God shows mercy and faithfulness to His people, securing victory when they return to Him.
Then we read in 2 Kings 13:25: “Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken in war from the hand of Jehoahaz his father. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.” (v.25). This verse describes how King Jehoash of Israel (also called Joash) regained territory that had been lost to Aram (Syria). Jehoash, who reigned from around 798 to 782 BC, was the son of King Jehoahaz and grandson of King Jehu. During his rule, the Aramean kings, Hazael and later his son Ben-hadad, had exploited Israel’s weakened condition and seized multiple cities. God had allowed the Arameans to triumph for a time as a judgment against Israel’s widespread idolatry (2 Kings 13:3), but ultimately He showed mercy, enabling Jehoash to retake the captured territories. The Aramean rulers are mentioned in historical records of the ninth century BC, confirming Hazael’s reign and militant campaigns in the region, also hinted at in Amos.
When the verse states that Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times, it conveys both the completeness of Jehoash’s victories and God’s faithfulness to His covenant people despite their prior rebellion. These battles would have involved key Israelite cities east of the Jordan, areas that had been under Aramean control. Jehoash’s success in recapturing the cities also fulfilled Elisha’s final prophecy earlier in 2 Kings 13, where the prophet demonstrated, through the striking of arrows, that Jehoash would defeat the Arameans three times. Though Jehoash was not portrayed as a fully faithful king, the LORD still acted with compassion toward Israel, preserving them and granting partial deliverance for the sake of His covenant promises. This pattern of mercy amid judgment echoes God’s eventual redemptive plan, culminating in Jesus Christ, who offers restoration and victory over the bondage of sin (Romans 8:37).
God’s deliverance in Jehoash’s day prefigures the greater deliverance found in Jesus, reminding believers that even when we stray, the LORD remains gracious to those who turn to Him in humility (James 4:6).
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2 Kings 13:25 meaning
Then we read in 2 Kings 13:25: “Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken in war from the hand of Jehoahaz his father. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.” (v.25). This verse describes how King Jehoash of Israel (also called Joash) regained territory that had been lost to Aram (Syria). Jehoash, who reigned from around 798 to 782 BC, was the son of King Jehoahaz and grandson of King Jehu. During his rule, the Aramean kings, Hazael and later his son Ben-hadad, had exploited Israel’s weakened condition and seized multiple cities. God had allowed the Arameans to triumph for a time as a judgment against Israel’s widespread idolatry (2 Kings 13:3), but ultimately He showed mercy, enabling Jehoash to retake the captured territories. The Aramean rulers are mentioned in historical records of the ninth century BC, confirming Hazael’s reign and militant campaigns in the region, also hinted at in Amos.
When the verse states that Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times, it conveys both the completeness of Jehoash’s victories and God’s faithfulness to His covenant people despite their prior rebellion. These battles would have involved key Israelite cities east of the Jordan, areas that had been under Aramean control. Jehoash’s success in recapturing the cities also fulfilled Elisha’s final prophecy earlier in 2 Kings 13, where the prophet demonstrated, through the striking of arrows, that Jehoash would defeat the Arameans three times. Though Jehoash was not portrayed as a fully faithful king, the LORD still acted with compassion toward Israel, preserving them and granting partial deliverance for the sake of His covenant promises. This pattern of mercy amid judgment echoes God’s eventual redemptive plan, culminating in Jesus Christ, who offers restoration and victory over the bondage of sin (Romans 8:37).
God’s deliverance in Jehoash’s day prefigures the greater deliverance found in Jesus, reminding believers that even when we stray, the LORD remains gracious to those who turn to Him in humility (James 4:6).