Daily Tanach Sunday 9th Adar Sefer Melachim 2 Chapter 13 Part 1: The reign of Achaziyahu, son of Yeihu, king of Israel

* The article below is an excerpt from the above Sefer

Chapter 13: The reign of Yehoachaz, Yoash and death of Elisha

 

  1. Chazael oppresses the Jewish people, and G-d saves them from his hands:
  • The reign of King Yehoachaz, king of Israel: Yehoachaz, the son of Yeihu reigned over the kingdom of Israel in the Shomron for a total of seventeen years. He began his reign in the twenty-third year of reign of Yoash the son of Achaziyahu, the king of Yehudah.
  • The evil actions of King Yehoachaz: Yehoachaz performed evil in the eyes of Hashem and followed in the sinful ways of Yeravam the son of Nevat, who caused the Jewish people to stumble in sin.
  • The Jewish people were handed over to the Arameans: Hashem became angry with the Jewish people, and He delivered them into the hand of Chazael the king of Aram and Ben-Hadad the son of Chazael throughout all of the days [of reign of Yehoachaz[1]].
  • Yehoachaz prays to G-d and G-d has mercy: Yehoachaz [repented and] prayed to Hashem to save them from the hands of Chazael, and Hashem listened to his prayer, as He saw the oppression of the Jewish people in the hands of the king of Aram.
  • G-d saves the Jewish people: Hashem gave the Jewish people a military leader who became their savior [i.e. Yoash the son of Yehoachaz[2]] and thus the Jewish people were freed from under the hands of Aram and were able to dwell peacefully in their tents as before.
  • The Jewish people still hold onto their sinful ways: Despite all the above that G-d did for the Jewish people, they did not turn away from the sins of Yeravam and they also sinned by not destroying the Asheirah tree in Shomron.
  • The remainder of the army of Yehoachaz: After the battle of the king of Aram with Yehoachaz, his army was only left with fifty riders and ten chariots, as the king of Aram had destroyed all of them and made them like dust to trample.

 

  1. The legacy of Yehoachaz:
  • The remaining events of Yehoachaz and all that he did and accomplished are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
  • Yehoachaz passes away: Yehoachaz died and was buried with his ancestors in the city of Shomron.
  • His successor: Yoash, the son of Yehoachaz, reigned in his stead.

[1] Metzudos Dovid 13:3

[2] Rashi 13:5

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