2 Kings 13:22 kjv
But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
2 Kings 13:22 nkjv
And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
2 Kings 13:22 niv
Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz.
2 Kings 13:22 esv
Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
2 Kings 13:22 nlt
King Hazael of Aram had oppressed Israel during the entire reign of King Jehoahaz.
2 Kings 13 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 19:15 | "Then the Lord said to him, 'Go, return on your way...to anoint Hazael...'" | Hazael's future role divinely ordained. |
| 2 Ki 8:12 | "And Hazael said, 'Why does my lord weep?' He answered, 'Because I know...'" | Elisha's prophecy of Hazael's cruelties. |
| 2 Ki 8:13 | "And Hazael said, 'What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should..'" | Hazael's surprise at predicted atrocities. |
| 2 Ki 10:32 | "In those days the Lord began to cut off parts of Israel, and Hazael..." | Hazael began attacking Israel during Jehu's reign. |
| 2 Ki 13:3 | "And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them..." | Divine judgment led to Hazael's oppression. |
| 2 Ki 13:7 | "For he had left to Jehoahaz of the army not more than fifty horsemen..." | Hazael's decimation of Israel's military. |
| Amos 1:3 | "Thus says the Lord: 'For three transgressions of Damascus and for four...'" | Damascus (Aram) judged for its brutality. |
| Deut 28:47 | "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness.." | Disobedience leads to servitude and oppression. |
| Deut 28:48 | "...therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against." | Enemies as instruments of divine discipline. |
| Judg 2:14 | "So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them..." | Israel's cyclical oppression due to sin. |
| Judg 3:7-8 | "The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord...delivered" | Similar pattern: sin, then oppression. |
| Neh 9:27 | "Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies who made them suffer." | God delivering Israel to oppressors due to sin. |
| Ps 74:9-11 | "We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet...how long..." | Expresses a sustained period of hardship/silence. |
| Ps 106:40-42 | "Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people...and he..." | God's anger led to Israel's subjugation. |
| Isa 10:5-6 | "Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hand is my fury!..." | God uses foreign nations as instruments. |
| Jer 25:9 | "Behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north...and for Nebuchadnezzar..." | Foreign kings used as God's "servants" in judgment. |
| Lam 3:1-9 | "I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath..." | Describes sustained suffering and discipline. |
| Heb 12:6 | "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son..." | God's discipline, even through harsh means. |
| 2 Ki 13:4 | "But Jehoahaz implored the Lord, and the Lord listened to him..." | The severity of oppression drove him to pray. |
| 2 Ki 13:23 | "But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and..." | God's enduring covenant faithfulness amidst judgment. |
| Neh 9:30-31 | "Many years you bore with them...Nevertheless, in your great mercies you..." | God's long-suffering and mercy. |
| Ps 145:8-9 | "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast..." | God's compassionate nature despite sin. |
2 Kings 13 verses
2 Kings 13 22 Meaning
This verse states a historical reality: King Hazael of Aram-Damascus continually oppressed the northern kingdom of Israel throughout the entire seventeen-year reign of King Jehoahaz. This intense and sustained pressure was a consequence of Israel's persistent disobedience to God, serving as a divine judgment against their idolatry and sin.
2 Kings 13 22 Context
This verse appears in the historical narrative of the kings of Israel and Judah. It immediately follows the account of Jehu's dynasty and the northern kingdom's continued adherence to the idolatrous practices of Jeroboam I. While Jehu purged Baal worship, he did not remove the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. The Lord's anger against Israel for their sins, particularly their idolatry, manifested through the instrument of Hazael. This verse explains the desperate circumstances under which Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, reigned. The sustained oppression by Aram provided the crucial backdrop for Jehoahaz's later supplication to the Lord, and God's eventual, albeit partial, response by sending a deliverer.
2 Kings 13 22 Word analysis
- But (וְ – wĕ): This conjunction serves to highlight a pivotal condition or consequence, contrasting the general historical flow or indicating a significant turn in events. Here, it introduces the prolonged hardship that overshadowed Jehoahaz's reign.
