Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, “Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, “Drive, and go forward! Don’t slow down for me, unless I ask you to.”
- KJV Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
- BSB Then she saddled the donkey and told her servant, “Drive onward; do not slow the pace for me unless I tell you.”
- NASB Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Drive the donkey and go on; do not slow down the pace for me unless I tell you.”
- NLT So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, “Hurry! Don’t slow down unless I tell you to.”
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
She saddles the donkey and urges her servant to drive on without slowing. Her single-minded haste reflects earnest faith seeking deliverance.
Overview
Every detail conveys urgency as she races toward Elisha. She will not be slowed in her pursuit of help. Such determined seeking is the mark of faith that lays hold of God. Her resolve mirrors those in Scripture who pressed through obstacles to reach the Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 1 Sam 25:19–20She said to her young men, “Go on before me. Behold, I am coming after you.” But she didn’t tell her husband, Nabal.
- 1 Kgs 13:23After he had eaten bread, and after he drank, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back.
- 1 Kgs 13:13He said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it.
- Exod 4:20Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 4:24 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.