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The NET Bible®

2 Kings 4:29

Elisha told Gehazi, "Tuck your robes into your belt, take my staff, and go! Don't stop to exchange greetings with anyone! Place my staff on the child's face."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Children;   Elisha;   Gehazi;   Miracles;   Shunammite;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Haste;   Haste-Delay;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Staff;   Stories for Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Girdles;   Hands, the;   Salutations;   Travellers;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Gehazi;   Gird, Girdle;   Salutation;   Shunem;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Heal, Health;   Miracle;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Kings, the Books of;   Shunem;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Elijah;   Kings, the Books of;   Salutation;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Diseases;   Elisha;   Furniture;   Greeting;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Resurrection;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gehazi;   Marriage;   Medicine;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Gehazi ;   Salutation;   Shunammite ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elisha;   Gehazi;   Salute;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Eli'sha;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Ass;  

Encyclopedias:

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your mantle under your belt, take my staff with you, and go. If you meet anyone, don’t stop to greet him, and if a man greets you, don’t answer him. Then place my staff on the boy’s face.”
Hebrew Names Version
Then he said to Gechazi, Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go your way: if you meet any man, Don't greet him; and if anyone greets you, don't answer him again: and lay my staff on the face of the child.
King James Version
Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
English Standard Version
He said to Gehazi, "Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child."
New Century Version
Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready. Take my walking stick in your hand and go quickly. If you meet anyone, don't say hello. If anyone greets you, don't respond. Lay my walking stick on the boy's face."
Amplified Bible
Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up your loins (prepare now!) and take my staff in your hand, and go [to the woman's house]; if you meet any man [along the way], do not greet him and if a man greets you, do not [stop to] answer him; and lay my staff on the face of the boy [as soon as you reach the house]."
New American Standard Bible
Then he said to Gehazi, "Get ready and take my staff in your hand, and go; if you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply to him. And lay my staff on the boy's face."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then he sayd to Gehazi, Gird thy loynes, and take my staffe in thine hand, & goe thy way: if thou meete any, salute him not: and if any salute thee, answere him not: and laye my staffe vpon the face of the childe.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go; if you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; and lay my staff on the boy's face."
Contemporary English Version
"Gehazi, get ready and go to her house," Elisha said. "Take along my walking stick, and when you get there, lay it on the boy's face. Don't stop to talk to anyone, even if they try to talk to you."
Complete Jewish Bible
Then Elisha said to Geichazi, "Get dressed for action, take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, don't greet him; if anyone greets you, don't answer; and lay my staff on the child's face."
Darby Translation
And he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go thy way. If thou meet any man, salute him not, and if any salute thee, answer him not again; and lay my staff upon the face of the lad.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready to go. Take my walking stick and go! If you meet anyone along the way, don't even stop to say hello to him. If anyone says hello to you, don't answer. Put my walking stick on the child's face."
George Lamsa Translation
Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet any man, do not salute him; and if any man salutes you, do not answer him; and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
Good News Translation
Elisha turned to Gehazi and said, "Hurry! Take my walking stick and go. Don't stop to greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, don't take time to answer. Go straight to the house and hold my stick over the boy."
Lexham English Bible
Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, you must not greet them; if anyone greets you, you must not answer them. You must put my staff on the face of the boy."
Literal Translation
And he said to Gehazi, Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go. When you meet a man, you shall not greet him. And when a man shall greet you, you shall not answer him. And you shall lay my staff on the face of the boy.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He sayde vnto Gehasi: Girde vp thy loynes, and take my staffe in thy hande, and go thy waye. Yf eny man mete the, salute him not: and yf eny man salute the, thanke him not, and laye thou my staffe vpon ye childes face.
American Standard Version
Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
Bible in Basic English
Then he said to Gehazi, Make yourself ready, and take my stick in your hand, and go: if you come across anyone on the way, give him no blessing, and if anyone gives you a blessing, give him no answer. And put my stick on the child's face.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then he saide to Gehezi: Girde vp thy loynes, and take my staffe in thyne hande, and go thy way: If thou meete any man salute him not: And if any salute thee, aunswere him not againe: And lay my staffe vpon the face of the childe.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then he said to Gehazi: 'Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go thy way; if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not; and lay my staff upon the face of the child.'
King James Version (1611)
Then he said to Gehazi, Gird vp thy loines, and take my staffe in thine hand, and goe thy way: if thou meete any man, salute him not: and if any salute thee, answere him not againe: and lay my staffe vpon the face of the childe.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Elisaie said to Giezi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go: if thou meet any man, thou shalt not salute him, and if a man salute thee thou shalt not answer him: and thou shalt lay my staff on the child’s face.
English Revised Version
Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
Berean Standard Bible
So Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy's face."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide to Giezi, Girde thi leendis, and take my staf in thin hond, and go; if a man metith thee, grete thou not hym; and if ony man gretith thee, answere thou not hym; and putte thou my staf on the face of the child.
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith to Gehazi, `Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go; when thou dost meet a man, thou dost not salute him; and when a man doth salute thee, thou dost not answer him; and thou hast laid my staff on the face of the youth.'
Update Bible Version
Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go your way: if you meet any man, don't salute him; and if any salutes you, don't answer him again: and lay my staff on the face of the child.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins and take my staff in thy hand, and go thy way: and if thou shalt meet any man, salute him not; and if any shall salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
World English Bible
Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go your way: if you meet any man, Don't greet him; and if anyone greets you, don't answer him again: and lay my staff on the face of the child.
New King James Version
Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child."
New Living Translation
Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready to travel; take my staff and go! Don't talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child's face."
New Life Bible
Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready to travel. Take my walking stick and go. If you meet any man, do not greet him. If anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my stick on the boy's face."
New Revised Standard
He said to Gehazi, "Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go. If you meet anyone, give no greeting, and if anyone greets you, do not answer; and lay my staff on the face of the child."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said to Gehazi - Gird thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go thy way, if thou meet with any man, thou must not bless him, and, if any man bless thee, thou must not respond to him, - then shalt thou lay my staff upon the face of the boy.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then he said to Giezi: Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go. If any man meet thee, salute him not: and if any man salute thee, answer him not: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
Revised Standard Version
He said to Geha'zi, "Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go. If you meet any one, do not salute him; and if any one salutes you, do not reply; and lay my staff upon the face of the child."
THE MESSAGE
He ordered Gehazi, "Don't lose a minute—grab my staff and run as fast as you can. If you meet anyone, don't even take time to greet him, and if anyone greets you, don't even answer. Lay my staff across the boy's face."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go your way; if you meet any man, do not salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and lay my staff on the lad's face."

