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When he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon, and then died.
2 Kings 4:20 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
  • BSB After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.
  • NKJV When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
  • NASB When he had carried him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.
  • NLT So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died.

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.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • Luke 7:12Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her.
  • John 11:3The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”
  • John 11:14So Jesus said to them plainly then, “Lazarus is dead.
  • John 11:5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
  • Luke 2:35Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
  • Ezek 24:16–18Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke: yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down.
  • Gen 37:3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors.
  • Gen 37:5Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
  • 1 Kgs 17:17After these things, the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.
  • Gen 22:2He said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.”
  • Isa 49:15“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, these may forget, yet I will not forget you!
  • Isa 66:13As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you. You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

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 4:20YouTube · 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 4:20 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.