Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets
Volume I: A Kingdom Divided
Lesson 17 The Death of Elisha
the Second Book of the Kings 13:1–25
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
cross references in Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
next lesson: Amos Foretells Doom for Israel
This material coordinates with Lesson 17 on pages 102–105 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.
“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, and I showed myself their Master, says the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”—the Book of Jeremiah 31:31–34
welcome to Volume I of our in-depth study of the biblical prophets
We invite you to check out the sample first lesson and video from Volume I of this Turning to 
God’s Word 
two-part Catholic Bible study. Our online pages link to the free related lesson videos, a glossary, and cross references in the biblical text, and include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided contains 28 lessons and has been granted an imprimatur. It may be purchased from our website shop. The companion 23-lesson Volume II: Restoration & Redemption also is available for purchase. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.
open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:
Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.
let’s review—the Second Book of the Kings 11:1—12:21
In Lesson 16 Joash Repairs the Temple, the primary focus is on the reign of Joash, who ascends to the throne of Judah in a priest-led coup that replaces his grandmother Athaliah, the queen originally from the north who had assumed control of Judah upon the death of her son Ahaziah. The death of Athaliah returns rule of the southern kingdom to the rightful heirs of David. Because Joash has been brought up by the priest Jehoiada, he undertakes to restore proper worship of the LORD by having the Temple maintained. This comes on the heels of Jehu’s attempt to purify worship practices in the north. Now in the south it appears that the priesthood can’t be trusted to use donated funds to repair the house of the LORD. It’s significant that after the split of Solomon’s kingdom, there have been no prophets sent to Judah, which suggests that although the priesthood there is in decline, the people overall remain relatively faithful to the LORD. (In the Revised Standard Version and some other translations, Joash sometimes is referred to as Jehoash, making it easy to confuse him with the ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel who also is called by both names. In commentary for this study, Joash refers to the ruler of the southern kingdom and Jehoash refers to the ruler of the northern kingdom.) Joash later is murdered by servants, and his son Amaziah begins to reign in Judah.
map notes—the focus moves back to the northern kingdom of Israel
Leaving the southern kingdom of Judah under the rule of Joash’s son Amaziah, the thirteenth chapter in the Second Book of the Kings turns attention to the north where Jehu’s son Jehoahaz reigns. Meanwhile, Ben-Hadad has come into power in Syria and is continuing to take land from Israel. With Israel’s army seriously depleted, Jehoahaz asks for and receives military aid from the LORD. After the death of Jehoahaz, his son Jehoash begins a 16-year reign. By this time, the Syrians have advanced far into Israel. The prophet Elisha, on his deathbed, foretells that Jehoash will defeat the Syrians at Aphek but that the threat posed by the northern kingdom won’t be completely eliminated. (In the Revised Standard Version and some other translations, Jehoash sometimes is referred to as Joash, making it easy to confuse him with the ruler of the southern kingdom who also is called by both names. In commentary this study, Jehoash refers to the ruler of the northern kingdom and Joash refers to the ruler of the southern kingdom.) Click on the map (above right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 104 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.
Elisha’s miracles continue after his death (23:03)
In the video for Lesson 17, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps 
points out that a dead man being restored to life when his corpse comes into contact with Elisha’s bones is a foreshadowing of the miracles attributed to the relics of Christian saints. Although Catholics tend to take such miracles for granted, the account in the thirteenth chapter in the Second Book of the Kings is the first time such a miracle is recorded in Scripture. At the time Elijah died, Elisha symbolically came back from the dead. Even after his own death Elisha continues to perform life-
giving miracles, startling behavior that points to Jesus Christ. Although Jesus died, as we profess in the Creed, God’s Son still lives and continues performing 
life-giving miracles. Learn more about how Jesus describes himself in Lesson 17 I Am the Way, the Truth & the Life in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.
oops—Matthew misspeaks on the video
The LORD’s attitude toward the north indicates that God isn’t bound by geography. Although the people in the northern kingdom are going to be deported and scattered, God doesn’t intend to abandon them. More important, God’s attitude is the same toward all of the descendants of Jacob. Even after the fall of the southern kingdom, God won’t abandon his people. The LORD’s mercy and love are not limited by geography. The Second Book of the Kings anticipates the time when a new people of God will be created through adoption in Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, John the Baptist asserts that God’s love for his people also isn’t limited to those born into the line of Jacob. The Gospel According to Matthew 3:9 and the Gospel According to Luke 3:8 both record John the Baptist announcing that God can raise up children of Abraham from stones. In the video overview for this lesson, author Matthew Phelps mistakenly attributes that comment to Jesus.
