complete verse (2 Kings 4:31)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 4:31:

  • Kupsabiny: “During that (time/journey), Gehazi had gone ahead and he went to place the staff across the face/forehead of the child. But the child was no longer breathing. So, Gehazi returned to meet with Elisha. And/but then he said, ‘The child did not get up.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Gehazi went ahead of them and put that staff on the child’s face but no sound came there was no sign at all to be seen that the child was alive. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha, and said, ‘The child has not awakened.’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Gehazi went-on-ahead and he put the staff/cane/lean-to on the face of the child, but the child did- not at-all -make sound or move. So Gehazi went-back to meet Elisha and said, ‘The child did- not at-all -come-alive.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Gehazi hurried quickly, and when he got to the woman’s home, he laid the staff/walking stick on the child’s face, but the child did not move or say anything.
    So Gehazi returned to meet Elisha along the road, and told him, ‘The child is still dead.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 4:31

Gehazi went on ahead: The verb tense here may be legitimately rendered “Gehazi had gone ahead of them” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “… had gone on before them” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), indicating more clearly the passage of a certain amount of time between Gehazi’s departure and that of Elisha and the woman.

Laid the staff upon the face of the child: Elisha’s servant followed precisely the instructions given in verse 29 before the prophet decided to go along to Shunem.

There was no sound or sign of life: The possible signs of life of a person presumed dead would normally be either a noise or some kind of movement. It is therefore possible to translate “the boy didn’t move or make a sound” (Contemporary English Version) or “the child didn’t say anything and didn’t move” (Parole de Vie). Another possible model would be “the boy made no noise and did nothing else to show that he was alive.”

Therefore; that is, because of Gehazi’s lack of success in trying to arouse the boy.

He returned to meet him: The pronouns may be confusing here. It is Gehazi who goes back to meet his master Elisha. But in going back to him, Gehazi also goes back to the mother of the dead child. So in some languages it may be necessary to say “he went back to meet them” although the object of the verb told that follows should be singular since he addressed himself to Elisha.

The child has not awaked: This is the report that Gehazi gives to his master. In effect he is telling Elisha that the course of action proposed in verse 29 was not successful. If a literal rendering of the verb awaked implies that the boy was sleeping, translators in some languages may have to find a different verb. Revised English Bible says “the boy had not stirred.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Kings 4:31

4:31a Gehazi went on ahead of them

Gehazi had gone ahead ⌊of them⌋

-or-

Gehazi went before them ⌊and reached her home first⌋ .

4:31b and laid the staff on the boy’s face,

and placed the stick on the boy’s face,

-or-

He put the walking stick over the face of the child.

4:31c but there was no sound or response.

but the boy did not make any sound or movement.

-or-

But the child did not say anything or show any sign of life.

4:31d So he went back to meet Elisha and told him,

So Gehazi returned to Elisha and told him,

-or-

So Gehazi went/came back and told Elisha that

4:31e “The boy has not awakened.”

“The boy did not open his eyes.”

-or-

the child had not returned to life/consciousness.

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