What s so wrong with striking the ground three times with the arrows instead of five or six (13:1819)?
This story is like so many where cultural differences cloud our understanding. One of the rules to keep in mind when reading the Old Testament is that when details are sparse, it s probably because people at the time would be so familiar with the situation that more details were deemed unnecessary. We need to put ourselves back in that era to get the right interpretation. In this case, the king s half-hearted response indicates a lack of faith in Elisha s promise of victory. The arrow shot out the window just moments before was called the Lord s arrow of victory by the prophet, but Jehoash treated these arrows common symbols and omens of victory in the ancient world with a lackadaisical attitude. Something was clearly missing from his response, which Elisha made explicit in verse 19. Judson Poling Why would God s power remain in Elisha s bones (13:21)? Elisha s life was marked by the miraculous, but this was not a miracle accomplished by power still in Elisha s remains. If anything, it
