Lectionary Calendar
Friday, September 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

2 Kings 4:16

He said to her: At this time, and this same hour, if life be in company, thou shalt have a son in thy womb. But she answered: Do not, I beseech thee, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Elisha;   Shunammite;   Vicegerency;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Births Foretold;   Children;   Home;   Shunammite;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Gehazi;   Shunem;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Time;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Miracle;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Shunem;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Furniture;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Season;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Elisha;   Marriage;   Medicine;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Gehazi ;   Shunammite ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elisha;   Gehazi;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Eli'sha;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Embrace;   Gehazi;   Habakkuk;   Handmaid;   Life;   Prophecy;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Elisha;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Elisha said, “At this time next year you will have a son in your arms.”
Hebrew Names Version
He said, At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son. She said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.
King James Version
And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
English Standard Version
And he said, "At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant."
New Century Version
Then Elisha said, "About this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms." The woman said, "No, master, man of God, don't lie to me, your servant!"
New English Translation
He said, "About this time next year you will be holding a son." She said, "No, my master! O prophet, do not lie to your servant!"
Amplified Bible
Elisha said, "At this season next year, you will embrace a son." She said, "No, my lord. O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant."
New American Standard Bible
Then he said, "At this season next year, you are going to embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your servant."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he said, At this time appointed, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a sonne. And she sayd, Oh my Lorde, thou man of God, doe not lye vnto thine handmayd.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said, "At this season next year you will embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your servant-woman."
Contemporary English Version
Elisha said to her, "Next year at this time, you'll be holding your own baby son in your arms." "You're a man of God," the woman replied. "Please don't lie to me."
Complete Jewish Bible
He said, "Next year, when the season comes around, you will be holding a son." "No, my lord," she answered. "Man of God, don't lie to your servant!"
Darby Translation
And he said, At this appointed time, when thy term is come, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.
Easy-to-Read Version
Elisha said, "About this time next spring, you will be holding your own baby boy in your arms." The woman said, "No, sir! Man of God, don't lie to me!"
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to her, About this season, you will be with child, and shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, O prophet of God, do not lie to your handmaid.
Good News Translation
and Elisha said to her, "By this time next year you will be holding a son in your arms." "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Please, sir, don't lie to me. You are a man of God!"
Lexham English Bible
And he said, "At this time next spring, you will be embracing a son." She said, "No, my lord, O man of God! You must not tell a lie to your servant!"
Literal Translation
And he said, At this season, according to the time of life you shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sayde: Aboute this tyme yf ye frute can lyue, thou shalt enbrace a sonne. She sayde: Alas, no my lorde, thou man of God, lye not vnto thy handmayden.
American Standard Version
And he said, At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thy handmaid.
Bible in Basic English
And Elisha said, At this time in the coming year you will have a son in your arms. And she said, No, my lord, O man of God, do not say what is false to your servant.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he saide: At this tyme appoynted, according to the tyme of lyfe, thou shalt imbrace a sonne. And she said: Oh nay my lorde thou man of God, do not lye vnto thyne handmayde.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said: 'At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shalt embrace a son.' And she said: 'Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thy handmaid.'
King James Version (1611)
And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt imbrace a sonne. And she said, Nay my lord, thou man of God, doe not lie vnto thine handmaid.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Elisaie said to her, At this time next year, as the season is, thou shalt be alive, and embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, do not lie to thy servant.
English Revised Version
And he said, At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
Berean Standard Bible
And Elisha declared, "At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms." "No, my lord," she said. "Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
he seide to hir, In this tyme and in this same our, if lijf schal be felow, thou schalt haue a sone in the wombe. And sche answeride, Nyle thou, my lord, the man of God, Y biseche, nyle thou lye to thin hondmaide.
Young's Literal Translation
and he saith, `At this season, according to the time of life, thou art embracing a son;' and she saith, `Nay, my lord, O man of God, do not lie unto thy maid-servant.'
Update Bible Version
And he said, At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your slave.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, [thou] man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.
World English Bible
He said, At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son. She said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.
New King James Version
Then he said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!"
New Living Translation
"Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!" "No, my lord!" she cried. "O man of God, don't deceive me and get my hopes up like that."
New Life Bible
Then he said, "At this time next year you will hold a son in your arms." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God. Do not lie to your woman servant."
New Revised Standard
He said, "At this season, in due time, you shall embrace a son." She replied, "No, my lord, O man of God; do not deceive your servant."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said he - At this season, about the time of spring, thou, shalt be embracing a son. And she said - Nay! my lord, thou man of God, do not delude thy maid-servant.
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your maidservant."
THE MESSAGE
Elisha said to her, "This time next year you're going to be nursing an infant son." "O my master, O Holy Man," she said, "don't play games with me, teasing me with such fantasies!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then he said, "At this season next year you will embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant."

