2 Kings 13:25
And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel. And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.
Jehoash in this verse is also called Joash. His recovery of Israelite cities took place when the kingdom of the ten tribes had been devastated and made tributary to Hazael, king of Syria, during the reigns of Jehoahaz and Jehoash. Joash won three decisive victories over Ben-hadad and recovered the Israelite cities Syria had taken from his father, Jehoahaz.
The cities are those that Hazael, Ben-hadad's father, had taken from Jehoahaz, which Jehoash recovered by defeating Syria three times. Those who identify the taker directly as Ben-hadad teach that they were the cities Ben-hadad had taken from Jehoahaz, which Jehoash recovered by defeating Ben-hadad three times. The three victories fulfilled Elisha's prophecy given after Joash struck the ground three times, that Israel would strike Syria three times.
Because Joash struck the ground only three times and stopped, showing limited persistence, Israel was given only three victories rather than a complete and lasting triumph, so Syria was not completely defeated. In this episode Elisha was seeking to teach Joash persistence and faithfulness, but Joash failed. The victories were decisive, but the uncompleted deliverance would be only temporary. Jeroboam II later completed Israel's deliverance from Syrian oppression.