He said, “Take it.” So he put out his hand and took it.
Parallel translations
- KJV Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
- BSB “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.
- NKJV Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it.
- NASB Then he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it.
- NLT “Grab it,” Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it.
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 tells the man to retrieve the floating iron, and he takes it. The recovery completes the rescue and restores what was lost.
Overview
The man must still reach out his hand to take the restored ax-head, joining human action to divine provision. The borrowed tool is returned to usefulness, relieving him of his debt and shame. The episode closes a small but vivid testimony to God's care over the ordinary needs of His servants. It encourages believers that nothing committed to the Lord is too insignificant for His help.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 2 Kgs 4:36He called Gehazi, and said, “Call this Shunammite!” So he called her. When she had come in to him, he said, “Take up your son.”
- Exod 4:4Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.
- 2 Kgs 4:7Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”
- Luke 7:15He who was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.
- Acts 9:41He gave her his hand, and raised her up. Calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 6:7 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.