Joash (King of Israel)
King of Israel, son of Jehoahaz
Joash was king of Israel and the son of Jehoahaz. He defeated the Arameans three times as the prophet Elisha had foretold, and also defeated Amaziah, king of Judah, in war. His son Jeroboam II succeeded him on the throne.
Family
Key events
Visiting Elisha on his deathbed
Joash wept over the dying Elisha, who gave him a promise of three victories over the Arameans through the sign with the arrows.
14Now Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he would die. Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept over him, saying, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!"
וֶֽאֱלִישָׁע֙ חָלָ֣ה אֶת־חָלְי֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָמ֖וּת בּ֑וֹ וַיֵּ֨רֶד אֵלָ֜יו יוֹאָ֣שׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וַיֵּ֤בְךְּ עַל־פָּנָיו֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אָבִ֣י ׀ אָבִ֔י רֶ֥כֶב יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וּפָרָשָֽׁיו׃
18Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," and he struck it three times and stopped.
וַיֹּ֛אמֶר קַ֥ח הַחִצִּ֖ים וַיִּקָּ֑ח וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לְמֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הַךְ־אַ֔רְצָה וַיַּ֥ךְ שָֽׁלֹשׁ־פְּעָמִ֖ים וַֽיַּעֲמֹֽד׃
19The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck five or six times—then you would have struck Aram down until you had finished them off. But now you will defeat Aram only three times."
וַיִּקְצֹ֨ף עָלָ֜יו אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לְהַכּ֨וֹת חָמֵ֤שׁ אוֹ־שֵׁשׁ֙ פְּעָמִ֔ים אָ֛ז הִכִּ֥יתָ אֶת־אֲרָ֖ם עַד־כַּלֵּ֑ה וְעַתָּ֕ה שָׁלֹ֥שׁ פְּעָמִ֖ים תַּכֶּ֥ה אֶת־אֲרָֽם׃ ס