2 Kings 13:16

16 He said to the king of Israel, "{Lay your hand on the bow}," so he lay hold [of it]; then Elisha put his hand on the hands of the king.

2 Kings 13:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 13:16

And he said unto the king of Israel, put thine hand upon the
bow, and he put his hand upon it
His left hand:

and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands;
on both his hands, which were put, the one on the bow, the other on the arrow ^F13; hereby signifying, that though the king would draw the bow in battle, the Lord, whom the prophet represented, would give the success; and that it would be by his help, and through his blessing on his arms, that he would obtain victory over his enemies.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 See Virgil. Aeneid. 11. ver. 831, 862.

2 Kings 13:16 In-Context

14 Elisha became ill with the illness with which he would die, so Jehoash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, and said, "My father, my father; the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!"

15 Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows," so he took him a bow and arrows.

16 He said to the king of Israel, "{Lay your hand on the bow}," so he lay hold [of it]; then Elisha put his hand on the hands of the king.

17 Then he said, "Open the window to the east," so he opened [it]. Elisha said, "Shoot," and he shot. Then he said, "An arrow of victory for Yahweh, and an arrow of victory against Aram; you shall fight the Arameans in Aphek until finishing [them]."

18 Then he said, "Take the arrows," so he took [them]. He said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," so he struck three times and stopped.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "Let your hand climb upon the bow"