New King James Version
1 Kings 17:21
21And 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.”
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 Living Translation (NLT)And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.”
Context of 1 Kings 17:21
19And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” 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.” 22Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. 23And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”
Read all of 1 Kings 171 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 therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.
- Acts 10:10Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance
- Acts 9:40But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.
- Hebrews 11:19concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
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
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries