Bible Strands
2 Kings 4:32
When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Elisha arrives at the house to find the dead boy lying on his bed, immediately after Gehazi’s unsuccessful attempt to revive him with the prophet’s staff.
The words — The Hebrew מֻשְׁכָּב (mush.Kav) literally means “laid” or “poured out,” describing the boy’s lifeless posture on the bed.
The thread — This scene mirrors Elijah’s arrival at the widow’s son in 1 Kings 17:17, Jesus’ statement about Jairus’ daughter in Luke 8:52, and His arrival at Lazarus’ tomb in John 11:17.
Why it lands — The text states the boy’s complete physical death before any divine action, requiring the reader to acknowledge that human methods reach their limit and only God’s direct intervention restores life.
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
King James Version
And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 17:17 Later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill, and his sickness grew worse and worse, until no breath remained in him.
- Luke 8:52 Meanwhile, everyone was weeping and mourning for her. But Jesus said, “Stop weeping; she is not dead but asleep.”
- John 11:17 When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already spent four days in the tomb.