מלכים ב, פרק ד׳, פסוק ל״א

Gehazi's mission to hurry ahead and revive the Shunammite woman's son ends in total failure. Rushing in advance of the prophet and the child's mother, Gehazi reaches the lifeless boy and places Elisha's staff upon his face [אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Yet, the encounter with death remains unchanged.

The boy remains completely unresponsive, producing neither sound nor any sign of hearing. The primary approach among commentators explains that the child made no noise to answer and lacked any capacity to listen [רלב״ג, רד״ק]. If the boy had been able to hear but simply could not speak, he would have offered some physical movement or gesture in response. The total absence of both sound and attention indicates a state of absolute lifelessness [רד״ק]. Alternatively, this description serves to emphasize the profound silence in the room; since there was no sound, there was naturally nothing to listen to [מצודת דוד].

The failure of this mission stems directly from Gehazi's own actions and mindset. He disobeyed Elisha's strict instructions to remain silent along the journey, choosing instead to mock the very idea that a simple stick could bring back the dead [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Furthermore, Gehazi completely misunderstood the prophet's deeper intention. He mistakenly believed that the physical staff possessed an independent power to perform the miracle on its own [אברבנאל].

Realizing his effort was unsuccessful, Gehazi returns to Elisha to report that the boy did not wake up. The concept of waking from sleep is a common biblical expression used to describe the resurrection of the dead [רד״ק]. Because of this initial failure, Elisha himself will ultimately have to enter the room alone, isolate himself, and pray directly to God to complete the miracle and restore the breath of life to the child [אברבנאל].