Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”
Parallel translations
- KJV Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?
- BSB Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”
- NKJV So she said, “Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”
- NASB Then she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not give me false hope’?”
- NLT Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? And didn’t I say, ‘Don’t deceive me and get my hopes up’?”
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 reminds Elisha she never asked for a son and had feared false hope. Her grief gives voice to the pain of a gift seemingly given only to be lost.
Overview
Her words recall the promise of the son and her earlier plea not to be deceived. Now in grief she lays her anguish honestly before God's prophet. Her lament is raw but not faithless, for she has come seeking help. Such honest crying out to God is welcomed throughout Scripture.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Gen 30:1When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.”
- 2 Kgs 4:16He said, “At this season, when the time comes around, you will embrace a son.” She said, “No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your servant.”
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 4:28 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.