Contextual Overview

8 And there was a day when Eliseus passed by Sunam: now there was a great woman there, who detained him to eat bread: and as he passed often that way, he turned into her house to eat bread. 9 And she said to her husband: I perceive that this is a holy man of God, who often passeth by us. 10 Let us, therefore, make him a little chamber, and put a little bed in it for him, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick, that when he cometh to us he may abide there. 11 Now, there was a certain day, when he came, and turned into the chamber, and rested there. 12 And he said to Giezi, his servant: Call this Sunamitess. And when he had called her, and she stood before him, 13 He said to his servant: Say to her: Behold, thou hast diligently served us in all things; what wilt thou have me to do for thee? Hast thou any business, and wilt thou, that I speak to the king, or to the general of the army? And she answered: I dwell in the midst of my own people. 14 And he said: What will she then that I do for her? And Giezi said: Do not ask, for she hath no son, and her husband is old. 15 Then he bid him call her. And when she was called, and stood before the door, 16 He said to her: At this time, and this same hour, if life be in company, thou shalt have a son in thy womb. But she answered: Do not, I beseech thee, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid. 17 And the woman conceived, and brought forth a son in the time, and at the same hour that Eliseus had said.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

About this: Genesis 17:21, Genesis 18:10, Genesis 18:14

season: Heb. set time

thou shalt: Genesis 17:16, Genesis 17:17, Luke 1:13, Luke 1:30, Luke 1:31

my lord: 2 Kings 2:19

do not lie: 2 Kings 4:28, 2 Kings 5:10, 2 Kings 5:11, Genesis 18:12-15, 1 Kings 17:18, 1 Kings 18:9, Psalms 116:11, Luke 1:18-20

Reciprocal: Genesis 17:19 - Sarah Genesis 21:2 - conceived Joshua 14:6 - the man Judges 13:3 - but thou Judges 13:6 - A man Judges 20:38 - sign 1 Kings 12:22 - General 2 Kings 8:4 - all the great 2 Kings 13:19 - the man of God Ecclesiastes 3:2 - time to be born Matthew 1:21 - she Matthew 10:41 - that receiveth a prophet Luke 7:12 - the only

Cross-References

Genesis 3:8
And when they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in paradise at the afternoon air, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God, amidst the trees of paradise.
Genesis 4:14
Behold thou dost cast me out this day from the face of the earth, and from thy face I shall be hid, and I shall be a vagabond and a fugitive on the earth: every one therefore that findeth me, shall kill me.
Exodus 20:18
And all the people saw the voices and the flames, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mount smoking; and being terrified and struck with fear, they stood afar off,
2 Kings 13:23
And the Lord had mercy on them, and returned to them, because of his covenant, which he had made with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob: and he would not destroy them, nor utterly cast them away, unto this present time.
2 Kings 24:20
For the Lord was angry against Jerusalem and against Juda, till he cast them out from his face: and Sedecias revolted from the king of Babylon.
Job 1:12
Then the Lord said to Satan: Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand: only put not forth thy hand upon his person. And Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
Job 2:7
So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with a very grievous ulcer, from the sole of the foot even to the top of his head:
Job 20:17
Let him not see the streams of the river, the brooks of honey and of butter.
Psalms 5:11
(5-12) But let all them be glad that hope in thee: they shall rejoice for ever, and thou shalt dwell in them. And all they that love thy name shall glory in thee.
Psalms 68:2
(67-3) As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, about this season,.... In the next year:

according to the time of life; the usual time women go with child:

thou shalt embrace a son; in thine arms, that shall be born of thee, which she should have in her lap, and in her bosom:

and she said, nay, my lord, do not lie unto thine handmaid; or speak unto her what was not truth; it was so great, and so unaccountable, how it could be in her circumstances, that she could not believe it to be true, though she wished it might; or do not deceive me with vain and false words, or flatter me, jest with me, which would be unbecoming his character as a man of God, and prophet of the Lord; according to the Targum, she wished it might prove true, and she not deceived; see 2 Kings 4:28.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Do not lie - Compare a similar incredulity in Genesis 17:17; Genesis 18:12; Luke 1:20. The expression, “do not lie,” which is harsh to us, accords with the plain, straightforward simplicity of ancient speech. It would not mean more than “deceive” (compare the marginal reference).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 4:16. Thou shalt embrace a son. — This promise, and the circumstances of the parties, are not very dissimilar to that relative to the birth of Isaac, and those of Abraham and Sarah.

Do not lie — That is, Let thy words become true; or, as the rabbins understand it, Do not mock me by giving me a son that shall soon be removed by death; but let me have one that shall survive me.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile