2 Kings 4:35
in 2 Kings 4Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then he returned, and walked in the house once to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 4
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe child sneezed seven times - That is, it sneezed abundantly. When the nervous influence began to act on the muscular system, before the circulation could be in every part restored, particular muscles, if not the whole body, would be thrown into strong contractions and shiverings, and sternutation or sneezing would be a natural consequence; particularly as obstructions must have taken place in the head and its vessels, because of the disorder of which the child died. Most people, as well as philosophers and physicians, have remarked how beneficial sneezings are to the removal of obstructions in the head.
This site's exposition
the child was dead, and
on 2 Kings 4:32-35
Elisha shuts the door a fourth time in this chapter and prays before he acts, then stretches himself on the child, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands, the same posture and the same verb Elijah used raising the widow's son at Zarephath, 1 Ki 17:21, one shape repeated from master to disciple. The warmth returns first, and only after Elisha walks the house and stretches over the boy a second time does life fully return, healing coming in two stages rather than one instant word. Seven sneezes end it, life reasserting itself through breath.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Thus, blessed Elisha came and went up to the chamber, because Christ was to come and ascend the gibbet of the cross. Elisha bent down to revive the child; Christ humbled himself to lift up the world that lay in sin. Elisha further put his …
"Then the mother of the child said, 'As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave without you.' " Now, since Elisha had stayed at home and had sent his disciple, the mother of the [dead] child pressed him to aid …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Therefore fear had no power to raise us from the death of sin, but the infused grace of meekness erected us to the seat of life. Which is well denoted by Elisha when he raised the child of the Shunamite.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He walked - He changeth his postures for his own necessary refreshment, and walked to and fro, exercising his mind in prayer to God. And went - Repeating his former actions, to teach us not to be discouraged in our prayers, if we be not speedily answered. Opened his eyes - So the work begun in the former verse is here perfected.
Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Those that would be instrumental in conveying spiritual life to dead souls must thus affect themselves with their case, and accommodate themselves to it, and labour fervently in prayer for them. (2.) How gradually the operation was performed.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes--These were the first acts of restored respiration, and they are described as successive steps.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֜שָׁב | vaiyashov | and he went back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בַּבַּ֗יִת | babayit | in the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אַחַ֥ת | ʾachat | one [time] | H259 → | 971 times |
| הֵ֙נָּה֙ | henah | hither | H2008 → | 49 times |
| וְאַחַ֣ת | veachat | and one [time] | H259 → | 971 times |
| הֵ֔נָּה | henah | hither | H2008 → | 49 times |
| וַיַּ֖עַל | vaiyaal | and he went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| וַיִּגְהַ֣ר | vaiyighar | and he crouched | H1457 → | |
| עָלָ֑יו | ʾalav | over him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וַיְזוֹרֵ֤ר | vayzorer | and he sneezed | H2237 → | |
| הַנַּ֙עַר֙ | hanaar | the lad | H5288 → | 239 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| שֶׁ֣בַע | sheva' | seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| פְּעָמִ֔ים | peamim | times | H6471 → | 118 times |
| וַיִּפְקַ֥ח | vaiyifkach | and he opened | H6491 → | 20 times |
| הַנַּ֖עַר | hanaar | the lad | H5288 → | 239 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֵינָֽיו׃ | ʾeinav | eyes his | H5869 → | 887 times |
וַיָּ֜שָׁבand he went back
vaiyashovH7725 →1056 times
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְand he walked
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
בַּבַּ֗יִתin the house
babayitH1004 →2046 times
אַחַ֥תone [time]
ʾachatH259 →971 times
הֵ֙נָּה֙hither
henahH2008 →49 times
וְאַחַ֣תand one [time]
veachatH259 →971 times
הֵ֔נָּהhither
henahH2008 →49 times
וַיַּ֖עַלand he went up
vaiyaalH5927 →890 times
וַיִּגְהַ֣רand he crouched
vaiyigharH1457 →
עָלָ֑יוover him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
וַיְזוֹרֵ֤רand he sneezed
vayzorerH2237 →
הַנַּ֙עַר֙the lad
hanaarH5288 →239 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
שֶׁ֣בַעseven
sheva'H7651 →394 times
פְּעָמִ֔יםtimes
peamimH6471 →118 times
וַיִּפְקַ֥חand he opened
vaiyifkachH6491 →20 times
הַנַּ֖עַרthe lad
hanaarH5288 →239 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֵינָֽיו׃eyes his
ʾeinavH5869 →887 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Kings 13:21Once, as the Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders, so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. And as soon as his body touched the bones of…
it leads to
- John 5:28–29
Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 19:12
so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.
- Ezekiel 37:1–10
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones.
- Acts 5:15
As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
- John 5:25
Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
- John 5:28–29
Through
Acts 9:40Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
it leads to
- Matthew 9:25
After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
- Matthew 9:25
Through
1 Kings 17:22And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:39
See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My…
- Revelation 11:11
But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered the two witnesses, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those who saw them.
- Deuteronomy 32:39
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 128.8; Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 4:30-35; F. W. Farrar, The Second Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book 9; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.