The Meaning of 2 Kings 4:16 Explained

2 Kings 4:16

KJV: And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.

YLT: and he saith, 'At this season, according to the time of life, thou art embracing a son;' and she saith, 'Nay, my lord, O man of God, do not lie unto thy maid-servant.'

Darby: And he said, At this appointed time, when thy term is come, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.

ASV: And he said, At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thy handmaid.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said,  About this season,  according to the time  of life,  thou shalt embrace  a son.  And she said,  Nay, my lord,  [thou] man  of God,  do not lie  unto thine handmaid. 

What does 2 Kings 4:16 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 4:8-24 - Entertaining A Prophet
The real man needs a very small supply of outward comfort, because his life is hid in God. It does not consist in the abundance of things that he possesses, but in faith, love, and hope. What a noble testimony it would be to our character, if people who saw us going to and fro became convinced that "this is an holy man of God," 2 Kings 4:9!
Sunstroke in the tropics is a frequent cause of death, Psalms 121:6. When a child is taken sick, it is the mother who is the best comforter; but there are limits to a mother's power to help. This woman of Shunem must be referred to in Hebrews 11:35. She was so sure of the life-restoring prayers of the great prophet that she did not feel it necessary to tell her husband what had befallen. Why should she grieve him, when the child would soon be given back to them! In noble confidence she dared to say that all would be well, and God did not disappoint nor fail. Shunem was fifteen miles from Carmel, and there was not an inch of the road which was not covered by the mother's splendid faith that God would make all-grace abound toward her. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 4

1  Elisha multiplies the widow's oil
8  He obtains a son for the good Shunammite
18  He restores her son when dead
38  At Gilgal he heals the deadly pottage
42  He satisfies a hundred men with twenty loaves

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 4:16 mean?

And he said About next year this time of life you you shall embrace a son And she said No my lord Man of God not do lie to your maidservant
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לַמּוֹעֵ֤ד הַזֶּה֙ כָּעֵ֣ת חַיָּ֔ה [אתי] (אַ֖תְּ) חֹבֶ֣קֶת בֵּ֑ן וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אַל־ אֲדֹנִי֙ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים אַל־ תְּכַזֵּ֖ב בְּשִׁפְחָתֶֽךָ

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לַמּוֹעֵ֤ד  About  next  year 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
הַזֶּה֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
כָּעֵ֣ת  time 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
חַיָּ֔ה  of  life 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
חֹבֶ֣קֶת  shall  embrace 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: חָבַק  
Sense: to embrace, clasp.
בֵּ֑ן  a  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וַתֹּ֗אמֶר  And  she  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אַל־  No 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
אֲדֹנִי֙  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
אִ֣ישׁ  Man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
תְּכַזֵּ֖ב  do  lie 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּזַב  
Sense: to lie, tell a lie, be a liar, be found a liar, be in vain, fail.
בְּשִׁפְחָתֶֽךָ  to  your  maidservant 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שִׁפְחָה  
Sense: maid, maid-servant, slavegirl.