2 Kings 4:31

Gehazi

²⁹ 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.

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.”

³² When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed.

³³ So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.

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: 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.”
KJV: 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.
WEB: Gehazi went ahead of them, and laid the staff on the child’s face; but there was no voice and no hearing. Therefore he returned to meet him, and told him, “The child has not awakened.”
ASV: 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 returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
DARBY: And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the lad; but there was neither voice, nor sign of attention. And he returned to meet him, and told him saying, The lad is not awaked.
BLB: And Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the face of the boy. And [there was] no voice and no hearing. And he turned back to meet him and declared to him, saying, “The child has not awakened.”

ÅB: Gehasi gikk i forveien og la staven på guttens ansikt; men det hørtes ikke en lyd og viste seg ikke noe tegn til at han merket noe. Så vendte han tilbake og gikk Elisa i møte og fortalte ham det og sa: Gutten våknet ikke.
OTB: Nå gikk Gehasi foran dem og la staven på guttens ansikt, men det var ingen lyd eller respons. Så han vendte tilbake for å møte ham og fortalte ham, "Gutten har ikke våknet."
B1930: Gehasi gikk i forveien og la staven på guttens ansikt; men det hørtes ikke en lyd og viste sig ikke noget tegn til at han merket noget. Så vendte han tilbake og gikk Elisa i møte og fortalte ham det og sa: Gutten våknet ikke.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

John 11:11
After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”
Read in context
Mark 5:39
He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.”
Read in context
1 Kings 18:29
Midday passed, and they kept on raving until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no response; no one answered, no one paid attention.
Read in context
Ephesians 5:14
So it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Read in context
Matthew 17:16–20
I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
Read in context
Ezekiel 14:3
“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way?
Read in context
1 Samuel 14:37
So Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” But God did not answer him that day.
Read in context
John 11:43–44
After Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
Read in context