(16) Put thine hand upon the bow.--Rather, as margin. In drawing a bow, the left hand "rides" upon it, or closes round it, while the right grasps arrow and string.

Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands.--So as to invest the act of shooting with a prophetic character; and, further perhaps, to signify the consecration of the king to the task that the shooting symbolised. It is not implied that Elisha's hands were on the king's hands when he shot.

Verse 16. - And he said to the King of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow - literally, let thine hand ride upon the bow; i.e. "Take it into active use - place thine hands as thou dost commonly for shooting - and he put his hand upon it - he did as Elisha commanded - and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. Elisha, it would seem, rose from his bed, and took the attitude of an archer, covering the king's two hands with his own hands, and making as if he too was pulling the bow, so that the shooting should be, or at least appear to be, the joint act of himself and the king. The intention was, no doubt, as Keil says, "to show that the power which was to be given to the bow-shot" was not the king's own power, but "came from the Lord through the mediation of his prophet."

13:10-19 Jehoash, the king, came to Elisha, to receive his dying counsel and blessing. It may turn much to our spiritual advantage, to attend the sick-beds and death-beds of good men, that we may be encouraged in religion by the living comforts they have from it in a dying hour. Elisha assured the king of his success; yet he must look up to God for direction and strength; must reckon his own hands not enough, but go on, in dependence upon Divine aid. The trembling hands of the dying prophet, as they signified the power of God, gave this arrow more force than the hands of the king in his full strength. By contemning the sign, the king lost the thing signified, to the grief of the dying prophet. It is a trouble to good men, to see those to whom they wish well, forsake their own mercies, and to see them lose advantages against spiritual enemies.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 (m); 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.

(m) See Virgil. Aeneid. 11. ver. 831, 862.