2 Kings 4:31

2 Kings 4:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
• New International Version (NIV)Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, "The child has not awakened."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, “The child has not awakened.”

Context of 2 Kings 4:31

29So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your mantle under your belt, take my staff with you, and go. If you meet anyone, don’t stop to greet him, and if a man greets you, don’t answer him. Then place my staff on the boy’s face.” 30The boy’s mother said to Elisha, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her. Gehazi went ahead of them and placed the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or sign of life, so he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy didn’t wake up.” 32When Elisha got to the house, he discovered the boy lying dead on his bed. 33So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.

2 Kings 4:31 word by word

וְגֵחֲזִ֞י עָבַ֣ר לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם וַיָּ֤שֶׂם אֶת־הַמִּשְׁעֶ֙נֶת֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַנַּ֔עַר וְאֵ֥ין ק֖וֹל וְאֵ֣ין קָ֑שֶׁב וַיָּ֤שָׁב לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ וַיַּגֶּד־ל֣וֹ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א הֵקִ֖יץ הַנָּֽעַר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Gehaziגֵּיחֲזִיgêychăzîy gêchăzîy · GehaziH1522
• passed onעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• them, and laidשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• the staffמִשְׁעֶ֫נֶתmish‛ênâh mish‛eneth · staffH4938
• upon the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• of the childנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• neither voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
• nor hearingקֶ֫שֶׁבqesheb · attentivenessH7182
• Wherefore he went againשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• to meetקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
• him, and toldנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• him, sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• is not awakedקִיץqûts · to awakeH6974

Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:31

• 1 Samuel 14:37So Saul inquired of God, “Should I go after the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?” But God did not answer him that day.
• 1 Samuel 28:6He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him in dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets.
• Ezekiel 14:3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put their sinful stumbling blocks in front of themselves. Should I actually let them inquire of me?
• Matthew 17:16I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”
• Mark 9:19He replied to them, “You unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me.”
• Acts 19:13Now some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!”
• 1 Kings 18:26So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made.
• Job 14:12so people lie down never to rise again. They will not wake up until the heavens are no more; they will not stir from their sleep.
• Daniel 12:2Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt.
• Mark 5:39He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.”
• John 11:11He said this, and then he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m on my way to wake him up.”
• Ephesians 5:14for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:31

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31There was neither voice nor hearing - Compare 1 Kings 18:29. The child is not awakened - See 2 Kings 4:20. The euphemism by which death is spoken of as a sleep was already familiar to the Jews (see 1 Kings 1:21 note).Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-37Verses 18-37 Here is the sudden death of the child. All the mother's tenderness cannot keep alive a child of promise, a child of prayer, one given in love. But how admirably does the prudent, pious mother, guard her lips under this sudden affliction! Not one peevish word escapes from her. Such confidence had she of God's goodness, that she was ready to believe that he would restore what he had now taken away. O woman, great is thy faith! He that wrought…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31but there was no sound or response: Elisha's staff had no magical power; only God creates life (Acts 17:25–28).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 29-3129-31. take my staff ... and lay ... upon the face of the child--The staff was probably an official rod of a certain form and size. Necromancers used to send their staff with orders to the messengers to let it come in contact with nothing by the way that might dissipate or destroy the virtue imparted to it. Some have thought that Elisha himself entertained similar ideas, and was under an impression that the actual application of his staff would serve as…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 4:31

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Children
• Elisha
• Gehazi
• Miracles
• Shunammite
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Aside
• Careful
• Carmel
• Desire
• Gehazi
• Shunem
• Daniel, Book of
• Elisha
• Images
• Jehoahaz

Commentaries on 2 Kings 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings