Even though Elisha’s command did not specify how many times the ground should be struck with the arrows, he becomes upset with Jehoash because his actions were inadequate. He hit the ground only three times while the prophet had apparently hoped that he would do it five or six times.

As in previous cases with reference to God’s spokesmen, the expression the man of God may be replaced by “the prophet” or by the proper name “Elisha” (so Good News Translation) if it seems more natural to do so in the receptor language. See the comments on this expression at 1 Kgs 12.22 and 13.1.

You should have struck five or six times: Elisha tells the king what he should have done but did not in fact do This statement is contrary to fact. Such statements are sometimes difficult to translate in certain languages. In some languages the hypothetical nature of the situation will have to begin with something like “It was going to be good if you struck….” Contemporary English Version approaches the problem in a slightly different way by using the conditional “If you had struck it….”

Syria is literally “Aram,” as in verse 3 (see the comments there).

But now you will strike down Syria only three times: These words bring King Jehoash and the reader back to reality. In spite of what might have happened if Jehoash had done something different, in fact he only hit the ground three times. The result, according to the dying prophet, is that he would defeat the Syrians on only (not in the Hebrew but correctly added to express the sense) three occasions and this would be insufficient to ensure their complete downfall. The verbs struck down and strike down clearly do not refer to complete defeat, but probably signify the winning of major battles.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .