And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.

2 KINGS 13:17KJV
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2 Kings 13:17 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 13:17 mean?

2 Kings 13:17 shows the prophet Elisha telling King Joash of Israel to open a window facing east and shoot an arrow, declaring that this arrow represents the LORD’s deliverance from Syria. Elisha then explains that this act is a sign that Israel will defeat the Syrians at Aphek until they are destroyed.

In this scene, Elisha is speaking to King Joash during a time when Israel is threatened by Syria. The eastward window faces the direction of Syria, and shooting the arrow is a symbolic action. Elisha calls the arrow “the arrow of the LORD’S deliverance” (using the Hebrew word תְּשׁוּעָה, teshua, meaning rescue or salvation), showing that God Himself will bring victory over Israel’s enemies.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 13:17

  • תְּשׁוּעָה (teshua, “deliverance”): This word means rescue or salvation, emphasizing that the victory will come from God, not just military strength.
  • חַלּוֹן (chalon, “window”): The instruction to open the window eastward (קֵדְמָה, qedmah) is specific, pointing toward Syria, making the act a direct challenge and prophecy against Israel’s main enemy at the time.
  • אָפֵק (Aphek): Naming the location where the victory will happen roots the prophecy in a real, historical place, showing that this is not just a general promise but a specific prediction.

Why 2 Kings 13:17 matters

  • 2 Kings 13:17 clarifies that the victory over Syria is not due to Israel’s power but is a deliverance from the LORD, as highlighted by the repeated use of “deliverance” (teshua).
  • The physical act of shooting the arrow is not just a ritual but a prophetic sign; Elisha uses it to give King Joash a concrete assurance of God’s help.
  • This verse connects to the wider story by showing Elisha’s role as a prophet who communicates God’s will and deliverance, even as his own life is ending, and sets up the following verses where the extent of Israel’s victory depends on Joash’s response.

Where else these words appear

“Aphek” Hebrew H663 · used in 9 verses

  • Joshua 12:18 The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;
  • Joshua 19:30 Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages.
  • 1 Samuel 29:1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

“window” Hebrew H2474 · used in 27 verses

  • Genesis 8:6 And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
  • 1 Kings 6:4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.
  • Ezekiel 40:22 And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them.

“deliverance” Hebrew H8668 · used in 32 verses

  • Judges 15:18 And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
  • 2 Chronicles 6:41 Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.
  • Psalms 119:41 VAU. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.

“arrow” Hebrew H2671 · used in 50 verses

  • Genesis 49:23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
  • Job 6:4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
  • Proverbs 25:18 A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.