2 Kings 4:31 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.
2 Kings 4:31 nkjv
Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, "The child has not awakened."
2 Kings 4:31 niv
Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, "The boy has not awakened."
2 Kings 4:31 esv
Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, "The child has not awakened."
2 Kings 4:31 nlt
Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child's face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and told him, "The child is still dead."
2 Kings 4 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 4:2 | The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” | God uses a simple object for His power (Moses' staff) |
| Exod 7:17 | ...the water in the Nile will be changed into blood by the staff in my hand | God's power works through an object via His prophet (plague) |
| Num 20:8 | “Take the staff... and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water... ” | God commanded Moses to use the staff, but stressed 'speaking' |
| Josh 7:12-13 | I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you... | Disobedience hinders God's blessing/power |
| 1 Sam 4:3-4 | Let us bring the ark... that it may save us from the hand of our enemies... | Misguided faith in an object itself without God's active presence |
| 1 Sam 4:10-11 | So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated... the ark of God was captured... | Relying on a sacred object without obedience is futile |
| 1 Kin 17:17-24 | The son of the woman... became sick... Then Elijah... stretched himself upon the child... | Elijah's direct physical intervention for resurrection |
| 2 Kin 4:29 | Elisha said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins... take my staff... ” | Elisha's initial instruction, relying on delegated authority and object |
| 2 Kin 4:33-35 | Elisha went in and shut the door... put his mouth on his mouth... | Elisha's direct, personal action to effect the resurrection |
| Ps 115:3-8 | Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases... Their idols are silver and gold... | Emphasizes God's active sovereignty over inert idols/objects |
| Isa 42:2 | He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice... | Absence of sound as a sign of dormancy/death |
| Jer 14:10-12 | Thus says the Lord concerning this people: They have loved to wander... | God does not hear (respond) due to spiritual separation |
| Matt 9:23-25 | When Jesus entered the ruler's house... “The girl is not dead but sleeping.” | Death as "sleep" is a common biblical metaphor |
| Matt 17:16 | I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him. | Disciples' inability despite Jesus's implied power through them |
| Matt 17:19-21 | Why could we not cast it out?... “Because of your little faith.” | Human inability or lack of faith limiting divine manifestation |
| John 11:11-14 | “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to wake him.”... He said plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” | Jesus also used "sleep" for death; emphasis on direct divine intervention |
| Acts 19:11-12 | God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs... | God using secondary means through His servant, but power from God |
| Acts 20:9-10 | ...a young man named Eutychus... fell down from the third story and was taken up dead... | Paul's direct resuscitation/resurrection of Eutychus |
| Rom 1:21-23 | ...they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man... | Condemnation of idolatry and worship of created things |
| 2 Cor 3:6 | ...for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. | Emphasizes the Spirit's life-giving power over mere external observances |
| Gal 3:5 | Does he who supplies the Spirit to you... do so by works of the law or by hearing with faith? | Spirit's work is through faith, not works or objects |
| Heb 9:9-10 | ...gifts and sacrifices that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper... | Rituals and physical means cannot effect spiritual change on their own |
2 Kings 4 verses
2 Kings 4 31 Meaning
This verse describes Gehazi's unsuccessful attempt to revive the Shunammite woman's son using Elisha's staff as instructed. Despite placing the staff directly on the child's face, there was no sound, breath, or any sign of life, confirming the child remained dead. Gehazi's report to Elisha concisely states the failure, emphasizing the child had not "awakened." The incident highlights that divine power does not reside intrinsically in objects or mechanical actions, but operates according to God's will through His chosen instruments.
2 Kings 4 31 Context
The preceding narrative in 2 Kings 4 tells of Elisha's encounter with a wealthy Shunammite woman who, though married, was childless. Out of gratitude for her hospitality, Elisha prophesies that she will bear a son, a prophecy which is fulfilled. Some years later, the child falls ill and dies. The desperate mother immediately seeks Elisha, believing only he can help. Elisha, sensing her deep distress and the urgency of the situation, dispatches his servant Gehazi ahead of them with his personal staff, instructing him to quickly lay it on the child's face. Verse 31 captures Gehazi's dutiful, yet ultimately futile, attempt to execute Elisha's command, setting the stage for Elisha's personal arrival and direct intervention. Historically and culturally, prophetic staffs were known symbols of authority and instruments of God's power (as seen with Moses), leading Elisha to initially think this might suffice, or perhaps as a test to reveal that more direct divine intercession was needed for this unprecedented miracle.
