1 Kings 17:21

WEB

He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to the Lord, and said, "Lord my God, please let this child's soul come into him again."

KJV

And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.

Commentary

And he stretched himself upon the child three times,.... Or "measured himself" (i) on it, or put himself into a posture in some respects equal to the child; putting his mouth on its mouth , his eyes on its eyes, his hands on its hands, as Elisha afterwards did in a like case, perhaps in imitation of him, Kg2 4:34 , thereby showing his great affection to the child, and in order to increase it the more, and to make him the more fervent and importunate in his prayers for its life; and hereby signifying also that he would if he could infuse his breath and life into it, and warm it with his own heat: and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again: which shows that the child was really dead; and a proof this that the soul dies not with the body, but exists in a separate state without it. (i) "et mensus est se", Pagninus, Montanus; "admensus se", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.