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Context No. 159 of 4322 · 2 Kings

Context · Reflection

2 Kings 4:30-36: in context

30The child’s mother said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose, and followed her. 31Gehazi went ahead of them, and laid the staff on the child’s face; but there was no voice and no hearing. Therefore he returned to meet him, and told him, “The child has not awakened.” 32When Elisha had come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and lying on his bed. 33He went in therefore, and shut the door on them both, and prayed to the LORD. 34He went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. He stretched himself on him; and the child’s flesh grew warm. 35Then he returned, and walked in the house once back and forth, then went up and stretched himself out on him. Then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36He called Gehazi, and said, “Call this Shunammite!” So he called her. When she had come in to him, he said, “Take up your son.”

A wealthy woman of Shunem had built a room on her roof for Elisha to stay in whenever he passed through. He promised her a son, and she had one. The boy has now grown, collapsed in the field with a pain in his head, and died on her lap. She saddled a donkey and rode to find the prophet. This passage is the return.

Elisha had first sent his servant Gehazi ahead with his staff to lay on the boy's face. The mother refused to leave without Elisha himself: as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you. Her instinct was right. Gehazi laid the staff on the child and there was no sound and no response. The proxy did not work.

So Elisha goes in, shuts the door on the two of them, and prays. Then he lies on the child, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands, and stretches himself out on him, and the boy's body grows warm. He gets up, walks the room once, and does it again. The child sneezes seven times and opens his eyes. The prophet who could have sent a staff instead put his own body the full length of a dead child, twice. What am I trying to fix at arm's length that would only move if I went myself?

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