2 Kings 4:29

Gehazi

²⁷ When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”

²⁸ Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”

So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.”

³⁰ And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.

³¹ Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”

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 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
KJV: 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.
WEB: Then he said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand, and go your way. If you meet any man, don’t greet him; and if anyone greets you, don’t answer him again. Then lay my staff on the child’s face.”
ASV: Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy 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.
DARBY: And he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy 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 lad.
BLB: And he said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him. And if anyone greets you, do not answer him. And lay my staff on the face of the boy.”

ÅB: Da sa han til Gehasi: Omgjord dine lender og ta min stav i hånden og gå avsted! Møter du noen, så hils ikke på ham, og hilser noen på deg, så svar ham ikke, og legg min stav på guttens ansikt.
OTB: Da sa han til Gehasi, "Gjør deg klar, ta min stav i hånden og gå. Hvis du møter noen, ikke hils på ham, og hvis noen hilser på deg, ikke svar ham. Og legg min stav på guttens ansikt."
B1930: Da sa han til Gehasi: Omgjord dine lender og ta min stav i hånden og gå avsted! Møter du nogen, så hils ikke på ham, og hilser nogen på dig, så svar ham ikke, og legg min stav på guttens ansikt.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

2 Kings 2:14
Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.
Read in context
1 Kings 18:46
And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
Read in context
Exodus 14:16
And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
Read in context
Luke 10:4
Carry no purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the road.
Read in context
2 Kings 9:1
Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
Read in context
Exodus 4:17
But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.”
Read in context
Acts 19:12
so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.
Read in context
Exodus 7:19–20
And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.”
Read in context