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funeral, such a one indeed as it was fit a person so beloved <strong>of</strong> God should<br />
have. It also happened, that at that time certain robbers cast a man whom<br />
<strong>the</strong>y had slain in<strong>to</strong> Elisha's grave, and upon his dead body coming close <strong>to</strong><br />
Elisha's body, it revived again. And thus far have we enlarged about <strong>the</strong><br />
actions <strong>of</strong> Elisha <strong>the</strong> prophet, both such as he did while he was alive, and<br />
how he had a Divine power after his death also.<br />
7. Now, upon <strong>the</strong> death <strong>of</strong> Hazael, <strong>the</strong> king <strong>of</strong> Syria, that kingdom came<br />
<strong>to</strong> Adad his son, with whom Joash, king <strong>of</strong> Israel, made war; and when he<br />
had beaten him in three battles, he <strong>to</strong>ok from him all that country, and all<br />
those cities and villages, which his fa<strong>the</strong>r Hazael had taken from <strong>the</strong><br />
kingdom <strong>of</strong> Israel, which came <strong>to</strong> pass, however, according <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> prophecy<br />
<strong>of</strong> Elisha. But when Joash happened <strong>to</strong> die, he was buried in Samaria, and<br />
<strong>the</strong> government devolved on his son Jeroboam.<br />
Footnote:<br />
1. This character <strong>of</strong> Joash, <strong>the</strong> son <strong>of</strong> Jehoahaz, that "he was a good man,<br />
and in his disposition not at all like <strong>to</strong> his fa<strong>the</strong>r," seems a direct<br />
contradiction <strong>to</strong> our ordinary copies, which say (2 Kings 13:11) that "he<br />
did evil in <strong>the</strong> sight <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lord; and that he departed not from all <strong>the</strong><br />
sins <strong>of</strong> Jeroboam, <strong>the</strong> son <strong>of</strong> Nebat, who made Israel <strong>to</strong> sin: he walked<br />
<strong>the</strong>rein." Which copies are here <strong>the</strong> truest it is hard positively <strong>to</strong><br />
determine. If <strong>Josephus</strong>'s be true, this Joash is <strong>the</strong> single instance <strong>of</strong> a<br />
good king over <strong>the</strong> ten tribes; if <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r be true, we have not one such<br />
example. The account that follows, in all copies, <strong>of</strong> Elisha <strong>the</strong> prophet's<br />
concern for him, and his concern for Elisha, greatly favors <strong>Josephus</strong>'s<br />
copies, and supposes this king <strong>to</strong> have been <strong>the</strong>n a good man, and no<br />
idolater, with whom God's prophets used not <strong>to</strong> be so familiar. Upon <strong>the</strong><br />
whole, since it appears, even by <strong>Josephus</strong>'s own account, that Amaziah,<br />
<strong>the</strong> good king <strong>of</strong> Judah, while he was a good king, was forbidden <strong>to</strong><br />
make use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hundred thousand auxiliaries he had hired <strong>of</strong> this Joash,<br />
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