2 Kings 13:21
in 2 Kings 13Once, as the Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders, so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. And as soon as his body touched the bones of Elisha, the man was revived and stood up on his feet.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
KJV
And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
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This verse in 2 Kings 13
Commentary
11 notes on this verseAfter this, another law is published. It says, "Whatever soul touches anything unclean, or the carcass of unclean beasts, and conceals it and is defiled, or if he touches the uncleanness of [a person] or anything unclean by which he is defiled," and so forth. These, to be sure, are observed by the Jews indecently and uselessly enough. And why should one who, for example, touches a dead animal or the body of a dead person be held to be impure? What if it is the body of a prophet?
This site's exposition
the bands of the Moabites
on 2 Kings 13:20-21
Elisha dies and is buried, and Wesley reads the Moabite raid that follows at the coming in of the year as judgment moving in where a faithful prophet's protection has been removed. A corpse thrown hastily into Elisha's own sepulchre touches the prophet's bones and stands up alive, the last of his miracles worked without a word from his mouth. The bench reads it as the seal on a lifetime of the LORD's power resting on him, power the grave itself could not hold back.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsCONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 6.30 · Written before 380.
proposed
Wherefore, of those that live with God, even their very relics are not without honor. For even Elisha the prophet, after he was fallen asleep, raised up a dead man who was slain by the pirates of Syria. For his body touched the bones of Elisha, and he arose and revived. Now this would not have happened unless the body of Elisha were holy.
Not only to-day, therefore, but every day let us go forth to him, plucking spiritual fruits from him. For it is, it is possible for him who comes hither with faith to gather the fruit of many good things. For not the bodies only, but the very sepulchres of the saints have been filled with spiritual grace. For if in the case of Elisha this happened, and a corpse when it touched the sepulchre, burst the bands of death and returned to life again, much rather now, when grace is more abundant, when the energy of the spirit is greater, is it possible that one touching a sepulchre, with faith, should win great power; thence on this account God allowed us the remains of the saints, wishing to lead by them us to the same emulation, and to afford us a kind of haven, and a secure consolation for the evils which are ever overtaking us. Wherefore I beseech you all, if any is in despondency, if in disease, if under insult, if in any other circumstance of this life, if in the depth of sins, let him come hither with faith, and he will lay aside all those things, and will return with much joy, having procured a lighter conscience from the sight alone. But more, it is not only necessary that those who are in affliction should come hither, but if any one be in cheerfulness, in glory, in power, in much assurance towards God, let not this man despise the benefit. For coming hither and beholding this saint, he will keep these noble possessions unmoved, persuading his own soul to be moderate by the recollection of this man's mighty deeds, and not suffering his conscience by the mighty deeds to be lifted up to any self conceit.
Now also Elijah raised somebody from the dead, and Elisha, too, performed that miracle during his lifetime. But none of the prophets, after dying, ever resurrected anyone. Therefore see how the spirit of Elijah doubly rests on Elisha. In fact, the power that the Lord …
And because temporal death is a mercy for the righteous, death they therefore despise, since it is subjugated to them like a slave. In what manner did death harm [Elisha] who descended into Hades? For whilst he was in the pit of death, he snatched …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And it may, perhaps, have a reference to Christ, by whose death and burial the grave is made to all believers a safe and happy passage to life. It likewise intimated that though Elisha was dead, yet, in virtue of the promises made by him, Israel's interests, though they seemed quite sunk and lost, should revive and flourish again.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Which is noted to intimate, that the Israelites were not conquered, because of the cowardice of their king, but merely from the righteous judgment of God, who was now resolved to reckon with them for their apostacy. Fallen sick, &c. - He lived long: for it was sixty years since he was first called to be a prophet.
And it came to pass, as they were burying a man,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
They cast the man - Rather, “they thrust the man.” The graves of the Jews were not pits dug in the ground, like ours, but caves or cells excavated in the side of a rock, the mouth of the cave being ordinarily shut by a heavy stone. Stood up on his feet - Coffins were not used by the Jews. The body was simply wrapped or swathed in grave-clothes (compare Luk 7:15; Joh 11:44). This miracle of Elisha’s after his death is more surprising than any of those which he performed during his lifetime.