Contextual Overview

18 The boy grew and one day he went out to see his father who was with the harvest workers. 19 He said to his father, "My head! My head!" His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother." 20 So he picked him up and took him to his mother. He sat on her lap until noon and then died. 21 She went up and laid him down on the prophet's bed. She shut the door behind her and left. 22 She called to her husband, "Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so I can go see the prophet quickly and then return." 23 He said, "Why do you want to go see him today? It is not the new moon or the Sabbath." She said, "Everything's fine." 24 She saddled the donkey and told her servant, "Lead on. Do not stop unless I say so." 25 So she went to visit the prophet at Mount Carmel. When he saw her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi, "Look, it's the Shunammite woman. 26 Now, run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you well? Are your husband and the boy well?'" She told Gehazi, "Everything's fine." 27 But when she reached the prophet on the mountain, she grabbed hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to push her away, but the prophet said, "Leave her alone, for she is very upset. The Lord has kept the matter hidden from me; he didn't tell me about it."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Gird up thy loins: 2 Kings 9:1, 1 Kings 18:46, Ephesians 6:14, 1 Peter 1:13

take my: 2 Kings 2:14, Exodus 4:17

salute him not: Luke 10:4

lay my staff: 2 Kings 2:8, 2 Kings 2:14, Exodus 7:19, Exodus 7:20, Exodus 14:16, Joshua 6:4, Joshua 6:5, Acts 3:16, Acts 19:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 47:7 - And Jacob 2 Kings 4:12 - Gehazi Proverbs 31:17 - girdeth Jeremiah 1:17 - gird up Matthew 17:16 - and they Mark 9:18 - and they Mark 16:8 - neither John 20:17 - Touch

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then he said to Gehazi, gird up thy loins,.... His loose and long garments about him, that he might make quicker dispatch in travelling:

and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way; not for the sake of travelling with it, but for an end after mentioned:

if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again; that so no time may be lost:

and lay my staff upon the face of the child; he not intending when he said this to go himself, but at the time, as near as he could, when this action was performed, would pray to God to restore life to the child; for he could not imagine that by this bare action it could be done.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Salute him not - Compare the marginal reference. Salutation is the forerunner of conversation and one bent on speed would avoid every temptation to loiter.

Lay my staff upon the face of the child - Perhaps to assuage the grief of the mother, by letting her feel that something was being done for her child.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 29. Salute him not — Make all the haste thou possibly canst, and lay my staff on the face of the child; he probably thought that it might be a case of mere suspended animation or a swoon, and that laying the staff on the face of the child might act as a stimulus to excite the animal motions.


 
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