2 Kings 4:20
New International Version
After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.

New Living Translation
So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died.

English Standard Version
And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died.

Berean Standard Bible
After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.

King James Bible
And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

New King James Version
When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

New American Standard Bible
When he had carried him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.

NASB 1995
When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then died.

NASB 1977
When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then died.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he carried him and brought him to his mother, and he sat on her knees until noon, and then died.

Amplified Bible
When he had carried and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.

Christian Standard Bible
So he picked him up and took him to his mother. The child sat on her lap until noon and then died.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So he picked him up and took him to his mother. The child sat on her lap until noon and then died.

American Standard Version
And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

Contemporary English Version
The servant picked up the boy and carried him to his mother. The boy lay on her lap all morning, and by noon he was dead.

English Revised Version
And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The servant picked him up and brought him to his mother. The boy sat on her lap until noon, when he died.

Good News Translation
The servant carried the boy back to his mother, who held him in her lap until noon, at which time he died.

International Standard Version
So the servant carried him over to his mother, where he rested on her lap until mid-day, and then he died.

Majority Standard Bible
After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.

NET Bible
So he picked him up and took him to his mother. He sat on her lap until noon and then died.

New Heart English Bible
When he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon, and then died.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

World English Bible
When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon, and then died.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he carries him, and brings him to his mother, and he sits on her knees until the noon, and dies.

Young's Literal Translation
and he beareth him, and bringeth him in unto his mother, and he sitteth on her knees till the noon, and dieth.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will lift him up and bring him to his mother, and he will lift him up and bring him to his mother, and he will sit upon her knees till noon, and he will die.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, she set him on her knees until noon, and then he died.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But when he had taken him, and he had led him to his mother, she placed him upon her knees, until midday, and then he died.

New American Bible
The servant picked him up and carried him to his mother; he sat in her lap until noon, and then died.

New Revised Standard Version
He carried him and brought him to his mother; the child sat on her lap until noon, and he died.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon and then died.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he picked up the boy. He brought him to his mother, and he sat on her lap until noon, and he died.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he carried him to his mother, and he lay upon her knees till noon, and died.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elisha Raises the Shunammite's Son
19“My head! My head!” he complained to his father. So his father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out.…

Cross References
1 Kings 17:17-24
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. / “O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?” / 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. ...

Mark 5:35-42
While He was still speaking, messengers from the house of Jairus arrived and said, “Your daughter is dead; why bother the Teacher anymore?” / But Jesus overheard their conversation and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just believe.” / And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. ...

Luke 7:11-15
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples went with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. / As He approached the town gate, He saw a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. / When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Do not weep.” ...

John 11:1-44
At this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. / (Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.) / So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.” ...

Matthew 9:18-26
While Jesus was saying these things, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said. “But come and place Your hand on her, and she will live.” / So Jesus got up and went with him, along with His disciples. / Suddenly a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak. ...

Acts 9:36-41
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated as Dorcas), who was always occupied with works of kindness and charity. / At that time, however, she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upper room. / Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to urge him, “Come to us without delay.” ...

Genesis 22:2
“Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

1 Samuel 1:24-28
Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. / And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. / “Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. ...

1 Kings 3:26
Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”

Job 1:18-19
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, / when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Jeremiah 31:15
This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Matthew 2:16-18
When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi. / Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: / “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Luke 8:49-56
While He was still speaking, someone arrived from the house of the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he told Jairus. “Do not bother the Teacher anymore.” / But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” / 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. ...

John 4:46-54
So once again He came to Cana in Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. / When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Him to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. / Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” ...

