1 Kings 17:21

1 Kings 17:21 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.”

Context of 1 Kings 17:21

19He said to her, “Hand me your son.” He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him down on his bed. 20Then he called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, are you also bringing disaster on this widow I am staying with by killing her son?” He stretched out over the boy three times and called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, please let this boy’s breath return to him.” 22The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer; the boy’s breath returned to him and he lived. 23Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room to the house, and handed him to his mother. Elijah then said, “See, your son is alive!”

1 Kings 17:21 word by word

וַיִּתְמֹדֵ֤ד עַל־הַיֶּ֙לֶד֙ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ פְּעָמִ֔ים וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י תָּ֥שָׁב נָ֛א נֶֽפֶשׁ־הַיֶּ֥לֶד הַזֶּ֖ה עַל־קִרְבּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he stretchedמָדַדmâdad · to measureH4058
• himself upon the childיֶ֫לֶדyeled · youthH3206
• threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• timesפַּ֫עַםpa‛am pa‛ămâh · beatH6471
• and criedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• comeשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• into himקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130

Cross-references for 1 Kings 17:21

• 2 Kings 4:33He went in by himself and closed the door. Then he prayed to the Lord.
• Acts 10:10He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him.
• Acts 9:40But Peter sent them all outside, knelt down, and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
• Hebrews 11:19and he reasoned that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense he received him back from there.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 17:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Stretched himself upon the child three times - It is supposed that he did this in order to communicate some natural warmth to the body of the child, in order to dispose it to receive the departed spirit. Elisha, his disciple, did the same in order to restore the dead child of the Shunammite, 2 Kings 4:34. And St. Paul appears to have stretched himself on Eutychus in order to restore him to life, Acts 20:10. Let this child's soul come into him again…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21He stretched himself upon the child three times - This action of Elijah is different from that of Elisha (marginal reference), and does not imply the use of any natural means for the restoration of suspended animation. It is nearly parallel to the “touch,” through which our Lord performed similar miracles Matthew 9:25; Luke 7:14.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-24Verses 17-24 Neither faith nor obedience shut out afflictions and death. The child being dead, the mother spake to the prophet, rather to give vent to her sorrow, than in hope of relief. When God removes our comforts from us, he remembers our sins against us, perhaps the sins of our youth, though long since past. When God remembers our sins against us, he designs to teach us to remember them against ourselves, and to repent of them. Elijah's prayer was…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21We do not know what life-giving power Elijah intended to show by touching the dead boy, but he clearly trusted in the Lord. Elisha later did a similar ritual when the Lord brought back to life the dead son of the woman from Shunem (2 Kings 4:32–37).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2417-24. the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick--A severe domestic calamity seems to have led her to think that, as God had shut up heaven upon a sinful land in consequence of the prophet, she was suffering on a similar account. Without answering her bitter upbraiding, the prophet takes the child, lays it on his bed, and after a very earnest prayer, had the happiness of seeing its restoration, and along with it, gladness to the widow's…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 17:21

• Blessing
• Children
• Dead (People)
• Elijah
• Hospitality
• Intercession
• Miracles
• Poor
• Women
• Zarephath

In the dictionaries

• God
• Ahab
• Dearth
• Elijah
• Eutychus
• Prayer
• Quotations
• Revive
• Waste
• Botany

Commentaries on 1 Kings 17

• 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
• 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