2 Kings 4:16

16 And he said, At this appointed time, when thy term is come, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.

2 Kings 4:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 4:16

And he said, about this season
In the next year:

according to the time of life;
the usual time women go with child:

thou shalt embrace a son;
in thine arms, that shall be born of thee, which she should have in her lap, and in her bosom:

and she said, nay, my lord, do not lie unto thine handmaid;
or speak unto her what was not truth; it was so great, and so unaccountable, how it could be in her circumstances, that she could not believe it to be true, though she wished it might; or do not deceive me with vain and false words, or flatter me, jest with me, which would be unbecoming his character as a man of God, and prophet of the Lord; according to the Targum, she wished it might prove true, and she not deceived; see ( 2 Kings 4:28 ) .

2 Kings 4:16 In-Context

14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi said, Verily, she has no son, and her husband is old.

15 And he said, Call her; and he called her; and she stood in the doorway.

16 And he said, At this appointed time, when thy term is come, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.

17 And the woman conceived, and bore a son at that appointed time in the next year as Elisha had said to her.

18 And the child grew, and it came to pass one day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'at [this] time of the year' [lit. 'life'], as ver. 17; Gen. 18.14.