2 Kings 4 26

2 Kings 4:26 kjv

Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well:

2 Kings 4:26 nkjv

Please run now to meet her, and say to her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?' " And she answered, "It is well."

2 Kings 4:26 niv

Run to meet her and ask her, 'Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?'?" "Everything is all right," she said.

2 Kings 4:26 esv

Run at once to meet her and say to her, 'Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?'" And she answered, "All is well."

2 Kings 4:26 nlt

Run out to meet her and ask her, 'Is everything all right with you, your husband, and your child?'" "Yes," the woman told Gehazi, "everything is fine."

2 Kings 4 verses

2 Kings 4 26 Meaning

2 Kings 4:26 describes Elisha the prophet urgently instructing his servant Gehazi to hasten towards the Shunammite woman, who is approaching him in distress. Elisha commands Gehazi to inquire repeatedly about the well-being ("Is it well?") of herself, her husband, and critically, the child, even though the child has already died. This inquiry highlights Elisha's keen awareness of the situation's gravity, his compassionate concern, and his readiness to engage the divine power for intervention, despite the apparent hopelessness of the child's condition.

2 Kings 4 26 Context

This verse is pivotal in the narrative of the Shunammite woman found in 2 Kings chapter 4, following Elisha's previous miracle of multiplying oil for a poor widow (vv. 1-7). The Shunammite woman is a wealthy and prominent woman who recognizes Elisha as "a holy man of God" and provides generous hospitality by building a prophet's chamber for him (vv. 8-10). In return for her kindness, and discerning her barrenness, Elisha promises her a son (vv. 11-17), a miraculous gift. However, after the child has grown, he tragically dies, collapsing in the harvest field and expiring on his mother’s lap (vv. 18-21). In profound distress and demonstrating immense faith in Elisha's divine power, the woman immediately sets out to seek the prophet at Mount Carmel, refusing to let Gehazi delay her or turn her away (vv. 22-25). Elisha, perceiving her approach and distress through spiritual discernment (as shown in v. 27 where he acknowledges her "soul is vexed"), issues the command in verse 26 to Gehazi, setting the stage for the dramatic confrontation and the child's eventual resurrection. Historically, this account highlights the ongoing ministry of prophets like Elisha in a time of spiritual decline and idolatry in Israel, contrasting the living God's power over life and death with the impotence of pagan gods like Baal, who were worshipped as gods of fertility and life.

2 Kings 4 26 Word analysis

• "Run now": (רוּץ-נָא - ruts-na). The Hebrew ruts means "to run," conveying speed and urgency. The particle na often translated as "now" or "please," further emphasizes the immediate and pressing nature of the command. Elisha senses the urgency of the situation even before receiving specific information, indicating prophetic discernment.
• "I pray thee": (נָא - na). This is the same particle na from "run now." While translated as "I pray thee" in KJV, it serves to convey entreaty, earnestness, or insistence. It softens the command while emphasizing its importance, much like saying "Please" or "Do so now."
• "to meet her": (לִקְרָאתָהּ - liqrat-ah). This prepositional phrase means "to meet her" or "to encounter her." It implies intercepting her on her journey, rather than waiting for her to arrive, highlighting Elisha's immediate desire to understand and address her distress.
• "and say unto her": (וֶאֱמֹר לָהּ - ve'emor lah). A straightforward command for direct verbal inquiry. Elisha wants a specific interaction and report.
• "Is it well with thee?": (הֲשָׁלוֹם לָךְ - ha-shalom lakh?). This is the first of three repetitive questions using the key Hebrew term shalom (שָׁלוֹם). Shalom is far more comprehensive than mere absence of conflict. It encompasses peace, completeness, wholeness, prosperity, health, welfare, safety, and a state of thriving and well-being. Asking "Is there shalom for you?" implies a concern for her overall state of being – physical, emotional, and spiritual – especially given her known generosity and faith.
• "is it well with thy husband?": (הֲשָׁלוֹם לְאִישֵׁךְ - ha-shalom le'ishekh?). The same question, extended to her husband. This is a typical part of inquiring about the well-being of the entire household, recognizing the man's role as head of the family and concern for the marital union.
• "is it well with the child?": (הֲשָׁלוֹם לַיֶּלֶד - ha-shalom la-yeled?). This is the most profound and perplexing question. Elisha, as a man of God, may be already aware of the child's state of death or deeply sensing severe distress. Asking "Is there shalom for the child?" when the child is dead functions multi-layered:
  • It prepares Gehazi for a specific focus, signaling that the child is the core issue, even if he doesn't know the exact nature.
  • It is a probe designed to elicit the truth from the mother, who might be hesitant to voice the terrible news directly to Gehazi, preferring Elisha himself.
  • The repetition of shalom regarding the deceased child is also a profound statement of faith: despite the reality of death, Elisha invokes "well-being," foreshadowing the impending restoration of life by divine power. It expresses hope against visible facts.

Words-group analysis:

• "Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her": This forms a single, urgent, and precise directive. Elisha delegates action and communication to Gehazi, but with clear and strict instructions. This shows Elisha's decisive leadership and the critical nature of the impending encounter.
• "Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?": The triple repetition of the shalom inquiry highlights its centrality to Elisha's concern. It's a comprehensive inquiry into the welfare of the key individuals in the Shunammite household, culminating in the critical inquiry about the child. This structured questioning ensures that no critical aspect of the household's condition is overlooked, despite Elisha's initial lack of specific information regarding the child's death. It forces the Shunammite's attention to the core issue she desperately wishes to communicate to Elisha directly.

2 Kings 4 26 Bonus section

The act of sending Gehazi with specific instructions reflects prophetic delegation, though the subsequent events of chapter 4 will demonstrate Gehazi's spiritual limitations and failure to accomplish the full miracle on his own. This points to the distinct level of anointing and direct divine agency working through Elisha compared to his servant. The questions themselves, particularly concerning the deceased child, serve as an initial stage in the exercise of faith. While Gehazi carries out the physical task, the spiritual power to restore shalom (wholeness, life) rested solely with Elisha as God's chosen vessel. This highlights that miracles of life and death require a profound connection to God and are not mere mechanistic acts initiated by words or objects (like Elisha's staff later entrusted to Gehazi). The account ultimately affirms the God of Israel as the sole sovereign over life and death, capable of reversing even the most profound human tragedy, thus offering a polemic against the impotence of Baal worship and other fertility deities of the ancient Near East.

2 Kings 4 26 Commentary

2 Kings 4:26 initiates Elisha’s intervention in the Shunammite woman's crisis. His urgent command to Gehazi underscores his sensitivity to the spiritual realm and the distress emanating from the woman. The repetition of "Is it well?" (Ha-shalom?) concerning herself, her husband, and especially the child, is not merely a polite greeting but a deeply significant inquiry. It demonstrates Elisha's spiritual discernment of a grave problem within the family's "shalom" even before hearing specific details. The focus on the child, already deceased, implicitly sets the stage for a miraculous intervention by God, challenging the finality of death and affirming God's power over life. This moment reflects both the profound faith of the Shunammite woman, who rushed directly to the prophet, and the compassionate heart of Elisha, the man of God, acting as an instrument of divine healing and restoration. The subsequent brief, evasive answer "It is well" from the Shunammite, preferring to speak to Elisha directly about her grief (v. 27), confirms the tension and desperation present.