And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as [it was] before.
Ver. 6. Intreat now the face - seek the favour for me - of the Lord thy God.] He could not say, My God, for he had chosen other gods, forsaken his own mercies, and was miserable by his own election.
And the king's hand was restored again.] Such is the power of prayer. Jam 5:16 A like example we find in Nicephorns and Cedrenus, of a certain profane painter in Constantinople, who, assaying to paint Christ in the form of Jupiter, had his hand in like sort dried up and withered. But upon humble confession of his fault, he was healed again, at the devout prayer of Gennadius, bishop of that city.
And became as it was before.] But his heart continued as hard and inflexible as ever. See on 1 Kings 13:4 .