2 Kings 13:21

Miracles and God's intervention Death and loss The resurrection

¹⁹ But the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to it. But now you will strike down Aram only three times.”

²⁰ And Elisha died and was buried. Now the Moabite raiders used to come into the land every spring.

Once, 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.

²² And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz.

²³ But the LORD was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them, and He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, the LORD has been unwilling to destroy them or cast them from His presence.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Once, 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.
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.
WEB: As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a band of raiders; and they threw the man into Elisha’s tomb. As soon as the man touched Elisha’s bones, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
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.
DARBY: And it came to pass as they were burying a man, that behold, they saw the band, and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; and the man went [down], and touched the bones of Elisha, and he revived, and stood upon his feet.
BLB: And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band, and they cast the man in the tomb of Elisha, and the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, and he was revived and stood on his feet.

ÅB: Så hendte det mens de var i ferd med å begrave en mann, at de fikk se en herjeflokk; da kastet de mannen ned i Elisas grav, og med det samme mannen rørte ved Elisas ben, ble han levende igjen og reiste seg opp på sine føtter.
OTB: Mens de begravde en mann, la de merke til en røverflokk; så de kastet mannen i Elisjas grav. Da han rørte ved Elisjas ben, ble mannen levende og reiste seg opp på føttene.
B1930: Så hendte det mens de var i ferd med å begrave en mann, at de fikk se en herjeflokk; da kastet de mannen ned i Elisas grav, og med det samme mannen rørte ved Elisas ben, blev han levende igjen og reiste sig op på sine føtter.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Acts 19:12
so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.
Read in context
2 Kings 4:35
Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
Read in context
Ezekiel 37:1–10
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones.
Read in context
John 5:28–29
Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice
Read in context
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.
Read in context
John 5:25
Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
Read in context
John 11:44
The man who had been dead came out with his hands and feet bound in strips of linen, and his face wrapped in a cloth. “Unwrap him and let him go,” Jesus told them.
Read in context
Matthew 27:52–53
The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
Read in context