2 Kings 13 · a question people ask
Did Elisha's bones bring the man back to life?
The verse tells what happened, not how: "As soon as the man touched Elisha’s bones, he revived, and stood up on his feet" (13:21). Nobody in the verse prays or speaks, and it doesn't name the LORD. The first time Kings used this verb for someone coming back to life, the verse named the LORD: "The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived" (1 Kings 17:22) (tap revived). With the Shunammite's son, Elisha "prayed to the LORD" (4:33) before "the child opened his eyes" (4:35). Here the chapter says nothing more about the man or the tomb, and goes straight on to Hazael and to the LORD's grace to Israel (13:22-23).
The verses
“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.”
“The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.”
“He went in therefore, and shut the door on them both, and prayed to the LORD. He went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. He stretched himself on him; and the child’s flesh grew warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house once back and forth, then went up and stretched himself out on him. Then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.”
“Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. But the LORD was gracious to them, and had compassion on them, and favored them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them and he didn’t cast them from his presence as yet.”