2 Kings 4:35 kjv
Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
2 Kings 4:35 nkjv
He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
2 Kings 4:35 niv
Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
2 Kings 4:35 esv
Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
2 Kings 4:35 nlt
Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!
2 Kings 4 35 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 17:21-22 | Then he stretched himself upon the child three times...and the soul of the child came into him again... | Elijah's similar raising of a widow's son. |
| Lk 7:14-15 | ...And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up... | Jesus raising the son of the widow of Nain. |
| Lk 8:54-55 | ...And Jesus called out, "Child, arise!" And her spirit returned, and she got up... | Jesus raising Jairus' daughter. |
| Jn 11:43-44 | ...Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" ...the man who had died came out... | Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. |
| Acts 9:39-41 | ...Peter...knelt down and prayed...And he gave her his hand and raised her up. | Peter raising Dorcas (Tabitha) from the dead. |
| Acts 20:9-10 | ...Paul went down and fell upon him... "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him." | Paul raising Eutychus from the dead. |
| Gen 2:7 | ...the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life... | The breath of life as an indicator of life. |
| Ezek 37:5-6 | Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. | Restoration of life by God's breath/Spirit. |
| Ps 104:29-30 | When you take away their breath, they die...When you send forth your Spirit, they are created... | God's power over life and death. |
| Ps 146:4 | When their spirit departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. | Life tied to breath/spirit departing. |
| Job 33:4 | The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. | God as the source of life-giving breath. |
| Js 5:16 | The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. | Elisha's powerful prayer as a righteous man. |
| Col 2:13 | And you, being dead in your trespasses...He has made alive together with Him... | Spiritual resurrection, making alive. |
| Rom 4:18-20 | In hope he believed against hope...without weakening in faith... | Faith in God's ability to give life (Abraham). |
| 1 Pet 1:3 | Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. | Ultimate resurrection hope through Christ. |
| 1 Cor 15:20-22 | But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. | Christ as the ultimate firstfruits of resurrection. |
| Ex 24:16 | The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days, and on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. | Significance of the number seven for divine action. |
| Josh 6:15-16 | On the seventh day...they marched around the city seven times...when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout..." | Number seven as completion/divine strategy. |
| Prov 24:16 | For a righteous person falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. | Seven implying fullness or complete return. |
| 2 Ki 5:10, 14 | Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored...Then he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan... | Healing/restoration connected to "seven times." |
| Hab 2:4 | Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. | Elisha's faith central to the miracle. |
2 Kings 4 verses
2 Kings 4 35 Meaning
2 Kings 4:35 describes the culmination of the prophet Elisha's intercession for the Shunammite woman's son, who had died. After a period of fervent prayer and direct physical contact, the child displays two definitive signs of restored life: sneezing seven times, a clear expulsion and intake of breath, and then opening his eyes, indicating awareness and return to consciousness. It signifies God's powerful restoration of life through His prophet, demonstrating divine victory over death.
2 Kings 4 35 Context
The narrative in 2 Kings chapter 4 focuses on Elisha's miraculous deeds, showcasing his divine authority and God's benevolent power through him. The immediate context of verse 35 is the climax of the story of the Shunammite woman's son. This influential woman had shown great hospitality to Elisha, even building him a prophet's chamber. When she had no son, Elisha miraculously prophesied the birth of one, which came true. Years later, the boy suddenly died. The Shunammite woman, exhibiting remarkable faith, traveled urgently to Mount Carmel to implore Elisha. Initially, Elisha sent his servant Gehazi with his staff to lay on the child, but this attempt failed (2 Ki 4:31). This demonstrated that the power resided not in the physical object (the staff) but in God acting through Elisha's personal intercession and presence. Elisha then came personally, shut himself in the room with the dead boy, stretched himself over him, and prayed, causing the boy's flesh to warm. Verse 35 describes the second, more intense phase of Elisha's efforts, which finally brings the child back to life, signifying God's sovereign control over life and death through His appointed prophet.
Historically and culturally, in ancient Israel and surrounding pagan societies, death was often seen as an inescapable end, and deities typically had no power over it in terms of reversing it. The resurrection performed by Elisha (and earlier Elijah) served as a powerful polemic against the pagan god Baal, worshipped widely in Israel at the time. Baal was associated with fertility and life-giving rains but certainly not with the power to raise the dead. This miracle emphatically demonstrated Yahweh as the only true God, the Author of life and master over death, proving His supremacy over false gods.
