2 Kings 4:27When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, "Leave her alone; for her soul is troubled within her; and Yahweh has hidden it from me, and has not told me."
The setting
Mount Carmel, Israel, ~850 BC. A wealthy woman from Shunem collapses at Elisha's feet, clinging desperately after her miracle son died that morning...
The emotion here: recording divine compassion with reverence
The original word
nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ) — her very life-breath, her soul, everything within her is bitter
Why it matters
Mount Carmel was Elisha's regular retreat, about 25 miles from Shunem
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Kings 4:27
Gehazi tries to push her away — even prophets' servants can lack compassion
Common misconceptionPeople think Elisha immediately knew what happened, but he says 'God has hidden it from me' — even prophets don't always have instant answers.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Kings 4:27
Bible Genome reading
2 Kings 4:27 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Kings 4:27 comes from the book of 2 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include desperate seeking, prophetic compassion, social boundaries. Notable phrases: caught hold of his feet; Leave her alone.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does 2 Kings 4:27 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "grieving"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.