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

29Elisha told Gehazi, “Tuck your robes into your belt, take my staff, and go! Don’t stop to exchange greetings with anyone! Place my staff on the child’s face.” 30The mother of the child said, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So Elisha got up and followed her back. Now Gehazi went on ahead of them. He placed the staff on the child’s face, but there was no sound or response. When he came back to Elisha he told him, “The child did not wake up.” 32When Elisha arrived at the house, there was the child lying dead on his bed. 33He went in by himself and closed the door. Then he 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 asked God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day.
• 1 Samuel 28:6So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him – not by dreams nor by Urim nor by the prophets.
• Ezekiel 14:3“Son of man, these men have erected their idols in their hearts and placed the obstacle leading to their iniquity right before their faces. Should I really allow them to seek me?
• Matthew 17:16I brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to heal him.”
• Mark 9:19He answered them, “You unbelieving generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him to me.”
• Acts 19:13But some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
• 1 Kings 18:26So they took a bull, as he had suggested, and prepared it. They invoked the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us.” But there was no sound and no answer. They jumped around on the altar they had made.
• Job 14:12so man lies down and does not rise; until the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor arise from their sleep.
• Daniel 12:2Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake – some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence.
• Mark 5:39When he entered he said to them, “Why are you distressed and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.”
• John 11:11After he said this, he added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I am going there to awaken him.”
• Ephesians 5:14For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says: “Awake, O sleeper! Rise 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