The Meaning of 2 Kings 4:27 Explained

2 Kings 4:27

KJV: And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

YLT: And she cometh in unto the man of God, unto the hill, and layeth hold on his feet, and Gehazi cometh nigh to thrust her away, and the man of God saith, 'Let her alone, for her soul is bitter to her, and Jehovah hath hidden it from me, and hath not declared it to me.'

Darby: And she came to the man of God to the mountain, and caught him by the feet; and Gehazi drew near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her, and Jehovah has hidden it from me, and has not told me.

ASV: And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, Let her alone: for her soul is vexed within her; and Jehovah hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when she came  to the man  of God  to the hill,  she caught  him by the feet:  but Gehazi  came near  to thrust her away.  And the man  of God  said,  Let her alone;  for her soul  [is] vexed  within her: and the LORD  hath hid  [it] from me, and hath not told  me. 

What does 2 Kings 4:27 Mean?

Study Notes

vexed
Heb. "bitter." 1 Samuel 1:10 .

Context Summary

2 Kings 4:25-37 - The Dead Boy Restored To Life
There is fine illustration in this chapter of a noble reverence for goodness, of a good man's gratitude, and of the large reward that never fails those who deal kindly with God's children.
It is not enough to put the staff, even though it be the prophet's, on the cold, sweet face of a child. Our doctrine and precept may be quite good and straight, but something more is needed. There must be not a staff, not a servant, not an intermediary, but ourselves, our heart against the heart that is still, our lips against the dear, cold lips. It is as we give ourselves to the children, imparting our tenderest, strongest sympathy, that new life will come to them.
Walk to and fro in your house! Shut the door on yourself and the child! Pray to the Lord! Give yourself to the great work of saving the soul from death! Let the mother be praying in the room downstairs! Call to the little soul to awake and live. Your faith and prayer cannot fail of an answer. [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 4:27 mean?

And when she came to the man of God at the hill and she caught by him the feet But came near Gehazi to push her away But said of God let alone her for her soul mistreated [is] in deep distress and Yahweh has hidden [it] from me and not has told me
וַתָּבֹ֞א אֶל־ אִ֤ישׁ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־ הָהָ֔ר וַֽתַּחֲזֵ֖ק בְּרַגְלָ֑יו וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ גֵּֽיחֲזִ֜י לְהָדְפָ֗הּ וַיֹּאמֶר֩ הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים הַרְפֵּֽה־ לָהּ֙ כִּֽי־ נַפְשָׁ֣הּ מָֽרָה־ לָ֔הּ וַֽיהוָה֙ הֶעְלִ֣ים מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְלֹ֥א הִגִּ֖יד לִֽי

וַתָּבֹ֞א  And  when  she  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אִ֤ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֶל־  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָהָ֔ר  the  hill 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
וַֽתַּחֲזֵ֖ק  and  she  caught 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
בְּרַגְלָ֑יו  by  him  the  feet 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ  But  came  near 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
גֵּֽיחֲזִ֜י  Gehazi 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּיחֲזִי  
Sense: the servant of Elisha.
לְהָדְפָ֗הּ  to  push  her  away 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: הָדַף  
Sense: to thrust, push, drive, cast away, cast out, expel, thrust away.
וַיֹּאמֶר֩  But  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַרְפֵּֽה־  let  alone 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָפָה  
Sense: to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened.
לָהּ֙  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
נַפְשָׁ֣הּ  her  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
מָֽרָה־  mistreated 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מָרַר  
Sense: to be bitter.
לָ֔הּ  [is]  in  deep  distress 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
וַֽיהוָה֙  and  Yahweh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
הֶעְלִ֣ים  has  hidden  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָלַם  
Sense: to conceal, hide, be hidden, be concealed, be secret.
מִמֶּ֔נִּי  from  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הִגִּ֖יד  has  told 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לִֽי  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular