Reading for July 11th

Read 2 Kings 13
In verses 1-13 the reigns of Jehoahaz and Joash.
In verse 1 Joash and Jehoash are two versions of the same name.
In verse 2 the sins of jeroboam are the shrines of Dan and Bethel (1Kings 12.25-33).
In verse 3 like the rest of the regnal formulas this verse is deuteronomistic and sounds much like part of the deuteronomistic formula found in the book of Judges (Judge 2.14; 4.1-2; 6.1).
In verse 5 the idea and language are also borrowed from the book of Judges.
The identity of this savior is not clear, but it may be a reference to Elisha (vv. 14-21).
In verse 6 the sins of the house of Jeroboam are the same as the sins of Jerobaom (v.20.
The sacred pole was used in the worship of the Canaanite goddess Asherah.
In verse 7 like the dust at threshing means that the army has scattered.
In verse 10 while they bear the same name, Joash king of Judah and Jehoash king of Israel are two different people.
In verse 13 Jeroboam is distinct from the one in 1 Kings 12-14 and is often called Jeroboam II.
In verses 14-25 Elisha's death.
This story lies outside of the framework of the regnal formulas.
That is, it follows the closing formula for Joash (vv.12-13) but precedes the beginning formula for Jeroboam II (14.23-24).
Since the deuteronomistic editor regularly uses these formulas as the framework for the history, this story may be either out of place or a later edition.
In verse 14 my father is a term of respect showing the king's subordination to the prophet.
The exact sense of the chariots of Israel and its horsemen is uncertain here.
It recalls previous episodes in the Elisha stories 92.12; 6.17) and may have become a kind of nickname for him because of these episodes.
In verse 15-17 symbolic acts like this one are frequently carried out by the prophets in the Bible, especially by Ezekiel and Jeremiah.
In this case, the Lord's arrow of victory is shot eastward (v.17), toward Aram (Syria) to represent victory over the Armeans.
In verses 18-19 this is an example of bellomancy the use of weapons of war to foretell the future, which was common in the Ancient Near East.
In verses 20-21 Elisha's miraculous powers continue even after his death.
In verses 22-23 while these verses certainly were written after the fall of Israel in 721 B.C.E., the writer still appeals to the people of the north in stating that the Lord has not ultimately abandoned them.
In verses 24-25 these verse fulfill Elisha's prediction in v.19.
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