Bible Strands
2 Kings 4:33
So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Elisha enters the house where the Shunammite’s son lies dead, shutting the door with the mother before praying to the LORD.
The words — וַ/יִּסְגֹּ֥ר (va/i.yis.Gor) means “and he shut,” paired with הַ/דֶּ֖לֶת (ha./De.let) “the door,” marking a deliberate physical boundary.
The thread — The closed-door action appears in 2 Kings 4:4 during the oil miracle, in Matthew 6:6 where Jesus instructs private prayer, and in Acts 9:40 when Peter clears a room before praying over Tabitha.
Why it lands — The text states that Elisha isolates himself and the mother with God before any physical intervention, requiring the reader to treat prayer as the necessary precondition for divine action rather than a ritual substitute.
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
He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord.
Cross-references
- Matthew 6:6 But 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 Kings 4:4 Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”
- 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.
- James 5:13 Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
- 1 Kings 17:20 Then 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?”
- Luke 8:51 When 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 Kings 18:26 And 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 Kings 5:11 But 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.
- 2 Kings 6:17 Then 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 Kings 6:20 When 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.