2 Kings 8 · Verse 4

2 Kings 8:4

And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.
2 Kings 8:4, King James Version

2 Kings 8:4 in other translations

BSBNow the king had been speaking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things Elisha has done.”
WEBNow the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.”
ASVNow the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.
YLTAnd the king is speaking unto Gehazi, servant of the man of God, saying, ‘Recount, I pray thee, to me, the whole of the great things that Elisha hath done.'
DARBYAnd the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha has done.
BBENow the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Now, give me an account of all the great things Elisha has done.
WebsterAnd the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.

What does 2 Kings 8:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 8:4-6
4-6. the king talked with Gehazi--Ceremonial pollution being conveyed by contact alone, there was nothing to prevent a conference being held with this leper at a distance; and although he was excluded from the town of Samaria, this reported conversation may have taken place at the gate or in one of the royal gardens. The providence of God so ordained that King Jehoram had been led to inquire, with great interest, into the miraculous deeds of Elisha, and that the prophet's servant was in the act of relating the marvellous incident of the restoration of the Shunammite's son when she made her appearance to prefer her request. The king was pleased to grant it; and a state officer was charged to afford her every facility in the recovery of her family possession out of the hands of the occupier. 2Ki 8:7-15. Hazael Kills His Master, and Succeeds Him.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 The king talked with Gehazi - This is supposed to have happened before the cleansing of Naaman, for is it likely that the king would hold conversation with a leprous man; or that, knowing Gehazi had been dismissed with the highest disgrace from the prophet's service, he could hold any conversation with him concerning his late master, relative to whom he could not expect him to give either a true or impartial account? Some think that this conversation might have taken place after Gehazi became leprous; the king having an insatiable curiosity to know the private history of a man who had done such astonishing things: and from whom could he get this information, except from the prophet's own confidential servant? It agrees better with the chronology to consider what is here related as having taken place after the cure of Naaman. As to the circumstance of Gehazi's disease, he might overlook that, and converse with him, keeping at a reasonable distance, as nothing but actual contact could defile.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 8:1-6

The kindness of the good Shunammite to Elisha, was rewarded by the care taken of her in famine. It is well to foresee an evil, and wisdom, when we foresee it, to hide ourselves if we lawfully may do so. When the famine was over, she returned out of the land of the Philistines; that was no proper place for an Israelite, any longer than there was necessity for it. Time was when she dwelt so securely among her own…

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 8:1-6 →

2 Kings 8:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהַמֶּ֗לֶךְve.ha.Me.lekhand the kingH4428
מְדַבֵּר֙me.da.Ber[was] speakingH1696
אֶל\־'el-toH413
גֵּ֣חֲזִ֔יge.cha.ZiGehaziH1522
נַ֥עַרNa.'ar[the] servant ofH5288
אִישׁ\־'ish-[the] man ofH376
הָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
סַפְּרָה\־sa.pe.rah-recount !H5608
נָּ֣אna'pleaseH4994
לִ֔יLito me
אֵ֥ת'et<obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הַגְּדֹל֖וֹתha.ge.do.Lotthe great [things]H1419
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
עָשָׂ֥ה'a.Sahhe has doneH6213
אֱלִישָֽׁע\׃'e.li.Sha'ElishaH477

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 8:4

  • 2 Kings 5:20-27

    But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. …

  • 2 Kings 2:14

    And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

  • 2 Kings 4:16-17

    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. And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

  • Luke 23:8

    And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.

  • 2 Kings 5:14

    Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

  • Matthew 2:8

    And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

  • 2 Kings 7:1

    Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

  • 2 Kings 7:3

    And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

  • 2 Kings 6:9-12

    And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

  • 2 Kings 6:6

    And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

  • 2 Kings 2:24

    And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

  • 2 Kings 6:32

    But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the king.As it appears not likely that the king would hold conversation with a leprous man; or, that, knowing Gehazi had been dismissed with the highest disgrace from the prophet's service, he would talk with him concerning his late master; some have supposed that this happened before the cleansing of Naaman. But it agrees better with the chronology to consider it as having taken place after that event; the king, probably, having an insatiable curiosity to know the private history of a man who had done such astonishing things. As to the circumstances of Gehazi's disease, he might overlook that, and converse with him, keeping at a reasonable distance, as nothing but actual contact could defile.
Gehazi.
5:20-27; 7:3,10
Tell.
Mt 2:8; Lu 9:9; 23:8; Joh 9:27; Ac 24:24
all the great.
2:14,20-22,24; 3:14-16; 4:3-6,16,17; 5:14,27; 6:6,9-12,17-20,32
7:1,16-20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Kings 8:3

    And it came to pass at the seven years’ end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.

  • 2 Kings 8:4

    And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.

  • 2 Kings 8:5

    And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.

Read all of 2 Kings 8

2 Kings 8:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y había el rey hablado con Giezi, criado del varón de Dios, diciéndole: Ruégote que me cuentes todas las maravillas que ha hecho Eliseo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le roi parlait à Guéhazi, serviteur de l’homme de Dieu, disant: Raconte-moi, je te prie, toutes les grandes choses qu’Élisée a faites.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Der König aber redete eben zu Gehasi, dem Knaben des Mannes Gottes, und sprach: Erzähle mir doch alle die großen Dinge, die Elisa getan hat!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Rex autem loquebatur cum Giezi puero viri Dei, dicens: Narra mihi omnia magnalia quæ fecit Eliseus.