The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the ranges for the sets of questions in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. You can follow along with the video as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 17, “The Death of Elisha,” on pages 102–105 in the study book.
biblical vocabulary—a lot of names begin with the letter ‘J’
There are several potentially confusing names in Lesson 17—Joash, Jehoash, Jeroboam, and Jeroboam 
II. All begin with the letter ‘J.’ Remember that you always can look up any proper noun in this Bible study in our online online glossary, where people and places in the biblical text are listed alphabetically.
determining whether a king is good or bad
In the Second Book of the Kings 10:28–31 Jehu was lauded by God for stopping the worship of Baal in Israel, and he also was criticized for not turning away from the sins of Jeroboam—specifically for allowing the people to continue to worship the golden calves set up at Dan and Bethel. Now in the Second Book of the Kings 13:2, Jehu’s son Jehoahaz is criticized for failing to turn away from the sins of Jeroboam. This indicates that kings aren’t given credit by the LORD for maintaining the religious status quo. What actually qualifies a king for an “attaboy” from God is shifting worship practices away from evil toward the good. Consider what implications this might have in the lives of Christians, who through the sacrament of Baptism are anointed as priests, prophets, and kings.
WHAT DO YOU THINK about the savior who comes to Israel’s aid against Syria?
The Second Book of the Kings 13:5–6 includes this surprising parenthetical statement: “Therefore the LORD gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians; and the sons of Israel dwelt in their homes as formerly. Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.”
? Consider who this Old Testament savior might be.
? What in the biblical text suggests that the passage isn’t looking ahead to Jesus Christ?
? Is there anything in the Scripture passage that supports the idea that it might be a reference or a foreshadowing of Jesus?
? God’s deliverance of the people during Jehoahaz’s reign appears to be a chance for them to grow in holiness. How do they respond to this opportunity?
? How might a present-day Christian apply this passage to his or her own life?
? What are some biblical references to Jesus Christ as Savior of the world?
two different ways of looking at Jehoash’s statement about the chariots of Israel
Most readers will notice that when visiting Elisha on his deathbed, Jehoash repeats the same cry that Elisha made when Elijah was being taken into heaven. “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” is attributed to Elisha in the Second Book of the Kings 2:12, and in the Second Book of the Kings 13:14 it’s attributed to Jehoash. While Jehoash may be paying respect to the prophet, there’s a different context for his statement than when Elisha made the same comment upon seeing Elijah taken to heaven in a whirlwind. Because Israel is basically defenseless at this time, consider whether Jehoash might instead be lamenting the seriously depleted condition of his army.
WHAT DO YOU THINK about Jehoash’s comment about the chariots of Israel?
The interactions between kings and prophets are fairly standard, and this may have some bearing on how to interpret the Second Book of the Kings 13:14.
? Consider whether there are other recorded instances describing a king visiting a prophet without asking for something from the LORD.
? For what purpose do prophets typically visit kings?
? What need does Jehoash have?
? How might this need become more urgent if Jehoash learned that the prophet Elisha was dying?
? What previous situations in the north suggest that Jehoash might not hesitate to ask Elisha for help?
pay special attention to the signs of the prophets
It can be easy to miss the significance of Elisha’s sign to Jehoash involving arrows. Instead of simply telling Jehoash what’s about to happen, Elisha arranges a sign. It’s significant that a prophet’s recorded actions almost always constitute a sign. Even when a prophet’s behavior appears innocent and unassuming it points toward something greater. Although prophets speak for the LORD, often the meaning is veiled behind signs. The second volume of the Turning to God’s Word Catholic 
Bible study, Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption, examines how prophecy evolves from the time of the Old Testament to that of the New.
Elisha’s sign with the arrows is less about “catching” Jehoash when he fails to strike enough arrows on the ground and more about the way in which Jehu and his line have dealt with the will of the LORD. In failing to turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, they’ve failed to completely align themselves with God’s will. In return, God goes part of the way to help them. Jehoash couldn’t have known how many arrows he needed to strike to the ground in order to assure that the LORD would grant complete success over Israel’s enemies—but Elisha’s sign isn’t about that. It needs to be looked at in the context of what Jehoash did know, which is what God expected of the kings of Israel. This sign indicates that the northern kings have not gone far enough in fulfilling God’s will for the people. As a result, God isn’t going to fully deliver his people. The arrow shot out the window points toward the east, foreshadowing the coming of Jesus Christ, a Savior who always is depicted as coming from the east, like the sun.
