Limitless Word
Now the woman conceived and gave birth to a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had told her.
2 Kings 4:17 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB The woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came around, as Elisha had said to her.
  • KJV And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
  • BSB But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
  • NKJV But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.
  • NLT But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.

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

As promised, the woman conceives and bears a son at the appointed time. God's word proves faithful and true.

Overview

The fulfillment comes exactly as Elisha foretold, confirming him as God's prophet. The birth answers a longing she had not even spoken. God's promises are sure and arrive in His timing. This faithful fulfillment points to the God who keeps every word, supremely in the promised Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 6

  • Gen 21:1Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did to Sarah as he had spoken.
  • Ps 113:9He settles the barren woman in her home, as a joyful mother of children. Praise Yah!
  • Luke 1:36Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
  • Heb 11:11By faith, even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised.
  • Luke 1:24–25After these days Elizabeth, his wife, conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying,
  • 1 Sam 1:19–20They rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before Yahweh, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah. Then Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Yahweh remembered her.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 2 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 2 Kings 4:17YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 2 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.

How 2 Kings 4:17 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.