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2 Kings 4

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Elisha Multiplies the Widow's Oil 1–7

1
Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. ​
2
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. ​
3
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. ​
4
And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
5
So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
6
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. ​
7
Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. ​

The Shunammite Woman Shows Hospitality 8–17

8
And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. ​
9
And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
10
Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. ​
11
And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
12
And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
13
And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. ​
14
And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. ​
15
And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
16
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. ​
17
And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

The Shunammite’s Son Dies 18–32

18
And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. ​
19
And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
20
And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
21
And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.
22
And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.
23
And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. ​
24
Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
25
So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: ​
26
Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. ​
27
And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. ​
28
Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? ​
29
Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. ​
30
And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. ​
31
And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. ​
32
And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

Elisha Raises the Boy 33–37

33
He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD. ​
34
And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. ​
35
Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. ​
36
And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.
37
Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. ​

Elisha Purifies the Poisoned Stew 38–41

38
And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. ​
39
And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. ​
40
So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
41
But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot. ​

Elisha Feeds a Hundred Men 42–44

42
And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. ​
43
And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. ​
44
So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Kings 4

Verse 1

to be bondmen — 'Bondmen' is ebed, the word already twice rendered 'servant' in 'Thy servant my husband'. The creditor (nasha, one who lends on security) claims her sons for the debt. The law allowed a poor man to serve only 'as an hired servant… unto the year of jubile' (Lev 25:40).

Verse 2

a pot of oil — Asuk, an oil-flask: her whole stock. Elisha asks what she has, as the LORD's word to Elijah worked from the Zarephath widow's 'little oil in a cruse' (1 Kings 17:12), with the promise 'neither shall the cruse of oil fail' (1 Kings 17:14).

Verse 3

borrow not a few — 'Borrow' is sha'al, to ask; the vessels must be 'empty' (reyq), and from 'all thy neighbours'. The supply is to be matched to the containers brought, as at 2 Kings 3:16, 'Make this valley full of ditches.'

Verse 6

the oil stayed — 'Stayed' is amad, to stand: the flow stops only when 'There is not a vessel more.' The oil of the one pot filled every vessel brought. A like unfailing supply was promised the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:14).

Verse 7

pay thy debt, and live — The oil is sold to clear the debt (neshi), and the remainder keeps the household: 'live thou and thy children of the rest'. 'Rest' is yathar, to be left over, the verb of 'leave thereof' in vv.43–44. The sons are saved from the bondage feared in v.1.

Verse 8

a great woman — Gadol, 'great', here of standing and means. Shunem lay in Issachar's border (Josh 19:18). 'Constrained' is chazaq, to press hard, as the two travellers pressed Christ at Emmaus: 'they constrained him, saying, Abide with us' (Luke 24:29). Elisha thereafter 'turned in thither' each time.

Verse 10

a little chamber… on the wall — 'Chamber' is aliyah, an upper room, the word rendered 'loft' where Elijah abode and laid the Zarephath widow's son (1 Kings 17:19). Its four furnishings are a bed, a table, a stool and a candlestick (menorah, a lampstand): a place to rest, eat, sit and have light.

Verse 13

careful for us with all this care — Charad, to tremble, be anxious; the noun charadah follows: she has gone to anxious pains for them. Elisha offers to speak 'to the king, or to the captain of the host' (sar tsaba, army commander). She declines: 'I dwell among mine own people.'

Verse 14

she hath no child, and her husband is old — Gehazi names the need. It is the condition of Abraham and Sarah, to whom the promise was given, 'Sarah thy wife shall have a son' (Gen 18:10), and of Zacharias and Elisabeth: 'they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren' (Luke 1:7).

Verse 16

according to the time of life — Eth chayyah, literally the season of living, the phrase of Gen 18:10, where the LORD promises Sarah a son. 'Embrace' is chabaq, to clasp. Her answer, 'do not lie' (kazab), is her fear of a false hope; she recalls it in v.28.

Verse 18

to the reapers — The boy is 'grown' (gadal, to become large, the root of 'great' in v.8) and goes out in harvest time, when the fields were full of reapers, as at Bethlehem in Ruth 2:4. His father is in the field; the mother is at home (v.19).

Verse 23

neither new moon, nor sabbath — The husband's question assumes these as the set days for going to the man of God. The new moon (chodesh) and sabbath were days of offerings and assembly (Num 28:11; Isa 1:13). Her answer, 'It shall be well', is shalom, the same word as in v.26.

Verse 25

mount Carmel — Elisha's usual circuit ran there: 'he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria' (2 Kings 2:25). It was the mountain of Elijah's contest (1 Kings 18:19). Elisha sees her 'afar off' and knows her: 'yonder is that Shunammite'.