- Hazael (חֲזָהאֵל – Ḥazā'ēl): Meaning "God has seen" or "Vision of God." He was not an ordinary adversary but a specific, formidable king of Aram-Damascus, whom God had ordained through the prophet Elijah (1 Ki 19:15-17) and whose brutal future was foretold by Elisha (2 Ki 8:7-15). He was a divinely permitted instrument of judgment against Israel.
- king of Syria (מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם – melek Ārām): "King of Aram." Aram, or Syria, was a powerful kingdom located to the northeast of Israel, with its capital at Damascus. This nation was a frequent and formidable adversary of both Israel and Judah, involved in centuries of geopolitical conflict.
- oppressed (לָחַץ – lāḥats): This strong Hebrew verb means "to press," "to squeeze," "to crush," "to afflict," or "to distress." It implies a severe, sustained, and suffocating pressure, not just raids or occasional attacks. It vividly describes the extent of suffering inflicted upon Israel, leaving them weak and burdened.
- Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל – Yisrā'ēl): Refers specifically to the northern kingdom, which had split from Judah. This kingdom was plagued by continuous idolatry and political instability, making it vulnerable to foreign powers.
- all the days (כָּל־ יְמֵי – kāl- yĕmê): This phrase emphasizes the uninterrupted and relentless nature of Hazael's oppression. It signifies that the suffering was chronic and pervasive, spanning the entire duration of Jehoahaz's rule, providing no respite for the kingdom.
- Jehoahaz (יְהוֹאָחָז – Yĕhô'āḥāz): Meaning "Yahweh has grasped" or "Yahweh has held." He was the son of Jehu, king of Israel, who reigned for seventeen years. Ironically, his name could imply that even in their deepest affliction, God still "held" them, leading to his eventual cry for help in verse 4. His reign was a period of great national weakness.
- "Hazael...oppressed Israel": This phrase clearly identifies the perpetrator and the victim, highlighting the severe military and political subjugation. It underscores the active role of Hazael as God's chosen instrument to punish Israel for its disobedience.
- "oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz": This entire phrase conveys the duration and pervasiveness of the affliction. It indicates a period of sustained national crisis and profound suffering. The relentless nature of this oppression drove Israel to a point of desperation, foreshadowing Jehoahaz's prayer and God's eventual response (though partial) later in the chapter. It illustrates God's determined method of discipline to turn His people back to Him.
2 Kings 13 22 Bonus section
- Divine Instrument: Hazael's oppression was a fulfillment of earlier prophetic words from both Elijah and Elisha, underscoring that even the actions of wicked rulers can be incorporated into God's sovereign plan to achieve His righteous purposes (1 Ki 19:15-17; 2 Ki 8:7-15). This demonstrates God's ultimate control over nations and their leaders.
- Cycle of Sin and Suffering: This period is a classic example of the cyclical pattern seen throughout Israel's history, particularly in Judges: sin leads to oppression, oppression leads to crying out to God, and God, in His mercy, sends a deliverer (even if temporary).
- Context for Deliverance: The severity described in this verse (culminating in 2 Kings 13:7 where Israel's army is decimated to a mere fifty horsemen) provides the essential backdrop for understanding the earnestness of Jehoahaz's cry to the Lord in the subsequent verse (2 Kings 13:4) and God's compassionate, though conditional, response to send a "deliverer."
2 Kings 13 22 Commentary
This verse succinctly portrays a period of profound national suffering for the northern kingdom of Israel. It serves as a historical summary emphasizing that Hazael's relentless oppression was not episodic but continuous, spanning the entire seventeen-year reign of Jehoahaz. This severe affliction was God's direct judgment, a divinely permitted consequence for Israel's persistent idolatry and deviation from His covenant. Despite Jehu's reforms against Baalism, the golden calves remained, sustaining a pattern of disobedience that necessitated such harsh discipline. This ongoing distress ultimately pushed Jehoahaz to cry out to the Lord, setting the stage for God's merciful, albeit limited, intervention.