Abraham, Isaac & Jacob
The Second Book of the Kings 13:23 records that the LORD is gracious to Israel during the days of Jehoahaz because of God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is in contrast to the reason that the LORD continues to spare people living in the southern kingdom of Judah, which is because of the promised royal dynasty. When dealing with the southern kingdom, God remembers his relationship with David. When dealing with the northern kingdom, God remembers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It’s significant that Israel is another name for Jacob. All of the descendants of Jacob share a common lineage, and those living in the north are people of God the same as the people living in the south. 
Whatever happens. God has promised not to totally destroy them. You can learn more about God’s original covenant with Abraham in Lesson 10 God’s Covenant with Abraham in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis.
life in yourself—you could look it up in our archives
The Second Book of the Kings 13:21 records that after Elisha’s death, a dead man is brought back to life when his corpse comes into contact with Elisha’s bones in the prophet’s grave. This power over life is in keeping with Elisha’s miracles before his death. Learn more about how such power over “life in yourself” is unique in the Old Testament by reading Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.
prophecy that looks ahead
Elijah foretold that after Hazael became king of Syria he would punish Israel. Elisha’s sign with the arrows is a prophecy of what will happen after Hazael’s death. Israel is given a chance to win victories against Hazael’s son Ben-Hadad. The degree of Israel’s success is determined by the extent to which the people have been faithful to the LORD. The Second Book of the Kings 13:25 records that Israel will defeat Ben-Hadad three times, the number predicted by Elisha. The people of Israel have been punished. Jehu has eliminated the irreverent King Ahab, and Jehu’s line is nearly done ruling. Hazael, the offensive king of Syria, is out of the picture. The northern kingdom is being given the opportunity to turn back to the LORD, but it’s unclear what the people and their kings are going to do. What is clear, however, is that the people of the north haven’t developed a strong foundation of being faithful and honoring the LORD. The second volume of the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study, Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption, takes an in-depth look at what happens to the descendants of Jacob after the Babylonian Exile.
what’s happening when & where
Click on the timeline for Lesson 17 to expand it. It also appears on page 103 in the study book. Scholars speculate that the prophet Joel may have lived as early as the 9th century B.C. or as late as the 4th century B.C. The Book of Joel is the focus of Lesson 15 Joel & the Day of the LORD in the second volume of this Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study, Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption.
the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic Bible study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including the passage in this lesson from the Second Book of the Kings 13:1–25.
ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.
to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant 
cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.
don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.
ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. 
This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.
wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, open the link and click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
the Second Book of the Kings 13:1–25 (NIV)
close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on this lesson’s biblical text.
O God, you made no secret of your desire
for the people of the northern kingdom to turn back to you.
Grant us the grace, strength, and perseverance
to overcome our own selfish desires
in order to do what we know is your will for us.
We ask this in the name of Christ the King,
who through his divine love for humanity
accepted death that we might live. Amen.
Lesson 18 Amos Foretells Doom for Israel—the Second Book of the Kings 14:1—15:7, the Book of Amos 4:12, the Book of Amos 5:14–15, the Book of Amos 5:18, the Book of Amos 5:21–24, the Book of Amos 7:10–17, the Book of Amos 9:8–14, the Book of Joel 2:1–2, the Book of Joel 2:12–14a, and the Book of Joel 2:27–32
Lesson 16 Joash Repairs the Temple—the Second Book of the Kings 11:1—12:21
you also may like our study of the Gospel According to John
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, a 25-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines the Fourth Gospel’s view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with special emphasis on the institution of the sacraments of the Church as the means by which Christians are purified and made holy. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary, and takes a closer look at the way in which Jesus relates to individual men and women. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.
start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets— Volume I: A Kingdom Divided
. 
Information about beginning this or one of our other Turning to God’s Word Bible studies can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I always are available to answer your Bible-study questions or concerns. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer
*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?
Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Scripture on the online study pages for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided links to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE). The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.
The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. A handful of significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.
Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.
You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.