So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
Parallel translations
- WEB He went in therefore, and shut the door on them both, and prayed to Yahweh.
- KJV He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
- NKJV He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.
- NASB So he entered and shut the door behind them both, and he prayed to the Lord.
- NLT He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord.
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
Elisha shuts the door and prays to Yahweh. The raising of the dead begins with private, earnest prayer to God.
Overview
Alone with the child, Elisha turns first to prayer, acknowledging that life comes from God alone. The closed door marks a moment of intimate dependence rather than display. This models that mighty works flow from communion with the Lord. The prophet seeks not his own power but God's gracious intervention.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Matt 6:6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
- 2 Kgs 4:4Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”
- Acts 9:40Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
- Jas 5:13–18Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
- Luke 8:51When He entered the house, He did not allow anyone to go in with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother.
- 1 Kgs 17:20–21Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?”
- John 11:41–42So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
- 2 Kgs 6:17–18Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
- 2 Kgs 5:11But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the spot to cure my leprosy.
- 1 Kgs 18:26–27And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made.
- 2 Kgs 6:20When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.
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 4:33 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.