Acts 20:9-12
And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead. / But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!” / Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

his mother

Isaiah 49:15
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Isaiah 66:13
As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

Luke 7:12
Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

and then died

Genesis 22:2
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Genesis 37:3,5
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours…

1 Kings 17:17
And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

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Beareth Boy Carried Child Died Dieth Kept Knees Lap Middle Mother Noon Sat Servant Sitteth
2 Kings 4
1. Elisha multiplies the widow's oil
8. He obtains a son for the good Shunammite
18. He restores her son when dead
38. At Gilgal he heals the deadly pottage
42. He satisfies a hundred men with twenty loaves














After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother
This phrase highlights the role of servants in ancient Israelite society, where they often acted as intermediaries in family matters. The servant's action reflects the urgency and care in responding to the boy's condition. The cultural context shows the importance of family and community support in times of crisis. This act of carrying the boy to his mother can be seen as a gesture of compassion and duty, reminiscent of how believers are called to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2).

the boy sat on her lap until noon
The image of the boy sitting on his mother's lap is poignant, symbolizing the close bond between mother and child. In biblical times, the lap was often a place of comfort and security, reflecting the nurturing role of the mother. The mention of "until noon" may indicate the passage of time and the mother's hope for her child's recovery. This scene can be compared to the nurturing care God provides to His children, as seen in Isaiah 66:13, where God comforts His people as a mother comforts her child.

and then he died
The death of the boy introduces a moment of deep sorrow and testing of faith. In the broader biblical narrative, death is a consequence of the fall (Genesis 3) and a reminder of human mortality. This event sets the stage for a miraculous intervention by the prophet Elisha, foreshadowing the power of God over life and death. It also parallels the resurrection power seen in the New Testament, particularly in the miracles of Jesus, such as the raising of Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:41-42). This moment of death and subsequent resurrection serves as a type of Christ's own death and resurrection, offering hope of eternal life to believers.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Shunammite Woman
A notable woman from Shunem who showed hospitality to Elisha, the prophet. She is a figure of faith and perseverance.

2. Elisha
A prophet of God who succeeded Elijah. He performed many miracles, including the eventual resurrection of the Shunammite woman's son.

3. The Shunammite's Son
A miraculous child given to the Shunammite woman as a reward for her kindness to Elisha. His sudden illness and death set the stage for a demonstration of God's power.

4. The Servant
Likely Gehazi, Elisha's servant, who plays a role in the events surrounding the boy's illness and death.

5. Shunem
A town in the territory of Issachar, where the Shunammite woman lived. It serves as the setting for this miraculous event.
Teaching Points
Faith in God's Promises
The Shunammite woman's account encourages believers to trust in God's promises, even when circumstances seem dire.

The Power of God
This passage reminds us of God's sovereignty over life and death, encouraging us to rely on His power in our lives.

Perseverance in Prayer
The Shunammite woman's response to her son's death teaches us the importance of persistent prayer and seeking God's intervention.

Hospitality and Blessing
Her initial act of hospitality towards Elisha led to a blessing, illustrating the principle that God rewards those who honor His servants.

Hope in Resurrection
The account foreshadows the ultimate hope of resurrection through Christ, offering comfort and assurance of eternal life.(20) Taken.--Carried.

Brought him.--Brought him in--i.e., in-doors.

Till noon.--We gather from this that the boy was hurt in the forenoon.

Verse 20. - And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon. It was in the morning, therefore, that the child received his sunstroke - an unusual, but not an unknown, occurrence. In the East the sun often becomes intensely hot by ten o'clock. And then died. There is no ambiguity here, no room for doubt; the child not only became insensible, but died. The historian could not possibly have expressed himself more plainly.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
After [the servant] had picked him up
וַיִּשָּׂאֵ֔הוּ (way·yiś·śā·’ê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

and carried him
וַיְבִיאֵ֖הוּ (way·ḇî·’ê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

his mother,
אִמּ֑וֹ (’im·mōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

[the boy] sat
וַיֵּ֧שֶׁב (way·yê·šeḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

her lap
בִּרְכֶּ֛יהָ (bir·ke·hā)
Noun - fdc | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1290: The knee

until
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

noon,
הַֽצָּהֳרַ֖יִם (haṣ·ṣā·ho·ra·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6672: A light, double light, noon

and then he died.
וַיָּמֹֽת׃ (way·yā·mōṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


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OT History: 2 Kings 4:20 When he had taken him and brought (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 4:19
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