2 Kings 4:16
New International Version
“About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”

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.”

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.”

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.”

King James Bible
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.

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 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.”

NASB 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.”

NASB 1977
Then he said, “At this season next year you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant.”

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.”

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.”

Christian Standard Bible
Elisha said, “At this time next year you will have a son in your arms.” Then she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your servant.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Elisha said, “At this time next year you will have a son in your arms.” Then she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not deceive your servant.”

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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said to her: “At this time, as you live, you are embracing a son.” And she said: “No, my Lord, Prophet of God! You shall not lie to your Maidservant!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

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."

Douay-Rheims Bible
He said to her: At this time, and this same hour, if life accompany, 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.

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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Elisha said, "At this time next spring, you will hold a baby boy in your arms." She answered, "Don't say that, sir. Don't lie to me. You're a man of God."

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!"

International Standard Version
and he told her, "About this time next year you will be embracing a son." "No, sir! Please, as a godly man, don't mislead your servant!"

JPS Tanakh 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.'

Literal Standard Version
and he says, “At this season, according to the time of life, you are embracing a son”; and she says, “No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant.”

Majority 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.”

New American Bible
Elisha promised, “This time next year you will be cradling a baby son.” She said, “My lord, you are a man of God; do not deceive your servant.”

NET Bible
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!"

New Revised Standard Version
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.”

New Heart English Bible
He said, "At this season, when the time comes around, you will embrace a son." She said, "No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your handmaid."

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 next year, you will embrace a son.” She said, “No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your servant.”

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.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Shunammite Woman
15“Call her,” said Elisha. So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16And 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.” 17But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.…

Cross References
Genesis 18:14
Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you--in about a year--and Sarah will have a son."

2 Kings 4:15
"Call her," said Elisha. So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway.

2 Kings 4:17
But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

2 Kings 4:28
Then she said, "Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn't I say, 'Do not deceive me?'"


Treasury of Scripture

And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, you shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.

About this

Genesis 17:21
But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

Genesis 18:10,14
And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him…

season [heb] set time

Genesis 17:16,17
And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her…

Luke 1:13,30,31
But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John…

my lord

2 Kings 2:19
And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.

do not lie

2 Kings 18:9
And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

Psalm 116:11
I said in my haste, All men are liars.

Luke 1:18-20
And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years…

Jump to Previous
Appointed Arms Elisha Embrace Embracing False. Handmaid Hold Lie Maidservant Mislead Objected Round Season Term Time
Jump to Next
Appointed Arms Elisha Embrace Embracing False. Handmaid Hold Lie Maidservant Mislead Objected Round Season Term Time
2 Kings 4
1. Elisha multiplies the widow's oil
8. He obtains a son for the good Shunammite
18. He restores her son when dead
38. At Gilgal he heals the deadly pottage
42. He satisfies a hundred men with twenty loaves














(16) About this season.--At this set time.

According to the time of life.--Rather, at the reviving time--i.e., next spring; or, when the time revives--i.e., in the following year: a phrase occurring in Genesis 18:10; Genesis 18:15. B�ttcher renders, "when the year has revolved," assuming the ground meaning of the term "life" to be something joined in a circle.

Thou shalt embrace.--Thou art about to embrace.

Do not lie--i.e., raise no delusive hopes. (Comp. Isaiah 58:11.) We can imagine the emotion with which this would be said. (Comp. the incredulity of Sarah, Genesis 18:12-13.) . . .

Verse 16. - And he - i.e. Elisha - said, About this season, according to the time of life - rather, when the time comes round; literally, revives; i.e. about this time next year - thou shalt embrace a son; i.e. "a son shall be born to thee, whom thou wilt embrace, as mothers are wont to do." And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. Like Sarah, the woman was incredulous; she could not believe the good tidings, and thought the prophet was only raising hopes to disappoint them. Her words, "Do not lie unto thy servant," are less harsh in the original, being merely equivalent to the "Do not deceive me" of ver. 28.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And Elisha declared,
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“At this
הַזֶּה֙ (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

time
לַמּוֹעֵ֤ד (lam·mō·w·‘êḏ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4150: Appointed time, place, or meeting

next year,
כָּעֵ֣ת (kā·‘êṯ)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

you
אַ֖תְּ (’at)
Pronoun - second person feminine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

will hold
חֹבֶ֣קֶת (ḥō·ḇe·qeṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 2263: To clasp, embrace

a son {in your arms}.”
בֵּ֑ן (bên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

“No,
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

my lord,”
אֲדֹנִי֙ (’ă·ḏō·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

she said.
וַתֹּ֗אמֶר (wat·tō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

lie
תְּכַזֵּ֖ב (tə·ḵaz·zêḇ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3576: To lie, be a liar

to your maidservant,
בְּשִׁפְחָתֶֽךָ׃ (bə·šip̄·ḥā·ṯe·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 8198: Maid, maidservant

O man
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of God.”
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT History: 2 Kings 4:16 He said At this season when (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 4:15
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