1 Kings 17:21

Contextual Overview

¹⁷After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness got worse until he stopped breathing. ¹⁷ It happened 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. 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. ¹⁷ After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. ¹⁷ Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. He grew worse and worse and finally stopped breathing. ¹⁷ After this the son of the woman who owned the house got sick. His illness was so severe he could no longer breathe. ¹⁷It happened after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. ¹⁷ Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his condition became very grave, until at the end he was no longer breathing. ¹⁷ And after these things, the sonne of the wife of the house fell sicke, and his sicknesse was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. ¹⁷Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

stretched himself: Heb. measured himself, 2 Kings 4:33-35, Acts 10:10

O Lord my God: Acts 9:40, Hebrews 11:19

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 4:34 - General 2 Kings 20:11 - cried unto Matthew 17:21 - but Luke 7:14 - Young Luke 8:55 - her spirit John 5:21 - as John 11:43 - Lazarus Acts 20:10 - and fell James 5:14 - pray

Cross-References

Genesis 17:2
I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

Genesis 17:2
And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

Genesis 17:2
so that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you exceedingly."

Genesis 17:2
I will make an agreement between us, and I will make you the ancestor of many people."

Genesis 17:2
Then I will confirm my covenant between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants."

Genesis 17:2
"I will establish My covenant (everlasting promise) between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly [through your descendants]."

Genesis 17:2
"I will make My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly."

Genesis 17:2
And I will make my couenant betweene me and thee, & I will multiplie thee exceedingly.

Genesis 17:2
so that I may confirm My covenant between Me and you,And that I may multiply you exceedingly."

Genesis 17:2
I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he stretched himself upon the child three times,.... Or "measured himself" i on it, or put himself into a posture in some respects equal to the child; putting his mouth on its mouth, his eyes on its eyes, his hands on its hands, as Elisha afterwards did in a like case, perhaps in imitation of him, 2 Kings 4:34, thereby showing his great affection to the child, and in order to increase it the more, and to make him the more fervent and importunate in his prayers for its life; and hereby signifying also that he would if he could infuse his breath and life into it, and warm it with his own heat:

and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again: which shows that the child was really dead; and a proof this that the soul dies not with the body, but exists in a separate state without it.

i ויתמדד "et mensus est se", Pagninus, Montanus; "admensus se", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He stretched himself upon the child three times - This action of Elijah is different from that of Elisha (marginal reference), and does not imply the use of any natural means for the restoration of suspended animation. It is nearly parallel to the “touch,” through which our Lord performed similar miracles Matthew 9:25; Luke 7:14.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 17:21. Stretched himself upon the child three times — It is supposed that he did this in order to communicate some natural warmth to the body of the child, in order to dispose it to receive the departed spirit. Elisha, his disciple, did the same in order to restore the dead child of the Shunammite, 2 Kings 4:34. And St. Paul appears to have stretched himself on Eutychus in order to restore him to life, Acts 20:10.

Let this child's soul come into him again — Surely this means no more than the breath. Though the word נפש nephesh may sometimes signify the life, yet does not this imply that the spirit must take possession of the body in order to produce and maintain the flame of animal life? The expressions here are singular: Let his soul, נפש nephesh, come into him, על קרבו al kirbo, into the midst of him.