2 Kings 4 21

2 Kings 4:21 kjv

And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.

2 Kings 4:21 nkjv

And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out.

2 Kings 4:21 niv

She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

2 Kings 4:21 esv

And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out.

2 Kings 4:21 nlt

She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there.

2 Kings 4 verses

2 Kings 4 21 Meaning

Upon discovering her beloved son lifeless, the Shunammite woman, with unwavering resolve and active faith, carried him to the upper chamber that was dedicated to Elisha, the man of God. She meticulously placed him upon Elisha's personal bed, closed the door behind them, and then promptly departed to seek Elisha. Her actions underscore both the depths of her grief and her profound belief in Elisha's divinely granted ability to intercede and reverse death.

2 Kings 4 21 Context

This verse is situated in 2 Kings chapter 4, a chapter rich with accounts of Elisha's miraculous ministry demonstrating God's diverse power through His servant. The story of the Shunammite woman begins earlier in the chapter (vv. 8-17) where she, a prosperous and hospitable woman, provided a dedicated upper room for Elisha. As a reward for her kindness and upon Elisha's prophetic word, she was blessed with a son in her old age, a child longed for. Verse 21 occurs immediately after this miraculous son tragically dies from a sudden illness while out with his father in the harvest field (vv. 18-20).

Culturally, for a barren woman to receive a child was seen as a profound divine blessing. The subsequent death of this miraculously given child would have been utterly devastating and viewed as a grievous loss, potentially even a withdrawal of divine favor in ancient Near Eastern thought. The "man of God" (Elisha) held significant spiritual authority and was perceived as an intermediary with Yahweh. The Shunammite woman's response to her son's death is extraordinary: instead of public lamentation or accepting fate, she turns directly to the "man of God," placing her hope and the deceased child entirely in his sphere of influence. This action implicitly underscores the unique and singular power of Yahweh, the God of Israel, in contrast to the impotent local deities, particularly Baal, who despite being a fertility god, held no power over life and death. The narrative implicitly champions Yahweh's supreme dominion.

2 Kings 4 21 Word analysis

• וַתַּעַל (va-ta'-al): "And she went up"
  • Word: Derived from the Hebrew root עָלָה (ʿālâ), meaning "to go up," "ascend."
  • Significance: This indicates a deliberate movement, likely to the aliyāh or upper room dedicated to Elisha (as described in 2 Ki 4:10). Her "ascent" symbolizes a purposeful transition from the general household space to the specific, sacred dwelling of the prophet.
• וַתַּשְׁכִּבֵהוּ (va-tash-ki-ve'-hu): "and she laid him"
  • Word: Hiphil (causative) form of שָׁכַב (shâkhav), "to lie down," here meaning "she caused him to lie down" or "she laid him down."
  • Significance: Her action is gentle and respectful, not an act of despair or abandonment. The causative verb highlights her active, intentional choice in positioning her son, suggesting careful reverence rather than hasty grief.
• עַל־מִטַּת (ʿal-mit-ṭat): "on the bed of"
  • Word: מִטָּה (miṭṭâh), meaning "couch" or "bed." The definite article "the" implied.
  • Significance: It was specifically Elisha's bed, not just any resting place. A bed is a symbol of intimate rest and personal space. By placing her dead son there, she demonstrates extraordinary faith, presenting her profound crisis within the very personal, holy sphere of God's representative. It suggests a complete surrender and trust that God's power would permeate even Elisha's resting place to bring life.
• אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים (ʾîsh hâ-ʾĕlōhîm): "the man of God."
  • Phrase: A powerful title throughout the Old Testament, denoting a prophet or divinely appointed servant of God (e.g., Moses, Samuel, Elijah).
  • Significance: This title clarifies that her faith is not in Elisha as a person, but in the God whose servant Elisha is. She recognized Elisha as Yahweh's direct vessel, endowed with divine authority and power, making his chamber a place of potential divine intervention.
• וַתִּסְגֹּר (va-tis-gōr): "and she shut"
  • Word: From סָגַר (sâgar), "to shut," "close."
  • Significance: This act creates a private, isolated space for her son and the sacred elements within. It demonstrates her determined resolve to exclude external interference and indicates her anticipation of a unique divine transaction, perhaps preserving the sanctity of the moment before Elisha's arrival.
• בַּעֲדוֹ (baʿ-ăḏōw): "upon him" / "behind him"
  • Phrase: בַּעַד (baʿad) is a preposition often meaning "behind" or "around," with the masculine singular suffix referring to her son.
  • Significance: This emphasizes that the door was shut with him inside. It underlines the precise intention to seal off the deceased boy within Elisha's sacred chamber, a symbol of setting the impossible problem directly before God.
• אֶת־הַדֶּלֶת (ʾet-had-de'-let): "the door."
  • Word: דֶּלֶת (delet), "door."
  • Significance: Refers specifically to the entrance of Elisha's chamber. The closing of the door signifies the deliberate creation of a private, holy enclosure where a miracle could unfold without worldly distraction or despair.
• וַתֵּצֵא (va-tē-tzēʾ): "and she went out."
  • Word: From יָצָא (yâtsâʾ), "to go out," "go forth."
  • Significance: Her immediate departure is crucial. She did not remain lamenting, but instead took purposeful action. This exit demonstrates active faith and swift decision-making, signifying that her next step was to directly seek Elisha to complete the process she had initiated, refusing to simply passively mourn.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God": This sequence encapsulates her immediate, private, and hopeful act of surrender and positioning. Her physically elevating the boy to Elisha's chamber and placing him on the prophet's own bed signifies a deep and unwavering trust in the power and authority vested in the "man of God," believing his sphere of influence could extend even over death itself. It's a symbolic act of bringing her dire situation into the holiest accessible presence.
• "and shut the door upon him, and went out": These two rapid, decisive actions signify her purposeful resolve and unwavering faith. Sealing off the room, with her son inside, implies both a desire for privacy for divine action and a resolute intention to present the matter directly to Elisha without any further distraction. Her swift departure underlines that her trust was not passive waiting, but active pursuit of the solution by going straight to the divine instrument.

