Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, “The child has not awakened.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Gehazi went ahead of them, and laid the staff on the child’s face; but there was no voice and no hearing. Therefore he returned to meet him, and told him, “The child has not awakened.”
- KJV And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
- BSB Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”
- NASB Then Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and informed him, saying, “The boy has not awakened.”
- NLT Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child’s face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and told him, “The child is still dead.”
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
Gehazi lays the staff on the child but there is no response. The lifeless staff cannot give life; only God can raise the dead.
Overview
The staff laid on the boy produces no sign of life, showing that ritual without God is powerless. Gehazi reports failure, underscoring that life is God's gift alone. The scene heightens the need for true prayer and God's direct working. It guards against trusting in means apart from the Lord Himself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- John 11:11He said these things, and after that, he said to them, “Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep.”
- Acts 19:13–17But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
- Eph 5:14Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
- Ezek 14:3“Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face. Should I be inquired of at all by them?
- 1 Sam 14:37Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he didn’t answer him that day.
- Matt 17:16–20So I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.”
- Dan 12:2Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
- 1 Sam 28:6When Saul inquired of Yahweh, Yahweh didn’t answer him by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets.
- Job 14:12so man lies down and doesn’t rise. Until the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.
- John 11:43–44When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
- Mark 5:39When he had entered in, he said to them, “Why do you make an uproar and weep? The child is not dead, but is asleep.”
- Mark 9:19–29He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”
- 1 Kgs 18:26They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.
- 1 Kgs 18:29When midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering; but there was no voice, no answer, and nobody paid attention.
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 4:31 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.