1 Kings 17:19

But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Elijah speaks to the widow of Zarephath immediately after her son dies and she accuses his presence of bringing her iniquity to remembrance. He responds by requesting the child to remove him from her embrace.

The words — The Hebrew תְּנִֽי (teni) issues the command "give," while מֵ/חֵיקָ֗/הּ (me./chei.Ka/h) specifies the transfer "from her bosom." These terms mark a deliberate physical relocation from maternal holding to prophetic handling.

The thread — Elijah’s action of taking a dead boy to an upper room and placing him on a bed mirrors the later account in 2 Kings 4:32. The architectural detail of the upper room recalls the prepared lodging Elijah himself requested in 2 Kings 4:10.

Why it lands — The text records a concrete sequence of taking, carrying, and laying the child before any prayer occurs. It requires the reader to acknowledge that prophetic intercession begins with direct physical obedience rather than abstract supplication.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיֹּ֥אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said אֵלֶ֖יהָ'e.Lei./hato/ her תְּנִֽי־te.ni-giveלִ֣יl/ito/ meאֶת־'et-<obj.>בְּנֵ֑ךְbe.Ne/khson/ your וַיִּקָּחֵ֣הוּva/i.yi.ka.Che./huand/ he took/ him מֵחֵיקָ֗הּme./chei.Ka/hfrom/ bosom/ her וַֽיַּעֲלֵ֙הוּ֙va/i.ya.'a.Le./huand/ he took up/ him אֶל־'el-to הָעֲלִיָּ֗הha./'a.li.Yahthe/ upper room אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-where הוּא֙hu'he יֹשֵׁ֣בyo.Shev[was] dwelling שָׁ֔םShamthere וַיַּשְׁכִּבֵ֖הוּva/i.yash.ki.Ve./huand/ he made lie/ him עַל־'al-on מִטָּתֽוֹ׃mi.ta.T/obed/ his

King James Version

And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

Cross-references

2 Kings 4:32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed.
2 Kings 4:10 Please let us make a small room upstairs and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then when he comes to us, he can stay there.”
2 Kings 4:21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out.
Acts 9:37 At that time, however, she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upper room.