2 Kings 4:28-38

28 Then she said , Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say , Do not deceive me?

29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way : if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again : and lay my staff upon the face of the child.

30 And the mother of the child said , As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose , and followed * her.

31 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 .

32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead , and laid upon his bed.

33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.

34 And he went up , and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm .

35 Then he returned , and walked in the house to and fro * ; and went up , and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

36 And he called Gehazi, and said , Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said , Take up thy son.

37 Then she went in , and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out .

38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

2 Kings 4:28-38 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 4

This chapter treats of the miracles of Elisha, of his multiplying a poor widow's pot of oil for the payment of her husband's debts, 2Ki 4:1-7 of obtaining a son for a Shunamitish woman, who had been very hospitable to him, 2Ki 4:8-17, of his raising up her son to life when dead, 2Ki 4:18-37, of his curing the deadly pottage made of wild gourds, 2Ki 4:38-41, and of his feeding one hundred men with twenty barley loaves, 2Ki 4:42-44.

Footnotes

• [a]. hearing: Heb. attention
• [b]. to and fro: Heb. once hither and one thither