The Meaning of 2 Kings 13:14 Explained

2 Kings 13:14

KJV: Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.

YLT: And Elisha hath been sick with his sickness in which he dieth, and come down unto him doth Joash king of Israel, and weepeth on his face, and saith, 'My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and its horsemen.'

Darby: And Elisha fell sick of his sickness in which he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, My father, my father! the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!

ASV: Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died: and Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over him, and said, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now Elisha  was fallen sick  of his sickness  whereof he died.  And Joash  the king  of Israel  came down  unto him, and wept  over his face,  and said,  O my father,  my father,  the chariot  of Israel,  and the horsemen  thereof. 

What does 2 Kings 13:14 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 13:10-25 - "the Arrow Of The Lord's Deliverance"
A good man is a great defense to his country. Mary, Queen of Scots, dreaded the prayers of Knox more than the armies of the king of France. Perhaps the king expected that Elisha also might pass home to God in a chariot of fire, as Elijah had done.
Notice how much Israel missed through the unbelief of her king. If only he had smitten five or six times, Syria would have been consumed; but he was content with striking only three times. Let us not ask small things of God, or be content with a partial deliverance. Nothing pleases Him more than to be greatly trusted. For those who ask and expect the most, He will always go beyond all that they ask or think. Strike on the ground, child of God, nor stay thy striking. Claim the absolute overthrow of the power of Satan, which antagonizes and resists the coming of the Kingdom. Claim the salvation of your fatherland from the tyranny of drink, gambling, and impurity! Open the windows heavenward and Godward strike within and shoot without. It is not enough to do either without the other. And remember that unseen hands are empowering and guiding thine! Compare Genesis 49:24.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 13

1  Jehoahaz's wicked reign
3  Jehoahaz, oppressed by Hazael, is relieved by prayer
8  Joash succeeds him
10  His wicked reign
12  Jeroboam succeeds him
14  Elisha dying, prophesies to Joash three victories over the Syrians
20  The Moabites invading the land, Elisha's bones raise a dead man
22  Joash gets three victories over Ben-hadad

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 13:14 mean?

And Elisha had become sick with the illness of which would die He and came down to him Joash the king of Israel and wept over his face and said my father my father the chariots of Israel and their horsemen
וֶֽאֱלִישָׁע֙ חָלָ֣ה אֶת־ חָלְי֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָמ֖וּת בּ֑וֹ וַיֵּ֨רֶד אֵלָ֜יו יוֹאָ֣שׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וַיֵּ֤בְךְּ עַל־ פָּנָיו֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אָבִ֣י ׀ אָבִ֔י רֶ֥כֶב יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וּפָרָשָֽׁיו

וֶֽאֱלִישָׁע֙  And  Elisha 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִישָׁע  
Sense: the great prophet who succeeded Elijah.
חָלָ֣ה  had  become  sick 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָלָה 
Sense: to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry.
חָלְי֔וֹ  the  illness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֳלִי  
Sense: sickness.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  of  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יָמ֖וּת  would  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וַיֵּ֨רֶד  and  came  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
אֵלָ֜יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יוֹאָ֣שׁ  Joash 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָשׁ  
Sense: son of king Ahaziah and the 8th king of Judah.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וַיֵּ֤בְךְּ  and  wept 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פָּנָיו֙  his  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וַיֹּאמַ֔ר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָבִ֣י ׀  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
אָבִ֔י  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
רֶ֥כֶב  the  chariots 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וּפָרָשָֽׁיו  and  their  horsemen 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּרָשׁ 
Sense: horse, steed, warhorse.