2 Kings 4:35

35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro*;^[a] and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child 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.

---

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 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.

Footnotes

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