What is the meaning of 2 Kings 4:35? Elisha turned away Elisha had already stretched himself over the child once (v. 34). Turning away shows deliberate pause rather than defeat. • A moment to refocus on the Lord’s power, not his own effort (Psalm 62:5). • Prophets sometimes stepped aside to seek fresh direction—compare Elijah on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18:42. • Jesus likewise withdrew briefly before mighty works (Mark 7:33). and paced back and forth across the room The pacing pictures fervent, persistent intercession (James 5:16). • Walking can aid focused prayer, a bodily echo of wrestling in the Spirit (Colossians 4:12). • Similar urgency is seen when Hezekiah turned and prayed for healing (Isaiah 38:2–5). • Elisha’s movement also keeps him near the child, ready for God’s timing (Habakkuk 2:3). Then he got on the bed Returning to the boy signals confidence that God has answered (1 John 5:14-15). • Positioning himself on the same level as the lifeless body acknowledges human helplessness (Psalm 103:14). • Elijah used the same posture when God raised the widow’s son (1 Kings 17:21-22), hinting at continuity in God’s methods. • In Acts 20:10 Paul lay on Eutychus, showing the pattern continues into the New Testament. and stretched himself out over the boy again Contact underscored that life would flow from God through His prophet (2 Kings 13:21). • Touch often accompanies divine healing: Jesus touched the leper (Matthew 8:3) and the coffin at Nain (Luke 7:14). • Repetition (“again”) confirms perseverance until the answer manifests (Luke 18:1-8). and the boy sneezed seven times Sneezing proves breath restored (Genesis 2:7). • Seven points to completeness (Joshua 6:15; Revelation 1:4). The child is fully, not partially, revived. • The sound of sneezing breaks the silence of death—an audible testimony to everyone present (Psalm 118:17). and opened his eyes Opening eyes seals the miracle with unmistakable evidence of life (Luke 8:55). • God, “who opens the eyes of the blind,” now opens eyes that had been closed in death (Psalm 146:8). • This foreshadows the spiritual awakening Christ brings (Ephesians 2:5). summary Every movement in 2 Kings 4:35 showcases determined faith and God’s sovereign power. Elisha’s turning, pacing, returning, and stretching reveal persistent, expectant prayer. The boy’s seven sneezes and opened eyes display complete restoration, fulfilling God’s promise to the Shunammite mother. The passage assures believers that the Lord who literally raised this child still hears fervent prayer and possesses absolute authority over life and death. |
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