Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Kings 13:16

"And he said to the king of Israel, Put thy hand upon the bow; and he put his hand [upon it]. And Elisha laid his hands upon the king`s hands." — 2 Kings 13:16 (ASV)

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 symbolized. It is not implied that Elisha’s hands were on the king’s hands when he shot.