English Standard Version
2 Kings 4:29
29He said to Gehazi, "Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child."
2 Kings 4:29 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
- New International Version (NIV)Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then he said to Gehazi, “Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then Elisha said to Gehazi, “Get ready to travel; take my staff and go! Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child’s face.”
Context of 2 Kings 4:29
27And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, "Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me." 28Then she said, "Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me?'" He said to Gehazi, "Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child." 30Then the mother of the child said, "As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her. 31Gehazi 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."
Read all of 2 Kings 42 Kings 4:29 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לְגֵיחֲזִ֜י חֲגֹ֣ר מָתְנֶ֗יךָ וְקַ֨ח מִשְׁעַנְתִּ֣י בְיָדְךָ֮ וָלֵךְ֒ כִּֽי־תִמְצָ֥א אִישׁ֙ לֹ֣א תְבָרְכֶ֔נּוּ וְכִֽי־יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ אִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א תַעֲנֶנּ֑וּ וְשַׂמְתָּ֥ מִשְׁעַנְתִּ֖י עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַנָּֽעַר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to Gehaziגֵּיחֲזִיgêychăzîy gêchăzîy · GehaziH1522
- Gird upחָגַרchâgar · to girdH2296
- thy loinsמׇתְנַ֫יִםmôthen · loinH4975
- and takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- my staffמִשְׁעֶ֫נֶתmish‛ênâh mish‛eneth · staffH4938
- in thine handיָדyâd · handH3027
- and go thy wayיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- if thou meetמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- any manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- saluteבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
- thee, answer him not againעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- and layשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- upon the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- of the childנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:29
- 2 Kings 9:1Then Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, "Tie up your garments, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
- 1 Kings 18:46And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
- Ephesians 6:14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
- 1 Peter 1:13Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- 2 Kings 2:14Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.
- Exodus 4:17And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs."
- Luke 10:4Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.
- 2 Kings 2:8Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.
- Exodus 7:19And the Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"
- Exodus 14:16Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.
- Joshua 6:4Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
- Acts 3:16And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
- Acts 19:12so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 29Salute him not - Make all the haste thou possibly canst, and lay my staff on the face of the child; he probably thought that it might be a case of mere suspended animation or a swoon, and that laying the staff on the face of the child might act as a stimulus to excite the animal motions.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 29Salute him not - Compare the marginal reference. Salutation is the forerunner of conversation and one bent on speed would avoid every temptation to loiter. Lay my staff upon the face of the child - Perhaps to assuage the grief of the mother, by letting her feel that something was being done for her child.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. 29Elisha told Gehazi not to talk to anyone on the way, showing how serious and urgent the mission was. Jesus gave similar instructions when he sent out the seventy-two disciples (Luke 10:4). Placing Elisha’s staff on the child’s face showed the prophet's intention to connect with the boy and call upon God’s power.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 4:29
In the dictionaries
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
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