And the king answered and said unto the man of God
In another tone than when he bid the people lay hold on him; not in a haughty, but humble manner; not as threatening, but supplicating:
entreat now the face of the Lord thy God;
he does not say "my God", for he had apostatized from him, and served other gods, but "thy" God, whose prophet he was, and who had an interest in him, as clearly appeared by what he had said and done by him;
and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again;
not that the anger of God might be turned away from him, and he enjoy the divine favour, and have an application of pardoning grace made to him, only to have this outward mercy, this temporal favour restored to him, the use of his hand:
and the man of God besought the Lord;
not rendering evil for evil; but being of a forgiving spirit, though the king had stretched out his hand against him, he lifted up his hands to heaven for him:
and the king's hand was restored again, and became as it was before;
which was another instance of divine power, and a further proof of the prophet's divine mission; from whence it might be concluded, that what he had prophesied of would be fulfilled, and was an instance also of divine goodness to the king, which should have led him to repentance, but did not.