2 Kings 4:36He called Gehazi, and said, "Call this Shunammite!" So he called her. When she had come in to him, he said, "Take up your son."
The setting
Shunem, northern Israel, ~850 BC. A wealthy woman's house where her dead son lay. Elisha has just completed the resurrection miracle and now calls for the mother...
The emotion here: overwhelmed by God's power working through him
The original word
nasa' (נָשָׂא) — to lift up, carry, take away; here meaning 'take up your living son'
Why it matters
Gehazi was Elisha's servant who had tried and failed to raise the boy with Elisha's staff
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Kings 4:36
Elisha doesn't say 'your son is alive' — he says 'take up your son,' making her discover the miracle herself
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows Elisha's power, but he's clearly amazed himself — he doesn't announce the miracle, he lets the mother discover her living son.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Kings 4:36
Bible Genome reading
2 Kings 4:36 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Kings 4:36 comes from the book of 2 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Elisha. The dominant emotion in this verse is joyful, with a comfort power of 80% and a tone that is joyful. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include restoration, joy, divine intervention. Notable phrases: Take up your son. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same joyful
“For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, …”
— Isaiah 9:6
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:22
“"Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?"”
— 1 Corinthians 15:55
“Rejoice always.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:16
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
Your reflection
What does 2 Kings 4:36 mean to you, today?
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