1 Kings 17:21

Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Elijah stands over a widow’s deceased son in Zarephath and physically covers the boy while petitioning Yahweh to restore his breath. (1 Kings 17:20–22)

The words — The text emphasizes וַ/יִּתְמֹדֵ֤ד (va/i.yit.mo.Ded, “he stretched himself out”) and שָׁלֹ֣שׁ פְּעָמִ֔ים (sha.Losh pe.'a.Mim, “three times”) to record Elijah’s repeated physical posture before crying out to the LORD.

The thread — Similar intercessory postures appear in 2 Kings 4:33, where a prophet enters a room to pray, and in Acts 20:10 and Acts 9:40, where apostles physically engage with those who have died or appear dead.

Why it lands — The verse requires readers to note that direct petition to God is paired with deliberate, repeated physical action, rather than treating prayer as a purely verbal exercise.

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

וַיִּתְמֹדֵ֤דva/i.yit.mo.Dedand/ he stretched himself עַל־'al-over הַיֶּ֙לֶד֙hai./Ye.ledthe/ lad שָׁלֹ֣שׁsha.Loshthree פְּעָמִ֔יםpe.'a.Mimtimes וַיִּקְרָ֥אva/i.yik.Ra'and/ he called out אֶל־'el-to יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahweh וַיֹּאמַ֑רva/i.yo.Marand/ he said יְהוָ֣הYah.wehO Yahweh אֱלֹהָ֔י'e.lo.Ha/iGod/ my תָּ֥שָׁבta.sholet it return נָ֛אna'please נֶֽפֶשׁ־ne.fesh-[the] life of הַיֶּ֥לֶדhai./Ye.ledthe/ lad הַזֶּ֖הha./Zeh<the>/ this עַל־'al-to קִרְבּֽוֹ׃kir.B/oinward part[s]/ his

King James Version

And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.

Cross-references

Acts 20:10 But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!”
2 Kings 4:33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
Acts 9:40 Then 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.
Hebrews 11:19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.
Acts 10:10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.