As they were burying, or, were about to bury, as that particle is oft used in the Hebrew tongue. They spied a band of men coming towards them, but at some distance. They cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; not daring to carry the dead corpse further to the place appointed for his burial, they made use of the next burying-place, where Elisha was buried, and there they removed some stone, or opened some door, and hastily flung down their dead corpse there. The man, i.e. the man's dead body, or the coffin in which he was put. Touched the bones of Elisha; which might easily be, the coffin and linen in which Elisha's body was put, and the flesh of his body, being now consumed; for this was some considerable time after his death. He revived, and stood up on his feet; which miracle God wrought there, partly, to do honour to that great prophet, and that by this seal he might confirm his doctrine, and thereby confute the false doctrine and worship of the Israelites; partly, to strengthen the faith of Joash, and of the Israelites, in his promise of their success against the Syrians; and partly, in the midst of all their calamities, to comfort such Israelites as were Elisha's followers with the hopes of that eternal life whereof this was a manifest pledge, and to awaken the rest of that people to a due care and preparation for it.
Related Commentaries of 2 Kings 13:21
2 Kings 13:21
21 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.