John Gill Commentary 2 Kings 13:18

"And he said, Take the arrows; and he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground; and he smote thrice, and stayed." — 2 Kings 13:18 (ASV)

And he said, take the arrows, and he took them
The rest of them:

and he said to the king of Israel ,
smite upon the ground; the floor of the room in which the prophet lay:

and he smote thrice, and stayed ;
made a stop, ceased smiting; he might think this action trifling, and beneath him, only was willing to please the prophet, but did not do it with a good will, and therefore smote no more; though this was an emblem of his smiting the Syrians, which he might not understand.