They spied a band - They saw one of these marauding parties; and through fear could not wait to bury their dead, but threw the body into the grave of Elisha, which chanced then to be open; and as soon as it touched the bones of the prophet, the man was restored to life. This shows that the prophet did not perform his miracles by any powers of his own, but by the power of God; and he chose to honor his servant, by making even his bones the instrument of another miracle after his death. This is the first, and I believe the last, account of a true miracle performed by the bones of a dead man; and yet on it and such like the whole system of miraculous working relics has been founded by the popish Church.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֞י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הֵ֣ם׀ | hem | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| קֹבְרִ֣ים | koerim | [were] burying | H6912 → | 133 times |
| אִ֗ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וְהִנֵּה֙ | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| רָא֣וּ | rau | they saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַגְּד֔וּד | hagedud | <the> marauding band | H1416 → | 33 times |
| וַיַּשְׁלִ֥יכוּ | vaiyashlikhu | and they threw | H7993 → | 125 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאִ֖ישׁ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בְּקֶ֣בֶר | bekever | in [the] grave of | H6913 → | 67 times |
| אֱלִישָׁ֑ע | ʾelisha' | Elisha | H477 → | 58 times |
| וַיֵּ֜לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וַיִּגַּ֤ע | vaiyiga' | and he touched | H5060 → | |
| הָאִישׁ֙ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בְּעַצְמ֣וֹת | beatzmot | <in> [the] bones of | H6106 → | 126 times |
| אֱלִישָׁ֔ע | ʾelisha' | Elisha | H477 → | 58 times |
| וַיְחִ֖י | vaychi | and he lived | H2421 → | 282 times |
| וַיָּ֥קָם | vaiyakom | and he arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רַגְלָֽיו׃ פ | raglav | feet his | H7272 → | 247 times |
וַיְהִ֞יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
הֵ֣ם׀they
hemH1992 →553 times
קֹבְרִ֣ים[were] burying
koerimH6912 →133 times
אִ֗ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
וְהִנֵּה֙and there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
רָא֣וּthey saw
rauH7200 →1300 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַגְּד֔וּד<the> marauding band
hagedudH1416 →33 times
וַיַּשְׁלִ֥יכוּand they threw
vaiyashlikhuH7993 →125 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאִ֖ישׁthe man
haishH376 →1663 times
בְּקֶ֣בֶרin [the] grave of
bekeverH6913 →67 times
אֱלִישָׁ֑עElisha
ʾelisha'H477 →58 times
וַיֵּ֜לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
וַיִּגַּ֤עand he touched
vaiyiga'H5060 →
הָאִישׁ֙the man
haishH376 →1663 times
בְּעַצְמ֣וֹת<in> [the] bones of
beatzmotH6106 →126 times
אֱלִישָׁ֔עElisha
ʾelisha'H477 →58 times
וַיְחִ֖יand he lived
vaychiH2421 →282 times
וַיָּ֥קָםand he arose
vaiyakomH6965 →628 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רַגְלָֽיו׃ פfeet his
raglavH7272 →247 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 19:12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.
it leads to
- Acts 5:15
As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
- 2 Kings 13:20–21
And Elisha died and was buried. Now the Moabite raiders used to come into the land every spring.
- Mark 16:17
And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
- 2 Kings 4:29–31
So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him.…
- Acts 5:15
Through
Acts 5:15As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
it leads to
- Matthew 14:36
and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.
- Acts 19:11–12
God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,
- John 14:12
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
- Matthew 9:21
She said to herself, “If only I touch His cloak, I will be healed.”
- Matthew 14:36
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Apostolic Constitutions, CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 6.30; Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 13:21; Ephrem the Syrian, HOMILY ON THE SOLITARIES 253-64; John Chrysostom, Eulogy on Saint Ignatius; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON LEVITICUS 3.3.1.