2 Kings 4 35 Word analysis
- Then he returned: The Hebrew word is vayyashuv (וַיָּשֻׁב). This indicates Elisha resumed his prior action or position. After the initial stretch and warming of the child's body (2 Ki 4:34), Elisha likely stepped back or rested. This "returning" suggests a renewed, perhaps more intense, phase of effort. It underscores persistence in intercession.
- and walked in the house: vayyithallekh babbayit (וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ בַּבַּיִת). The verb halakh (הָלַךְ) means 'to walk'. The hitpael stem here suggests walking "to and fro" or "back and forth" intentionally, perhaps indicating fervent agitation, deep thought, or intense spiritual wrestling in prayer before God. It's a display of emotional and spiritual intensity.
- once more: Emphasizes a second, intensified attempt or phase of effort after the first approach in 2 Ki 4:34 yielded only partial results. It speaks to persistence.
- to and fro: anah va'anah (אָנֶה וָאָנָה). This idiom further describes the specific motion of walking. It vividly portrays Elisha's continued and restless internal struggle, a profound act of desperate intercession. It's not a casual stroll, but a purposeful, perhaps agonizing, movement.
- and went up and touched him: vayyigga bo (וַיִּגַּע בּוֹ). "Went up" implies Elisha may have climbed back onto the bed or knelt intimately beside the child again. "Touched him" signifies direct physical contact, linking Elisha (as God's agent) directly to the dead body, transferring the life-giving power. This personal, embodied connection seems crucial, unlike the initial staff attempt.
- and the child sneezed: vay'atets (וַיְעַטֵּשׁ) for 'sneezed'. This is a very specific physiological sign. Sneezing involves a forceful expulsion of air, followed by an intake, indicating that the child's lungs were functioning, breath was returning, and the vital systems were resuming activity. It's an irrefutable sign of life returning, observable by others.
- seven times: sheva pe'amim (שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים). The number seven often signifies completion, perfection, divine fullness, or a sacred act in the Bible (e.g., Creation week, Naaman dipping in Jordan seven times). Here, it might imply that the life was completely restored, that God's work was thoroughly accomplished, or perhaps even a cleansing from the corruption of death. It adds a symbolic layer of divine work.
- and the child opened his eyes: vayyifqakh ... et eynayv (וַיִּפְפְּקַח ... אֶת עֵינָיו). Opening the eyes is a definitive, conscious sign of reawakening and awareness, the ultimate confirmation that life has fully returned and the child is conscious and responsive. It signals the miracle's successful completion and is visible proof for the Shunammite woman.
2 Kings 4 35 Bonus section
The detailed description of Elisha's actions and the child's responses (sneezing, opening eyes) underscores the genuine, physical reality of the resurrection, leaving no room for doubt about the miracle's authenticity. This emphasis on sensory evidence (the sound of the sneeze, the sight of opened eyes) serves to solidify the faith of the original audience and any reader. Elisha's mimicry of Elijah's action (1 Ki 17:21) highlights a continuity of divine power and prophetic succession, affirming that God's ability to overcome death was consistent across His chosen servants. The contrast between Gehazi's failed attempt with the staff and Elisha's direct, persistent intercession emphasizes that miracles are not magical formulas or independent power residing in objects, but dependent solely on God's will and power, often manifested through personal faith, prayer, and deep spiritual engagement by His instruments.
2 Kings 4 35 Commentary
Verse 35 encapsulates the divine power mediated through Elisha, bringing the dead back to life. After an initial, less direct approach with the staff proved insufficient, Elisha intensified his personal engagement. His "walking to and fro" portrays deep spiritual anguish, persistence, and an ardent intercession before God. It reflects the intensity of prayer that God answers, going beyond a mere request to a fervent seeking of His will and power. The physical act of stretching over the boy again and direct contact, mirroring Elijah's earlier act, highlights the prophetic identification with the afflicted.
The subsequent "sneezing seven times" and the child "opening his eyes" are vivid, undeniable physiological signs of returning life. The sneeze, in particular, demonstrates the expulsion of dormant elements and the renewal of the breath of life—a symbolic expulsion of death and an inhalation of God's revitalizing power. The number seven underlines the completeness and divine authorship of the miracle. This resurrection not only brought immense joy to the Shunammite woman but served as a powerful declaration of Yahweh's supremacy over death and pagan deities, asserting His unique power as the true source and sustainer of life. It prefigures the greater resurrections accomplished by Jesus, the ultimate bringer of life.