2 Kings 4 21 Bonus section

The Hebrew narrative here employs a series of waw consecutive perfect verbs (va-ta'al, va-tashkivehu, va-tisgor, va-tetze), which typically denote a sequence of rapid, interconnected actions. This linguistic feature reinforces the immediacy, decisiveness, and purposeful flow of the Shunammite woman's response to her son's death. There is no hesitation or protracted despair; rather, a quick, focused set of actions aimed at initiating divine intervention. Her quiet yet potent display of faith here, preparing the stage for a miracle, sets her apart as a remarkable example of trust in God's power through His servants. The story vividly portrays that the locus of hope is not in human efforts or lamentation, but solely in the power of Yahweh manifested through "the man of God."

2 Kings 4 21 Commentary

2 Kings 4:21 offers a profound glimpse into the resolute faith of the Shunammite woman amidst her most agonizing moment. Instead of yielding to immediate, culturally expected expressions of grief or ritual lamentation, she acts with a singular purpose driven by faith. Her actions are methodical: she ascends to Elisha's room, a place established by her own generosity, and places her deceased son on the prophet's personal bed. This deliberate act is not merely a symbolic gesture; it demonstrates an extraordinary trust that the holiness of Elisha's consecrated space and his personal connection to God could, through divine power, transcend death itself. By laying her dead son there, she entrusts him wholly into the prophetic realm, anticipating God's intervention through His chosen vessel. The shutting of the door further emphasizes her deep resolve and intent to create a secluded sanctuary for this desperate hope, excluding the world's despair and providing an intimate space for divine operation. Her subsequent immediate departure to seek Elisha signals an active faith, demonstrating that she had full confidence in the man of God as the means through which the miracle would be accomplished. Her actions reveal a foundational biblical principle: when facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, turning to God through His appointed channels with bold, active faith is often the prerequisite for divine breakthrough.

• Practical examples: When faced with life's 'dead' situations (broken relationships, overwhelming illnesses, lost dreams), do we metaphorically "lay them on the bed of the Man of God" through fervent prayer and diligent pursuit of His will? Do we, like the Shunammite, close off distractions and actively seek God's appointed means (His Word, His Spirit, His Church) for restoration?