מלכים ב, פרק י״ג, פסוק י״ח

After being promised an initial, miraculous victory over the Aramean army, the king is instructed by the prophet Elisha to perform another symbolic act that will determine the course of the rest of the military campaign. The prophet commands the king to take his arrows and strike the ground. This action is understood either as shooting the arrows directly into the earth [ביאור שטיינזלץ] or as throwing them down to the ground along with the bow [מצודת דוד].

Elisha's hidden intention was for the king to strike the ground repeatedly. Because there were many arrows available and the instruction was simply to take them, the prophet expected the king to use every single one. Each strike was meant to represent a future victory over Aram, leading to their total destruction [מלבי״ם, רלב״ג].

However, the king struck the ground only three times before stopping entirely, ceasing to shoot or throw any additional arrows [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He halted his actions because he failed to grasp the deeper meaning behind the prophet's request [מלבי״ם]. By pausing, the king severely limited the success he could have achieved. Had he continued to strike the earth five or six times, or utilized all of his arrows, he would have secured an absolute and final victory over his enemies. Instead, as a direct result of his hesitation, his future successes were restricted, and he was destined to defeat Aram only three times [מלבי״ם, רלב״ג].