2 Kings 13:21

2 Kings 13:21 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

Context of 2 Kings 13:21

19The man of God then became angry with King Jehoash. He said, ‘You should have hit the ground five times or six times. Then you would have completely destroyed Syria's army. But now you will only win three battles against Syria.’ 20After that, Elisha died and they buried him. Every year in spring, groups of fighters from Moab came to attack places in Israel. One day some Israelites were burying a man who had died. While they were doing that, they saw a group of fighters from Moab. So they quickly threw the dead body into Elisha's grave. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the dead man became alive again! He jumped up and he stood there! 22All the time that Jehoahaz was king of Israel, King Hazael of Syria was cruel to the Israelites. 23But the Lord was kind to them and he helped them. He loved them because of his covenant with their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So he has never wanted to destroy them or to send them away from him, even until now.

2 Kings 13:21 word by word

וַיְהִ֞י הֵ֣ם׀ קֹבְרִ֣ים אִ֗ישׁ וְהִנֵּה֙ רָא֣וּ אֶֽת־הַגְּד֔וּד וַיַּשְׁלִ֥יכוּ אֶת־הָאִ֖ישׁ בְּקֶ֣בֶר אֱלִישָׁ֑ע וַיֵּ֜לֶךְ וַיִּגַּ֤ע הָאִישׁ֙ בְּעַצְמ֣וֹת אֱלִישָׁ֔ע וַיְחִ֖י וַיָּ֥קָם עַל־רַגְלָֽיו׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass, as they were buryingקָבַרqâbar · to buryH6912
• a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• that, behold, they spiedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• a bandגְּדוּדgedûd · bandH1416
• and they castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• into the sepulchreקֶ֫בֶרqeber qibrâh · graveH6913
• of Elishaאֱלִישָׁע'ĕlîyshâ‛ · ElishaH477
• was let downיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• and touchedנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
• the bonesעֶ֫צֶם‛etsem · boneH6106
• he revivedחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• and stood upקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
• on his feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272

Cross-references for 2 Kings 13:21

• 2 Kings 4:35Elisha went away from the bed. He walked round the room a few times. Then he got onto the bed again. He lay down across the boy. The boy sneezed seven times and then he opened his eyes.
• Isaiah 26:19But Lord, your people who have died will live again. Their bodies will rise up from their graves. You people who live in the ground, wake up! Shout because you are happy. You bring new life to the earth, like dew that comes in the morning. Dead people will come up from the earth and they will live again.
• Ezekiel 37:1The Lord took hold of me with great power. In a vision, the Lord's Spirit took me to the middle of a valley. Bones covered all the ground there.
• Matthew 27:52Places in the ground where people had buried dead bodies opened up. Many of God's people who had died now became alive again.
• John 5:25I tell you this: A time will soon come when those who are dead in their spirits will hear the voice of the Son of God. Yes, it is that time already. Those people who hear that message will receive true life.
• John 11:44The dead man came out. There were pieces of cloth round his hands and round his feet. Another piece of cloth was round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Undo the cloths and let him go.’
• Acts 5:15As a result, people carried their sick friends into the streets and put them on beds and mats. They hoped that Peter would pass that way and make their sick friends well again. They just wanted Peter's shadow to touch them.
• Acts 19:12Because of this, people were taking pieces of cloth and clothes that Paul gave to them. Paul had used these things, and people took them to those who were ill. After they touched these cloths, the sick people would become well again. Bad spirits also left them.
• Revelation 11:11But after three and a half days, God breathed life into those dead bodies. They stood up. The people who saw them were very afraid.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 13:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21They 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21They 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 Luke 7:15; John 11:44). This miracle of Elisha‘s after his death is more surprising than any of those…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-25Verses 20-25 God has many ways to chastise a provoking people. Trouble comes sometimes from that point whence we least feared it. The mention of this invasion on the death of Elisha, shows that the removal of God's faithful prophets is a presage of coming judgments. His dead body was a means of giving life to another dead body. This miracle was a confirmation of his prophecies. And it may have reference to Christ, by whose death and burial, the grave is…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21Elisha’s death offers a chance to share one last story about the prophet. The Moabite raiders seemed to plan their attacks on Israel during the early harvest, before the summer heat. The dead man came back to life when his body touched Elisha’s bones, showing that Elisha’s prophecy would come true. Weakened Israel (2 Kings 13:7) would recover and drive away the Aramean invaders (2 Kings 13:25; 14:25; compare Ezekiel 37:1–14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2120-21. Elisha died--He had enjoyed a happier life than Elijah, as he possessed a milder character, and bore a less hard commission. His rough garment was honored even at the court. coming in of the year--that is, the spring, the usual season of beginning campaigns in ancient times. Predatory bands from Moab generally made incursions at that time on the lands of Israel. The bearers of a corpse, alarmed by the appearance of one of these bands, hastily…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 13:21

• Dead (People)
• Elisha
• Jehoash
• Miracles
• Prophecy

In the dictionaries

• Elisha
• Coming
• Band
• Death
• Decease, in the Old Testament and Apocyphra
• Jehoash; Joash
• Pekah

Commentaries on 2 Kings 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings