2 Kings 4:35

35 Then Elisha got down and paced back and forth in the house. Once again he got up on the bed and bent over the boy, at which point the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

2 Kings 4:35 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 4:35

Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro
Left the chamber, and came down to the house where the family chiefly resided, and walked to and fro in deep thought and meditation, and, no doubt, in fervent ejaculations for the wished for blessing to be completed:

and went up;
to the chamber again, and up to the bed in it:

and stretched himself upon him;
as before:

and the child sneezed seven times;
which was a sign of life, and even of health; and hereby his head was cleared, as some observe, of those humours that had caused the pains in it ^F1, and had issued in death:

and the child opened his eyes;
upon the prophet, another sign of life.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 28. c. 6. Aristot. Problem. sect. 33. qu. 9.

2 Kings 4:35 In-Context

33 He went in and closed the door behind the two of them. Then he prayed to the LORD.

34 He got up on the bed and lay down on top of the child, putting his mouth on the boy's mouth, his eyes on the boy's eyes, his hands on the boy's hands. And as he bent over him, the child's skin grew warm.

35 Then Elisha got down and paced back and forth in the house. Once again he got up on the bed and bent over the boy, at which point the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

36 Elisha called for Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite woman." Gehazi called her, and she came to Elisha. He told her, "Pick up your son."

37 She came and fell at his feet, facedown on the ground. Then she picked up her son and left.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or gasped; Heb uncertain