Then Elisha said, "Take the arrows," and he did so. He told the king of Israel, "Strike the ground!" He struck the ground three times and stopped.
Amplified Bible
Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And Elisha said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," and he struck it three times and stopped.
New American Standard Bible
Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," and he struck it three times and stopped.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Againe he said, Take the arrowes. And he tooke them. And he sayde vnto the King of Israel, Smite the ground. And he smote thrise, and ceased.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," and he struck it three times and stood still.
Contemporary English Version
Elisha said, "Pick up the arrows and hit the ground with them." Jehoash grabbed the arrows and hit the ground three times, then stopped.
Complete Jewish Bible
He said, "Take the arrows"; and he took them. He told the king of Isra'el, "Strike the ground." He struck three times, then stopped.
Darby Translation
And he said, Take the arrows. And he took [them]. And he said to the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.
Easy-to-Read Version
Elisha said, "Take the arrows." Jehoash took the arrows. Then Elisha said to him, "Hit on the ground." Jehoash hit the ground three times. Then he stopped.
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to him, Take an arrow. And he took it. And he said, Strike upon the ground. And he struck three times and stopped.
Good News Translation
Then Elisha told the king to take the other arrows and strike the ground with them. The king struck the ground three times, and then stopped.
Lexham English Bible
Then he said, "Take the arrows," so he took them. He said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," so he struck three times and stopped.
Literal Translation
And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them up. And he said to the king of Israel, Strike the earth. And he struck three times, and stopped.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sayde: Take ye arowes. And wha he had taken them, he sayde vnto the kynge of Israel: Smyte the earth. And he smote thre tymes and stode still.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And he said, Take the arrows: and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Send them down into the earth; and he did so three times and no more.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he saide: Take the arrowes. And he toke them: And he said vnto the king of Israel, Smyte the grounde. And he smote thrise, and ceassed.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
And he sayd, Take the arrowes. And he tooke them. And hee said vnto the king of Israel, Smite vpon the ground. And he smote thrise, and stayed.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Elisaie said to him, Take bow and arrows. And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And the king smote three times, and stayed.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Elisee seide, Take awei the arowis. And whanne he hadde take awei, Elisee seide eft to him, Smyte thou the erthe with a dart. And whanne he hadde smyte thre tymes,
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, `Take the arrows,' and he taketh; and he saith to the king of Israel, `Smite to the earth;' and he smiteth three times, and stayeth.
Update Bible Version
And he said, Take the arrows; and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Smite on the ground; and he smote three times, and stayed.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Take the arrows. And he took [them]. And he said to the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and ceased.
World English Bible
He said, Take the arrows; and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, Smite on the ground; and he struck thrice, and stayed.
New King James Version
Then he said, "Take the arrows"; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground"; so he struck three times, and stopped.
New Living Translation
Then he said, "Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground." So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times.
New Life Bible
Then Elisha said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, "Hit the ground," and he hit it three times, and stopped.
New Revised Standard
He continued, "Take the arrows"; and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground with them"; he struck three times, and stopped.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said - Take the arrows. So he took them. Then said he unto the king of Israel - Smite unto the ground. So he smote three times, and then stayed.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: Take the arrows. And when he had taken them, he said to him: Strike with an arrow upon the ground. And he struck three times, and stood still.
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "Take the arrows"; and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground with them"; and he struck three times, and stopped.
THE MESSAGE
"Now pick up the other arrows," said Elisha. He picked them up. Then he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground." The king struck the ground three times and then quit.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," and he struck it three times and stopped.

Contextual Overview

10In the thirty-seventh year of Judah’s King Joash, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. 11He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, but he continued them. 12The rest of the events of Jehoash’s reign, along with all his accomplishments and the power he had to wage war against Judah’s King Amaziah, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. 13Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. 14When Elisha became sick with the illness from which he died, King Jehoash of Israel went down and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” 15Elisha responded, “Get a bow and arrows.” So he got a bow and arrows. 16Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Grasp the bow.” So the king grasped it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17Elisha said, “Open the east window.” So he opened it. Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. Then Elisha said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, yes, the arrow of victory over Aram. You are to strike down the Arameans in Aphek until you have put an end to them.” 18Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to them, but now you will strike down Aram only three times.”

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Smite: Isaiah 20:2-4, Ezekiel 4:1-10, Ezekiel 5:1-4, Ezekiel 12:1-7

he smote thrice: 2 Kings 4:6, Exodus 17:11

Reciprocal: Joshua 13:4 - Aphek 2 Kings 4:3 - borrow not a few 2 Kings 13:25 - took again

Cross-References

Genesis 8:20
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. He took some of every kind of clean animal and every kind of clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Genesis 13:4
to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of the Lord there.
Genesis 13:7
and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.)
Genesis 13:8
So Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives.
Genesis 14:13
One of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew, who lived near the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. They were bound by a treaty with Abram.
Genesis 18:1
The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day.
Genesis 23:2
Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
Genesis 35:27
Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.
Genesis 37:14
Then Israel said to him, “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Hebron Valley, and he went to Shechem.
Numbers 13:22
They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were living. Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, take the arrows, and he took them,.... The rest of them:

and he said unto the king of Israel, smite upon the ground; the floor of the room in which the prophet lay:

and he smote thrice, and stayed; made a stop, ceased smiting; he might think this action trifling, and beneath him, only was willing to please the prophet, but did not do it with a good will, and therefore smote no more; though this was an emblem of his smiting the Syrians, which he might not understand.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Smite upon the ground - Some prefer to render - “Shoot to the ground;” i. e. “Shoot arrows from the window into the ground outside, as if thou wert shooting against an enemy.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 13:18. Smite upon the ground — As he was ordered to take his arrows, the smiting on the ground must mean shooting arrows into it.

He smote thrice, and stayed. — The prophet knew that this shooting was emblematical: probably the king was not aware of what depended on the frequency of the action; and perhaps it was of the Lord that he smote only thrice, as he had determined to give Israel those three victories only over the Syrians. Elisha's being wroth because there were only three instead of five or six shots does not prove that God was wroth, or that he had intended to give the Syrians five or six overthrows.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile