2 Kings 4 29

2 Kings 4:29 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.

2 Kings 4:29 nkjv

Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, 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; but lay my staff on the face of the child."

2 Kings 4:29 niv

Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don't greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face."

2 Kings 4:29 esv

He said to Gehazi, "Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child."

2 Kings 4:29 nlt

Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready to travel ; take my staff and go! Don't talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child's face."

2 Kings 4 verses

2 Kings 4 29 Meaning

2 Kings 4:29 presents Elisha's urgent command to his servant Gehazi. He is instructed to prepare for immediate, swift travel by tying up his garment, taking Elisha's staff, and heading to the Shunammite's home without engaging in traditional greetings with anyone on the way. The specific instruction is to lay the staff upon the face of the dead child, implying a belief in its delegated power to restore life. This verse highlights the immediacy required and the method chosen for this initial attempt at resurrection.

2 Kings 4 29 Context

The verse occurs within the narrative of Elisha and the Shunammite woman. This woman, having shown great hospitality to Elisha, was miraculously blessed with a son in her old age. Sometime later, this son dies unexpectedly. In profound distress, the Shunammite woman rushes to Mount Carmel to seek Elisha, believing that the prophet of God can restore her son. 2 Kings 4:29 describes Elisha's immediate response to her desperate plea. Realizing the urgency and the severity of the situation, Elisha dispatches his servant, Gehazi, ahead of him to act swiftly and initiate the miracle, attempting a proxy revival using his prophetic staff. The cultural context emphasizes honorific greetings being common, but here, Elisha forbids them to underline the paramount importance and speed required for the mission.

2 Kings 4 29 Word analysis

• Then he said to Gehazi, 'Tie up your garment
  • He (Elisha): The prophet is the source of authority and the one initiating the mission.
  • Gehazi: Elisha's personal servant, accustomed to carrying out the prophet's instructions.
  • Tie up your garment (חֲגֹר מָתְנֶיךָ - chagor motneycha): Literally "gird your loins." This is an idiom indicating readiness for intense physical activity, work, or rapid travel. In ancient times, long outer garments would be tucked up into a belt to allow freedom of movement, signaling urgency and preparation for a task requiring speed and exertion.
• and take my staff in your hand, and go.
  • My staff (מִשְׁעַנְתִּי - mish'antiy): Elisha's staff, a common everyday object, but in a prophetic context, it symbolizes the prophet's presence, authority, and perhaps the delegated divine power at his disposal. Prophets often carried staffs, seen with Moses, used by him for miraculous signs (Exod 4:2, 17, 20).
  • In your hand: The physical possession implies the transference of the prophet's delegated authority to Gehazi.
  • And go: A direct, imperative command emphasizing immediate departure and speed.
• If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him.
  • Greet him (תִּשְׁאַל־ל֥וֹ לְשָׁל֖וֹם - tish'al-lo l'shalom): To inquire about his well-being or engage in the common elaborate social greetings (salutations of peace) prevalent in the ancient Near East. Such greetings involved lengthy exchanges and formalities.
  • Do not answer him (וְאַל־תַּעֲנֵ֖נּוּ - v'al-ta'anennu): Further emphasis on the prohibition of engaging in any form of conversation or social pleasantry.
  • Significance: This strict instruction underlines the extreme urgency of the mission. No time was to be wasted on customary social rituals, reinforcing the critical nature of the child's life. It sets Gehazi apart from normal social expectations due to the extraordinary circumstances.
• And lay my staff on the face of the child.'
  • Lay (וְשַׂמְתָּ֣): A direct, simple command for the action.
  • My staff: Reiterates the instrument of delegated power. The expectation is that through the staff, the divine life-giving power associated with Elisha would flow to the child.
  • On the face: The precise location of application. The face often symbolizes the person's identity or vitality.
  • Of the child: The specific recipient of the attempted intervention.
  • Significance of the instruction: This act reflects a common ancient belief in transferred power or agency. While the staff itself is not magical, it acts as a tangible medium, a symbol of the prophet's God-given authority. The failure of this method later indicates that divine power is not automatically or mechanically transferred or activated without God's sovereign will and, in this case, direct, personal prophetic intercession. It also potentially served as a test for Gehazi's faithfulness and ability, setting the stage for the narrative's conclusion where Elisha's direct presence and prayer are necessary.

2 Kings 4 29 Bonus section

The failure of the staff to revive the child is crucial to understanding this passage. It suggests several theological points:

1. Divine Sovereignty: God is sovereign over life and death and determines when and how His power is manifest. It is not an automatic, mechanistic force tied to an object.
2. Necessity of Personal Intercession: While God can work through instruments, certain miracles, especially resurrection, often require intense, personal engagement, and prayer, as shown by Elijah (1 Kgs 17:19-22) and Elisha himself later in 2 Kgs 4:33-35.
3. Nature of Miracles: Miracles are not magical acts detached from the will of God, nor are they a display of human authority. They are acts of God's power, for His glory, often in response to fervent faith and prayer.
4. Gehazi's Faith/Conduct: This initial attempt with the staff might also be seen as a test for Gehazi, perhaps indicating his own spiritual limitations or the difference between truly carrying the Lord's power versus merely carrying an object symbolizing it. His failure here might subtly prepare for his later spiritual shortcomings.

2 Kings 4 29 Commentary

Elisha's instructions to Gehazi are a stark demonstration of urgency and the delegation of authority in a crisis. The command to "tie up your garment" and "go" without the typical social greetings (like those found in Luke 10:4 where Jesus gives a similar urgent command) underscores the dire nature of the Shunammite's son's death and the necessity for immediate intervention. The "staff" of Elisha is not imbued with inherent magic; rather, it represents the prophet's identity and the God-given power that worked through him. Elisha sends it as a visible sign of his delegated authority, hoping for God's life-giving power to operate through this proxy. This instance showcases the limitations of derivative or symbolic power when faced with the absolute sovereignty of God in matters of life and death. The eventual failure of Gehazi to revive the child with the staff reveals that divine power is not a commodity that can be simply passed on or mechanically applied, but often requires the direct presence, earnest prayer, and personal wrestling of the one through whom God chooses to act, highlighting the intimacy of God's power as demonstrated later by Elisha himself.