Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

2 Kings 4:14

"Then what can we do for her?" Elisha asked Gehazi. Gehazi replied, "I do know that her husband is old, and that she doesn't have a son."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Shunammite;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Childlessness;   Family;   Home;   Trouble;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Gehazi;   Shunem;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Miracle;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Gehazi;   Shunem;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Furniture;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Marriage;   Medicine;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Gehazi ;   Shunammite ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elisha;   Gehazi;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Children;   Eli'sha;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Gehazi;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?”
Hebrew Names Version
He said, What then is to be done for her? Gechazi answered, Most assuredly she has no son, and her husband is old.
King James Version
And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
English Standard Version
And he said, "What then is to be done for her?" Gehazi answered, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old."
New Century Version
Elisha said to Gehazi, "But what can we do for her?" He answered, "She has no son, and her husband is old."
New English Translation
So he asked Gehazi, "What can I do for her?" Gehazi replied, "She has no son, and her husband is old."
Amplified Bible
Later Elisha said, "What then is to be done for her?" Gehazi answered, "Well, she has no son and her husband is old."
New American Standard Bible
So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "It is a fact that she has no son, and her husband is old."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Againe he sayde, What is then to be done for her? Then Gehazi answered, In deede she hath no sonne, and her husband is olde.
Legacy Standard Bible
So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Truly she has no son, and her husband is old."
Complete Jewish Bible
He said, "What, then, is to be done for her?" Geichazi answered, "There's one thing — she doesn't have a son; and her husband is old.
Darby Translation
And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi said, Verily, she has no son, and her husband is old.
Easy-to-Read Version
Elisha said to Gehazi, "What can we do for her?" He answered, "I know! She does not have a son, and her husband is old."
George Lamsa Translation
Then he said, What shall I do for her? And Gehazi said to him, Verily she has no son and her husband is old.
Good News Translation
Elisha asked Gehazi, "What can I do for her then?" He answered, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is an old man."
Lexham English Bible
Then he said, "What may be done for her?" Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old."
Literal Translation
And he said, What then shall I do for her? And Gehazi said, Truly there is no son to her. And her husband is old.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He sayde: What hast thou then to do? Gehasi sayde: Alas, she hath no sonne, and hir hu?bade is olde.
American Standard Version
And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old.
Bible in Basic English
So he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi made answer, Still there is this, she has no son and her husband is old.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he said againe: What is to be done for her? Gehezi aunswered: Ueryly she hath no childe, and her husband is olde.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said: 'What then is to be done for her?' And Gehazi answered: 'Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old.'
King James Version (1611)
And he said, What then is to bee done for her? And Gehazi answered, Uerily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said to Giezi, What must we do for her? and Giezi his servant said, Indeed she has no son, and her husband is old.
English Revised Version
And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old.
Berean Standard Bible
So he asked, "Then what should be done for her?" "Well, she has no son," Gehazi replied, "and her husband is old."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide, What therfor wole sche that Y do to hir? Giezi seide to hym, Axe thou not, for she hath no sone, and hir hosebonde is eeld.
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, `And what -- to do for her?' and Gehazi saith, `Verily she hath no son, and her husband [is] aged.'
Update Bible Version
And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Truly she has no son, and her husband is old.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, What then [is] to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
World English Bible
He said, What then is to be done for her? Gehazi answered, Most assuredly she has no son, and her husband is old.
New King James Version
So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old."
New Living Translation
Later Elisha asked Gehazi, "What can we do for her?" Gehazi replied, "She doesn't have a son, and her husband is an old man."
New Life Bible
So Elisha said, "What then is to be done for her?" Gehazi answered, "She has no son, and her husband is old."
New Revised Standard
He said, "What then may be done for her?" Gehazi answered, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he said, What then can be done for thee? And Gehazi said, Verily, she hath no, son, and, her husband, is, old.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: What will she then that I do for her? And Giezi said: Do not ask, for she hath no son, and her husband is old.
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "What then is to be done for her?" Geha'zi answered, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old."
THE MESSAGE
Elisha conferred with Gehazi: "There's got to be something we can do for her. But what?" Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is an old man."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Truly she has no son and her husband is old."

Contextual Overview

8 Once, while Elisha was in the town of Shunem, he met a rich woman who invited him to her home for dinner. After that, whenever he was in Shunem, he would have a meal there with her and her husband. 9 Some time later the woman said to her husband, "I'm sure the man who comes here so often is a prophet of God. 10 Why don't we build him a small room on the flat roof of our house? We can put a bed, a table and chair, and an oil lamp in it. Then whenever he comes, he can stay with us." 11 The next time Elisha was in Shunem, he stopped at their house and went up to his room to rest. 12He said to his servant Gehazi, "This woman has been very helpful. Have her come up here to the roof for a moment." She came, and Elisha told Gehazi to say to her, "You've gone to a lot of trouble for us, and we want to help you. Is there something we can request the king or army commander to do?" The woman answered, "With my relatives nearby, I have everything I need." 14 "Then what can we do for her?" Elisha asked Gehazi. Gehazi replied, "I do know that her husband is old, and that she doesn't have a son." 15 "Ask her to come here again," Elisha told his servant. He called for her, and she came and stood in the doorway of Elisha's room. 16 Elisha said to her, "Next year at this time, you'll be holding your own baby son in your arms." "You're a man of God," the woman replied. "Please don't lie to me." 17 But a few months later, the woman got pregnant. She gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had promised.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

she hath no child: Genesis 15:2, Genesis 15:3, Genesis 17:17, Genesis 18:10-14, Genesis 25:21, Genesis 30:1, Judges 13:2, 1 Samuel 1:2, 1 Samuel 1:8, Luke 1:7

Cross-References

Genesis 4:5
but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.
Genesis 4:6
The Lord said to Cain: What's wrong with you? Why do you have such an angry look on your face?
Genesis 4:11
And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again.
Genesis 4:12
If you try to farm the land, it won't produce anything for you. From now on, you'll be without a home, and you'll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.
Genesis 4:13
"This punishment is too hard!" Cain said.
Genesis 4:14
"You're making me leave my home and live far from you. I will have to wander about without a home, and just anyone could kill me."
Genesis 4:15
"No!" the Lord answered. "Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times worse than I am punishing you." So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn everyone not to kill him.
Genesis 4:16
But Cain had to go far from the Lord and live in the Land of Wandering, which is east of Eden.
Genesis 4:20
Lamech and Adah had two sons, Jabal and Jubal. Their son Jabal was the first to live in tents and raise sheep and goats. Jubal was the first to play harps and flutes.
Genesis 4:24
Anyone who tries to get even with me will be punished ten times more than anyone who tries to get even with Cain."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said,.... That is, Elisha to Gehazi, when he returned to him, and told him what the Shunammite said:

what then is to be done for her? something he thought should be done in gratitude, the favours they had received, and advises with his servant what could be thought of, he being one about the house:

and Gehazi answered, verily she hath no child, and her husband is old; and so not likely to have any by him; as children were always very desirable by women, and especially in those days, the servant suggests, that no doubt to have one would be very acceptable to her.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 4:14. What then is to be done for her? — It seems that the woman retired as soon as she had delivered the answer mentioned in the preceding verse.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile