What is the meaning of 2 Kings 13:20? Elisha died • The verse begins: “And Elisha died…” (2 Kings 13:20). Scripture records the end of this prophet’s earthly ministry just as plainly as it did his calling (1 Kings 19:16) and long service (2 Kings 2:13–15). • Death is appointed for every person (Hebrews 9:27); even a man of remarkable miracles (2 Kings 4–6) is not exempt. God’s word endures even when His servants pass away, as seen when Moses died and the Lord still led Israel (Joshua 1:1–2). • Elisha’s death also marks the closing of an era of prophetic leadership in the northern kingdom, underscoring Israel’s need to heed the written Law and covenant (Deuteronomy 31:24–26). He was buried • “And was buried.” Burial testifies to both the reality of physical death and the hope of bodily resurrection later on (Job 19:25–27; 1 Thessalonians 4:14). • God honored Elisha even in death. In the very next verse a dead man comes to life when his body touches Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:21), illustrating that the power of God was not limited by the prophet’s passing (John 11:25–26). • Burial fulfills the respectful treatment of the body practiced throughout Scripture: Abraham (Genesis 25:9), Joseph (Genesis 50:26), and David (Acts 2:29). Moabite raiders came every spring • “Now the Moabite raiders used to come into the land every spring.” Israel’s eastern neighbor, Moab, had a history of hostility (2 Kings 3:4–5; Judges 3:12–14). These seasonal raids likely coincided with harvest time, maximizing damage (Judges 6:3–6). • The persistence of Moabite attacks reveals Israel’s vulnerable spiritual condition. Earlier kings forsook the Lord (2 Kings 13:11), and foreign oppression often served as divine discipline to turn the nation back to covenant faithfulness (2 Kings 17:13–18; Psalm 106:40–42). • Even without Elisha’s living presence, God remained Israel’s protector when they trusted Him; the upcoming verses (2 Kings 13:22–23) show the Lord’s compassionate deliverance despite their unfaithfulness. summary 2 Kings 13:20 presents three straightforward facts—Elisha’s death, his burial, and recurring Moabite raids—to remind us that: • God’s servants are mortal, but His purposes continue. • Burial points beyond death to resurrection hope. • National security ultimately depends on covenant loyalty to the Lord, not on a human leader’s presence. |
    |