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.
Elisha said, 'Open the window facing east.' And the king opened it. Then Elisha said, 'Shoot an arrow.' And he shot it. Then Elisha said, 'This is the LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow that means deliverance from Syria. You will defeat the Syrians at Aphek until you have completely destroyed them.'
The prophet Elisha is giving King Joash a prophetic sign that God will give him victory over Syria, using an arrow shot eastward as a symbol of God's promised deliverance.
📚 Historical Context
During the time of the prophet Elisha, Israel was facing repeated attacks from the Syrian army, and King Joash of Israel sought Elisha's prophetic guidance amid these conflicts. Elisha instructed Joash to shoot an arrow eastward as a symbolic act, representing God's promise of deliverance from their enemies in the ongoing wars. This event was set against the backdrop of Israel's struggles for survival, with the prophecy specifically foretelling a decisive victory over the Syrians at Aphek.
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