2 Kings 8:5
in 2 Kings 8And Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought the dead back to life. Just then the woman whose son Elisha had revived came to appeal to the king for her house and her land. So Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is the son Elisha restored to life.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored to life him that was dead, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.
KJV
And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.
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This verse in 2 Kings 8
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
the great things that Elisha
on 2 Kings 8:4-6
Gehazi stands before the king recounting Elisha's miracles, a scene that most likely falls before his leprosy in chapter five, since a king would not receive a leper at close range, and the compiler groups Elisha's works by kind rather than strict order. The woman walks in at the very sentence naming her son's resurrection, and Gehazi's own testimony becomes the witness that proves her claim before she has said a word. The king restores her house, her land, and every year's produce she lost while she was gone, a magistrate's justice moving on a prophet's word.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life,.... Which was the Shunammite's son: that, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life cried to the king for her house, and for her land; came and presented her petition to the king at that very instant: and Gehazi said, my lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life; the very person I am speaking of.
We may wonder that the king of Syria, in his sickness, should make Elisha his oracle. Notice was soon brought him that the man of God (for by that title he was well known in Syria since he cured Naaman) had come to Damascus,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the king talked with Gehazi--Ceremonial pollution being conveyed by contact alone, there was nothing to prevent a conference being held with this leper at a distance; and although he was excluded from the town of Samaria, this reported conversation may have taken place at the gate or in one of the royal gardens.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
This is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life - This was a very providential occurrence in behalf of the Shunammite. The relation given by Gehazi was now corroborated by the woman herself; the king was duly affected, and gave immediate orders for the restoration of her land.
The words behind it
33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַ֠יְהִי | vayhi | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| ה֥וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מְסַפֵּ֣ר | mesaper | recounting | H5608 → | 159 times |
| לַמֶּלֶךְ֮ | lamelekh | to the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֵ֣ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | this: | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֶחֱיָ֣ה | hecheyah | he had restored to life | H2421 → | 282 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמֵּת֒ | hamet | the dead [one] | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֨ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הָאִשָּׁ֜ה | haishah | the woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֶחֱיָ֤ה | hecheyah | he had restored to life | H2421 → | 282 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנָהּ֙ | benah | son her | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| צֹעֶ֣קֶת | tzoeket | [was] crying out for help | H6817 → | 55 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בֵּיתָ֖הּ | beitah | house her | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שָׂדָ֑הּ | sadah | field her | H7704 → | 334 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| גֵּֽחֲזִי֙ | gechazi | Gehazi | H1522 → | 12 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֣י | ʾadoni | O lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| זֹ֚את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה | haishah | [is] the woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| וְזֶה־ | vezeh- | and this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| בְּנָ֖הּ | benah | [is] son her | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֶחֱיָ֥ה | hecheyah | he restored to life | H2421 → | 282 times |
| אֱלִישָֽׁע׃ | ʾelisha' | Elisha | H477 → | 58 times |
וַ֠יְהִיand he was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
ה֥וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
מְסַפֵּ֣רrecounting
mesaperH5608 →159 times
לַמֶּלֶךְ֮to the king
lamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֵ֣ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁר־this:
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הֶחֱיָ֣הhe had restored to life
hecheyahH2421 →282 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמֵּת֒the dead [one]
hametH4191 →839 times
וְהִנֵּ֨הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
הָאִשָּׁ֜הthe woman
haishahH802 →781 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הֶחֱיָ֤הhe had restored to life
hecheyahH2421 →282 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּנָהּ֙son her
benahH1121 →4930 times
צֹעֶ֣קֶת[was] crying out for help
tzoeketH6817 →55 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
בֵּיתָ֖הּhouse her
beitahH1004 →2046 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
שָׂדָ֑הּfield her
sadahH7704 →334 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
גֵּֽחֲזִי֙Gehazi
gechaziH1522 →12 times
אֲדֹנִ֣יO lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
זֹ֚אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה[is] the woman
haishahH802 →781 times
וְזֶה־and this
vezeh-H2088 →1180 times
בְּנָ֖הּ[is] son her
benahH1121 →4930 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הֶחֱיָ֥הhe restored to life
hecheyahH2421 →282 times
אֱלִישָֽׁע׃Elisha
ʾelisha'H477 →58 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
Proverbs 16:9A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.
- Psalms 37:23
The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.
- Proverbs 16:1
The plans of the heart belong to man, but the reply of the tongue is from the LORD.
- Proverbs 20:24
A man’s steps are from the LORD, so how can anyone understand his own way?
- Jeremiah 10:23
I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.
- Proverbs 19:21
Through
2 Kings 4:35Elisha 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…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 13:21
Once, 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…
- 2 Kings 13:21
Through
2 Kings 6:26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 14:4
When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help me, O king!”
- Acts 21:28
crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and…
- 2 Samuel 14:4
About 2 Kings

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
