And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
- KJV And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
- NKJV Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.
- NASB And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah, and the life of the boy returned to him and he revived.
- NLT The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived!
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
God answers Elijah's prayer, and the child's life returns; he revives.
Overview
The Lord hears and grants the resurrection, restoring the boy's life in direct response to Elijah's prayer. This first recorded raising of the dead in Scripture demonstrates that Yahweh, not Baal, is sovereign over life and death. It stands as an early sign pointing to the resurrection hope ultimately secured in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Rev 11:11But 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.
- Deut 32:39See 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 hand.
- Rom 14:9For this reason Christ died and returned to life, that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
- Heb 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.
- John 5:28–29Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice
- 1 Sam 2:6The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
- 2 Kgs 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 Elisha, the man was revived and stood up on his feet.
- John 11:43After Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
- Luke 8:54But Jesus took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!”
- Acts 20:12And the people were greatly relieved to take the boy home alive.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 17:22 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.