2 Kings 4:37
in 2 Kings 4She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground; and she took up her son, and went out.
KJV
Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.
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This verse in 2 Kings 4
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Pick up your son
on 2 Kings 4:36-37
Elisha's word, “Pick up your son”, reverses verse 20. She falls at his feet, thanks where at verse 27 she had clung to his feet in grief. She went out at verse 21 leaving a body behind a shut door, and she goes out now carrying a living son.
This site's exposition
fell at his feet
John Wesley counted the boy's opened eyes in verse 35 as the work made complete. The mother bows to the ground before she takes him up. She leaves the room without a word.
The record, by era
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
Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground,.... In reverence of him, and with the most profound gratitude and thankfulness for the mercy received: and took up her son, and went out; of the chamber into her house, with great joy and gladness.
A famine of bread there was, but not of hearing the word of God, for Elisha had the sons of the prophets sitting before him, to hear his wisdom, who were taught, that they might teach others. Two instances we have here of the care he took about their meat. Christ twice fed those to whom he preached.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
She went in and fell at his feet - Few can enter into the feelings of this noble woman. What suspense must she have felt during the time that the prophet was employed in the slow process referred to above! for slow in its own nature it must have been, and exceedingly exhausting to the prophet himself.
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתָּבֹא֙ | vatavo' | and she came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וַתִּפֹּ֣ל | vatipol | and she fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רַגְלָ֔יו | raglav | feet his | H7272 → | 247 times |
| וַתִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ | vatishtachu | and she bowed down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| אָ֑רְצָה | ʾaretzah | [the] ground towards | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַתִּשָּׂ֥א | vatisa' | and she took up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנָ֖הּ | benah | son her | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וַתֵּצֵֽא׃ פ | vatetze' | and she went out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
וַתָּבֹא֙and she came
vatavo'H935 →2568 times
וַתִּפֹּ֣לand she fell
vatipolH5307 →435 times
עַל־at
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רַגְלָ֔יוfeet his
raglavH7272 →247 times
וַתִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּand she bowed down
vatishtachuH7812 →172 times
אָ֑רְצָה[the] ground towards
ʾaretzahH776 →2504 times
וַתִּשָּׂ֥אand she took up
vatisa'H5375 →656 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּנָ֖הּson her
benahH1121 →4930 times
וַתֵּצֵֽא׃ פand she went out
vatetze'H3318 →1067 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
Hebrews 11:35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 4:27–37
When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul…
- 1 Kings 17:22–24
And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.
- Philippians 3:11
and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
- Acts 9:41
Peter took her by the hand and helped her up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her to them alive.
- 1 Corinthians 15:54
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
- 2 Kings 4:27–37
Through
1 Kings 17:24Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.”
it leads to
- John 16:30
Now we understand that You know all things and that You have no need for anyone to question You. Because of this, we believe that You came from God.”
- John 2:11
Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
- John 3:2
He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were…
- John 16:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
About 2 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book 9; 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.