New American Standard Bible 1995
2 Kings 4:31
31Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad’s face, but there was no sound or 1response. So he returned to meet him and told 2him, “The lad 3has not awakened.”
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
29Then he said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go your way; if you meet any man, do not salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and lay my staff on the lad’s face.” 30The mother of the lad said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” And he arose and followed her. Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, “The lad has not awakened.” 32When Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed. 33So he entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to the Lord.
Read all of 2 Kings 42 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
- Then Gehaziגֵּיחֲזִיgêychăzîy gêchăzîy · GehaziH1522
- passedעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- on beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- them and laidשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- the staffמִשְׁעֶ֫נֶתmish‛ênâh mish‛eneth · staffH4938
- on the lad’sנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
- faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- but thereאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
- soundקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
- responseקֶ֫שֶׁבqesheb · attentivenessH7182
- So he returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- to meetקָרָאqârâ' · to encounter: meetH7122
- him and toldנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:31
- 1 Samuel 14:37Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” But He did not answer him on that day.
- 1 Samuel 28:6When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.
- Ezekiel 14:3“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all?
- Matthew 17:16I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.”
- Mark 9:19And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”
- Acts 19:13But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
- 1 Kings 18:26Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made.
- Job 14:12So man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no longer, He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep.
- Daniel 12:2Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.
- Mark 5:39And entering in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.”
- John 11:11This He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.”
- Ephesians 5:14For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise 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
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. 2 Kings 4:31 Lit attentiveness ↩
- 2. 2 Kings 4:31 Lit him, saying ↩
- 3. 2 Kings 4:31 John 11:11 ↩
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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