Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times, and called to the Lord and said, “Lord, my God, please, let this boy’s life return to him.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to Yahweh, and said, “Yahweh my God, please let this child’s soul come into him again.”
- KJV And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.
- BSB Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”
- NKJV And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.”
- NLT And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Elijah stretches himself over the child three times and prays for the boy's life to return.
Overview
Elijah's physical act and earnest threefold prayer express his total dependence on God to raise the dead. He claims no power of his own but appeals to Yahweh as the giver and restorer of life. This bold petition anticipates the greater resurrection power that God would fully reveal in Jesus Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Acts 20:10Paul went down, and fell upon him, and embracing him said, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.”
- Acts 9:40Peter sent them all out, and knelt down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
- 2 Kgs 4:33–35He went in therefore, and shut the door on them both, and prayed to Yahweh.
- Heb 11:19concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead.
- Acts 10:10He became hungry and desired to eat, but while they were preparing, he fell into a trance.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 17:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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