2 Kings 4 31 Word analysis
- Then Gehazi went on ahead of them: Hebrew: wayyeʿābōr Gehazi lip̄nêhem. "Gehazi" (גֵּיחֲזִי) means "valley of my vision." He is Elisha's faithful, yet somewhat self-serving, attendant, acting as the prophet's intermediary. The phrase emphasizes speed and a pre-emptive action.
- and laid the staff: Hebrew: wayyaśśem hammatṭeh. "Laid" (wayyaśśem - וַיָּשֶׂם) implies a deliberate placing. "The staff" (hammatṭeh - הַמַּטֶּה) refers to Elisha's own staff, a tangible representation of his authority, akin to Moses' staff as an instrument of God's power. It's the physical object Elisha sent.
- on the face of the child: Hebrew: ʿal-pĕnê hayyeled. Placing it on the face (פָּנִים), where breath enters and expressions of life are evident, shows the direct attempt to re-animate the source of life.
- but there was no sound: Hebrew: wĕʾên qôl. "No sound" (qôl - קוֹל) indicates the complete absence of any noise associated with life, such as a breath, sigh, or cry. It confirms the profound silence of death.
- or sign of life: Hebrew: wĕʾên qōšeb. "Sign of life" (qōšeb - קֹשֶׁב) literally means "attending" or "heeding," implying no response or awareness from the child, thus no vital sign. This signifies total lifelessness.
- So he returned to meet him: Hebrew: wayyāšōb liqraʾtô. "Returned" (wayyāšōb - וַיָּשׇׁב) implies reporting back after an unsuccessful mission. Gehazi returns to Elisha who was following behind with the grieving mother.
- and told him: Hebrew: wayyaggēd lô. A direct report of the outcome to his master.
- “The child has not awakened.”: Hebrew: “lōʾ hēqîṣ hayyāled.” "Awakened" (hēqîṣ - הֵקִיץ) is a common biblical euphemism for being revived from death, presenting death as a deep sleep. This phrasing conveys the lack of success without explicitly saying "the child is still dead," a subtle deference to Elisha's power.
- Gehazi's mission and the staff: The rapid dispatch of Gehazi with Elisha's staff highlights the prophet's initial intent to bring quick aid. The staff, though connected to the prophet, does not possess inherent life-giving power, showcasing that divine power is not automatically transferable or magical.
- Absence of vital signs: The twin phrases "no sound" and "no sign of life" comprehensively negate any successful revival. This emphasizes the reality of death and the limitations of an intermediary's actions and an inanimate object alone in performing a resurrection.
- Gehazi's report: His direct and simple statement "The child has not awakened" underscores the definitive failure of the delegated effort and signals that a more profound intervention is required, hinting at the necessity of the prophet's personal presence and God's direct act through him.
2 Kings 4 31 Bonus section
The episode with Gehazi and the staff serves multiple purposes. It distinguishes Elisha's deeper prophetic anointing from that of his servant; Gehazi could follow instructions but lacked the personal spiritual depth or direct divine commission necessary for such a profound miracle. It also demonstrates to the Shunammite woman (and the biblical audience) that resurrection is a monumental act, not to be achieved by simple means or a hasty application of power from afar. The "sleep" euphemism for death, as used in Gehazi's report, is deeply ingrained in biblical language (e.g., Jesus regarding Lazarus or Jairus's daughter), signifying a temporary state from which one can "awake" through divine power. This verse subtly contrasts divine miracles with pagan charms or idols that were believed to have inherent power, firmly establishing that Yahweh's power is personal, sovereign, and Spirit-led, not a force to be manipulated.
2 Kings 4 31 Commentary
2 Kings 4:31 serves as a critical turning point in the Shunammite narrative, exposing a profound theological truth: divine power is not a transferable commodity that resides in sacred objects or can be mechanically wielded by mere proxies. Elisha's staff, though a powerful symbol of his prophetic office and an instrument for earlier miracles, proves ineffective in Gehazi's hands for this supreme act of resurrection. This failure is a divine object lesson. It demonstrates that genuine, life-giving power stems directly from God, activated through a specific, intimate communion with Him by His chosen servant, rather than through superstitious reliance on symbols or the automated application of delegated authority. It sets the stage for Elisha's more intense and personal intercession, revealing that the Spirit's life-giving action often demands direct prophetic presence and fervent engagement with God's will. It refutes any belief in "magic" or power residing inherently in material objects.