The Meaning of 2 Kings 13:4 Explained

2 Kings 13:4

KJV: And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.

YLT: And Jehoahaz appeaseth the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah hearkeneth unto him, for He hath seen the oppression of Israel, for oppressed them hath the king of Aram, --

Darby: (And Jehoahaz besought Jehovah, and Jehovah hearkened to him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.

ASV: And Jehoahaz besought Jehovah, and Jehovah hearkened unto him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, how that the king of Syria oppressed them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jehoahaz  besought  the LORD,  and the LORD  hearkened  unto  him: for he saw  the oppression  of Israel,  because the king  of Syria  oppressed  them. 

What does 2 Kings 13:4 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 13:1-9 - Inglorious Ends
As long as we are with the Lord, He is with us. Then our enemies are His enemies, and He shows Himself strong on the behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him. See 2 Chronicles 15:2. So Joash found it in the earlier part of his reign. We need to ponder the blessings set out in Psalms 81:14-16, as guaranteed to the life which is at one with God. But directly Joash listened to the princes and forsook the house of God and gave license to the Asherim and idols, God was turned against the people and became their enemy. See 2 Chronicles 24:23-25. The reign that commenced in sunshine was sadly overcast, and the king perished by the hands of conspirators and never came to the sepulcher of the kings.
Then disaster after disaster befell the nation. They had to learn that they had been chosen for a special service in the world and could not be as others. Yet amid these dark days, what gleams of light there were! The Lord hearkened, 2 Kings 13:4; He gave Israel a savior, 2 Kings 13:5; He was gracious and had compassion and would not cast them from His presence, 2 Kings 13:23. Even when the Lord chastens us sore, He does not give us over unto death, Psalms 118:18. There is a "needs-be," but there is also a "thus-far-and-no-farther." [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 13:4 mean?

So pleaded Jehoahaz - with Yahweh and listened to him Yahweh for He saw the oppression of Israel because oppressed them the king of Syria
וַיְחַ֥ל יְהוֹאָחָ֖ז אֶת־ פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֤י רָאָה֙ לַ֣חַץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּֽי־ לָחַ֥ץ אֹתָ֖ם מֶ֥לֶךְ אֲרָֽם

וַיְחַ֥ל  So  pleaded 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, 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.
יְהוֹאָחָ֖ז  Jehoahaz 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹואָחָז  
Sense: a king of Judah and son of Josiah.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוָ֑ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע  and  listened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֵלָיו֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
רָאָה֙  He  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
לַ֣חַץ  the  oppression 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לַחַץ  
Sense: oppression, distress, pressure.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  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.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
לָחַ֥ץ  oppressed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָחַץ  
Sense: to squeeze, press, oppress.
מֶ֥לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֲרָֽם  of  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.