1 Kings 17:21He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to Yahweh, and said, "Yahweh my God, please let this child's soul come into him again."
The setting
Small room above a Lebanese home. A weather-beaten prophet stretches his body over a cold child, pleading for life to return...
The emotion here: desperate hope refusing to surrender
The original word
nephesh (נפש) — the breath-soul that makes a body alive, not just spirit
Why it matters
Ancient CPR involved mouth-to-mouth contact and chest compression
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Kings 17:21
He did this THREE times — Elijah didn't give up after the first attempt failed
Common misconceptionThis isn't magic — Elijah combined practical action (body warmth, breath) with prayer. God often works through natural means, not around them.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Kings 17:21
Bible Genome reading
1 Kings 17:21 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Kings 17:21 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Elijah. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include prayer, resurrection, faith. Notable phrases: stretched himself on the child; let this child's soul come into him again. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does 1 Kings 17:21 mean to you, today?
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