Bible Strands
2 Kings 13:16
Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So the king put his hand on the bow, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Elisha instructs King Jehoash of Israel to place his hand on a bow during a prophetic ritual. This occurs immediately after Elisha commands the king to take the bow and arrows, and just before he directs him to open a window and shoot.
The words — The Hebrew verb הַרְכֵּב (harkeḇ) literally means “make ride” or “cause to mount,” applied here to the king’s hand upon the bow. Elisha repeats the action by laying his own hands over the king’s hands to guide the gesture.
The thread — The motif of hands placed upon hands appears in Elisha’s revival of the Shunammite’s son (2 Kings 4:34) and echoes Jacob’s blessing where Joseph’s bow is steadied by divine hands (Genesis 49:24). David also praises God who trains his hands for battle (Psalms 144:1).
Why it lands — The text records a physical transfer of agency where a prophet guides a king’s action to enact a divine promise. It requires the reader to observe how prophetic authority operates through tangible, directed movement rather than abstract speech.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands.
Cross-references
- Genesis 49:24 Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
- 2 Kings 4:34 Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body became warm.
- Psalms 144:1 Of David. Blessed be the LORD, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.