Verse 26

It is well — Shalom: welfare, peace. Elisha bids Gehazi ask three things, of her, of her husband and of the child, and one word answers all three. The same question and answer pass between Jacob and the shepherds of Haran in Gen 29:6, 'Is he well? And they said, He is well.'

Verse 27

caught him by the feet — Chazaq, to seize; Gehazi would 'thrust her away' (hadaph). Elisha: 'her soul is vexed' (marar, made bitter), and 'the LORD hath hid it from me' (alam, to conceal). A prophet knows what the LORD reveals (cf. Amos 3:7); here nothing had been told him.

Verse 28

Did I desire a son of my lord? — 'Desire' is sha'al, to ask, the verb of 'borrow' in v.3. She recalls v.16, where she had said 'do not lie unto thine handmaid'; here the word is 'deceive' (shalah, to mislead). The son was promised, not asked for.

Verse 29

Gird up thy loins — Chagar, to gird the robe up for running, as Elijah did when he 'girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab' (1 Kings 18:46). 'Salute' is barak, literally to bless. Christ gave the same charge to disciples sent out: 'salute no man by the way' (Luke 10:4).

Verse 30

As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth — The oath is the one Elisha used to Elijah at Bethel and Jericho (2 Kings 2:2, 4). 'Leave' is azab, to forsake. The mother will not accept the servant and the staff in his place; Elisha 'arose, and followed her'.

Verse 31

neither voice, nor hearing — Qol and qesheb, sound and attention: no response at all. The phrase 'neither voice' also marks the silence of Baal in 1 Kings 18:29. 'Awaked' is quts, to wake from sleep, the figure of John 11:11, 'I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.'

Verse 33

shut the door upon them twain, and prayed — 'Prayed' is palal; the request is made 'unto the LORD', not to the staff. Elisha shuts the door as the woman did in vv.5 and 21. Elijah likewise 'cried unto the LORD' over the Zarephath widow's son (1 Kings 17:20).

Verse 34

put his mouth upon his mouth — 'Stretched himself' is gahar, to cast oneself down; the 'flesh' (basar) 'waxed warm' (chamam), the first sign of life returning. Elijah 'stretched himself upon the child three times' (1 Kings 17:21), and Paul 'fell on' the dead Eutychus (Acts 20:10).

Verse 35

sneezed seven times — Zarar, to sneeze: a word tagged only here in the KJV. The child's eyes open after Elisha's second stretching, once he had 'walked in the house to and fro'. Elijah's prayer was likewise answered: 'the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived' (1 Kings 17:22).

Verse 37

fell at his feet, and bowed herself — She who 'caught him by the feet' in grief (v.27) now falls at them, and 'bowed' (shachah) is the verb of prostration. Hebrews 11:35 counts it among the works of faith: 'Women received their dead raised to life again.'

Verse 38

a dearth in the land — Ra'ab, famine. It is the one the LORD 'called for', 'seven years', that Elisha warned the Shunammite of in 2 Kings 8:1. The sons of the prophets sit 'before him' as pupils, and 'pottage' (nazid) is a boiled stew of herbs in the 'great pot'.

Verse 39

wild gourds — Paqquah, from a root meaning to split open; this is the only verse where the word is tagged. The man found 'a wild vine', filled his 'lap' with the fruit, and 'shred' it into the pot 'for they knew them not'. The danger is stated in v.40, 'there is death in the pot'.

Verse 41

Then bring meal — Qemach, flour. Elisha 'cast it into the pot' as he had cast salt into the spring ('I have healed these waters', 2 Kings 2:21), and as a tree sweetened the waters of Marah (Exod 15:25). 'Death' in v.40 gives way to 'no harm' (literally, no evil thing) in the pot.

Verse 42

twenty loaves of barley — The man from Baalshalisha brings 'bread of the firstfruits' (bikkur) to the man of God, with fresh 'full ears of corn'. Barley loaves are the bread of the boy's gift in John 6:9, 'five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?'

Verse 43

for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof — The servitor (sharath, an attendant) counts 'an hundred men' against twenty loaves. The command rests on the LORD's word, given beforehand. Christ's feeding repeats the pattern: the fragments 'remained over and above' (John 6:13).

Verse 44

according to the word of the LORD — The outcome is exactly what v.43 had said. 'Left' is yathar, the verb of 'leave thereof' in v.43 and 'the rest' in v.7. Matthew records the same result at Christ's feeding: 'they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full' (Matt 14:20).