2 Kings 4:14
12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call the Shunammite woman.” And when he had called her, she stood before him,
13 and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, ‘Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’” “I have a home among my own people,” she replied.
So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.”
15 “Call her,” said Elisha. So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway.
16 And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.”
- KJV
- And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
- WEB
- He said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Most certainly she has no son, and her husband is old.”
- ASV
- And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old.
- DARBY
- And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi said, Verily, she has no son, and her husband is old.
- BLB
- And he said, “And what [is] to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Truly there is not unto her a son, and her husband is old.”
- ÅB
- Så sa han: Hva kan jeg da gjøre for henne? Gehasi svarte: Jo, hun har ingen sønn, og hennes mann er gammel.
- OTB
- Så sa han, "Hva skal da gjøres for henne?" Og Gehasi svarte, "Vel, hun har ingen sønn, og hennes mann er gammel."
- B1930
- Så sa han: Hvad kan jeg da gjøre for henne? Gehasi svarte: Jo, hun har ingen sønn, og hennes mann er gammel.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Luke 1:7
But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years.
Read in context1 Samuel 1:8
“Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
Read in contextGenesis 15:2–3
But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
Read in contextGenesis 18:10–14
Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.
Read in contextJudges 13:2
Now there was a man from Zorah named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, whose wife was barren and had no children.
Read in contextGenesis 25:21
Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
Read in contextGenesis 30:1
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.
Read in context1 Samuel 1:2
He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
Read in context