The Meaning of 2 Kings 4:29 Explained

2 Kings 4:29

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.'

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Kings 4:29 Mean?

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 4:29 mean?

And he said to Gehazi Get ready yourself and take my staff in your hand and be on your way if you meet anyone not do greet him and if greets you anyone not do answer him but lay on the face of the child
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לְגֵיחֲזִ֜י חֲגֹ֣ר מָתְנֶ֗יךָ וְקַ֨ח מִשְׁעַנְתִּ֣י בְיָדְךָ֮ וָלֵךְ֒ כִּֽי־ תִמְצָ֥א אִישׁ֙ לֹ֣א תְבָרְכֶ֔נּוּ וְכִֽי־ יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ אִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א תַעֲנֶנּ֑וּ וְשַׂמְתָּ֥ עַל־ פְּנֵ֥י הַנָּֽעַר

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְגֵיחֲזִ֜י  to  Gehazi 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּיחֲזִי  
Sense: the servant of Elisha.
חֲגֹ֣ר  Get  ready 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: חָגַר  
Sense: to gird, gird on, gird oneself, put on a belt.
מָתְנֶ֗יךָ  yourself 
Parse: Noun, mdc, second person masculine singular
Root: מָתְנַיִם  
Sense: loins, hips.
וְקַ֨ח  and  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִשְׁעַנְתִּ֣י  my  staff 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מַשְׁעֵנָה 
Sense: support (of every kind), staff.
בְיָדְךָ֮  in  your  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וָלֵךְ֒  and  be  on  your  way 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
תִמְצָ֥א  you  meet 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
אִישׁ֙  anyone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
תְבָרְכֶ֔נּוּ  do  greet  him 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
וְכִֽי־  and  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יְבָרֶכְךָ֥  greets  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
אִ֖ישׁ  anyone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
תַעֲנֶנּ֑וּ  do  answer  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
וְשַׂמְתָּ֥  but  lay 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
פְּנֵ֥י  the  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַנָּֽעַר  of  the  child 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.