2 Kings 4:14

KJV

And he said, What then [is] to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.

KJV (with Strong's)

And he said {H559}, What then is to be done {H6213} for her? And Gehazi {H1522} answered {H559}, Verily {H61} she hath no child {H1121}, and her husband {H376} is old {H2204}.

Complete Jewish Bible

He said, "What, then, is to be done for her?" Geichazi answered, "There's one thing - she doesn't have a son; and her husband is old.

Berean Standard Bible

So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.”

American Standard Version

And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
This verse marks a pivotal moment in the narrative of the Shunammite woman, where the prophet Elisha, prompted by his servant Gehazi, uncovers a profound and unspoken longing in her life: the desire for a child. Despite her material wealth and humble contentment, this revelation sets the stage for a miraculous divine intervention, demonstrating God's compassionate attention to the deepest needs of His faithful servants and His power to overcome natural limitations.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is nestled within a series of Elisha's miracles, following his compassionate interaction with the Shunammite woman. Chapters 2-8 of 2 Kings detail Elisha's prophetic ministry, marked by acts of healing, provision, and resurrection, demonstrating God's continued presence and power in Israel. Specifically, 2 Kings 4:8-13 describes the Shunammite woman's extraordinary hospitality towards Elisha, providing him with a dedicated room. Elisha, moved by her selfless generosity, desires to reciprocate. He first offers to intercede on her behalf with the king or army commander, but she humbly declines, stating her contentment living "among her own people" ([2 Kings 4:13](/2_kings/4-13 "2 Kings 4:13 - The Shunammite Woman's Contentment")). This response, indicating no need for worldly advancement, prompts Elisha to seek a deeper, unexpressed need, leading directly to Gehazi's observation in verse 14. This exchange builds narrative tension, preparing the reader for a miraculous resolution.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In ancient Israelite society, childlessness, particularly for women, was a profound sorrow and often perceived as a reproach or even a divine curse. Lineage and continuation of the family name were paramount, and children were seen as a blessing from God, ensuring inheritance and security in old age. The phrase "her husband is old" underscores the natural impossibility of conceiving a child, highlighting the couple's advanced age and setting the stage for a supernatural intervention. Shunem, located in the Jezreel Valley, was a fertile region, but its prosperity could not alleviate the pain of barrenness. Prophets like Elisha served as God's direct spokesmen, often intervening in the natural order to demonstrate divine power and compassion, addressing both national crises and personal needs.
* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes significantly to several key themes within 2 Kings and the broader biblical narrative. It highlights **Divine Discernment and Compassion**, as Elisha, through God's leading, perceives a need beyond the superficial, demonstrating God's intimate knowledge of human hearts and His desire to meet unspoken longings. It powerfully portrays **The Sorrow of Childlessness** as a deep, cultural, and personal burden, echoing the narratives of Sarah ([Genesis 16:1-2](/genesis/16-1 "Genesis 16:1-2 - Sarah's Barrenness") and [Genesis 18:10-14](/genesis/18-10 "Genesis 18:10-14 - The Promise to Sarah")), Rachel ([Genesis 30:1](/genesis/30-1 "Genesis 30:1 - Rachel's Distress")), and Hannah ([1 Samuel 1:1-8](/1_samuel/1-1 "1 Samuel 1:1-8 - Hannah's Anguish")). Crucially, it serves as **Preparation for a Miracle**, setting the scene for the miraculous birth of a son to the Shunammite couple ([2 Kings 4:16](/2_kings/4-16 "2 Kings 4:16 - The Promise of a Son")), thereby showcasing God's sovereignty over life and His ability to transcend natural limitations. This act of divine generosity also underscores the theme of **Divine Reward for Hospitality and Faithfulness**, as Elisha seeks to bless the woman for her selfless service.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **What then (is) to be done for her? (Hebrew, _mah 'asah lah_):** This phrase reveals Elisha's proactive compassion and persistent desire to bless the Shunammite woman. The Hebrew construction suggests a question seeking a specific, actionable solution for a perceived need. It indicates Elisha's spiritual discernment, recognizing that despite her contentment with her current circumstances, there might be a deeper, unfulfilled desire that only divine intervention could address. It's not a casual inquiry but a determined search for how God might manifest His favor.
* **Verily (Hebrew, _'aken_):** This adverb conveys certainty, truth, or indeed. Gehazi's use of _'aken_ emphasizes that his observation is not a guess or speculation but a known, undeniable fact. It lends an air of solemnity and factual weight to his statement, underscoring the reality of the woman's barrenness and the human impossibility of her situation, thereby heightening the anticipation for a divine solution.
* **no child (Hebrew, _'en-lah ben_):** Literally, "there is no son to her." This phrase directly addresses the core issue of barrenness. In a society where sons were crucial for lineage, inheritance, and social standing, the lack of a son was a profound personal and social void. Gehazi's simple yet impactful statement articulates the deepest, perhaps unspoken, sorrow of the Shunammite woman, which her husband's old age further compounds as a natural barrier to procreation.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And he said, What then [is] to be done for her?":** Elisha, having been told by the Shunammite woman that she needs nothing from the king or army commander, shifts his focus. His question to Gehazi demonstrates his commitment to repaying her hospitality. It also highlights his prophetic sensitivity; he senses a deeper, unarticulated need beyond material or social status, prompting him to seek counsel from his observant servant. This inquiry sets the stage for the revelation of the woman's true longing.
* **"And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child":** Gehazi, Elisha's servant, provides the crucial insight. His "Verily" (Hebrew _'aken_) indicates a firm, certain observation. He has likely noticed the absence of children in the household or heard it discussed, recognizing this as a significant void in a culture that highly valued progeny. This statement immediately identifies the profound sorrow of barrenness, which was a source of great distress for women in ancient Israel.
* **"and her husband is old":** This additional detail from Gehazi amplifies the problem. The husband's advanced age underscores the natural impossibility of the couple conceiving a child. It removes any human hope for procreation, thus magnifying the miraculous nature of the impending divine intervention. This detail establishes the utter human helplessness of the situation, making the subsequent divine act even more powerful and clearly attributable to God.

#### Literary Devices
The verse primarily employs **Dialogue** to advance the plot, with Elisha's question and Gehazi's insightful answer driving the narrative forward. This direct exchange reveals critical information about the Shunammite woman's circumstances and sets the stage for the ensuing miracle. There is also a strong element of **Foreshadowing**, as Gehazi's observation about childlessness immediately signals to the reader that the narrative is about to address this specific need, hinting at a miraculous birth to come. The **Contrast** between the woman's material abundance and her profound personal lack (childlessness) is subtly highlighted, emphasizing that true fulfillment often lies beyond worldly possessions. Finally, **Irony** is present in Gehazi, the servant, being the one to discern the deepest need, rather than Elisha directly, though Elisha's question initiated the discernment process.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse powerfully illustrates God's attentiveness to the deepest, often unspoken, longings of the human heart. It reveals a God who sees beyond outward appearances and material contentment, perceiving the hidden sorrows and unfulfilled desires that burden His people. Just as Elisha sought to bless the Shunammite woman for her extraordinary hospitality, God often responds to faithfulness and generosity with blessings that transcend human expectation, addressing needs that only He can meet. The theme of miraculous birth, overcoming natural barrenness, is a recurring motif in Scripture, demonstrating God's sovereignty over life itself and His ability to bring forth life where it seems naturally impossible, often for those who have faithfully served Him.

* [Genesis 18:10-14](/genesis/18-10 "The Promise of Isaac to Sarah")
* [1 Samuel 1:10-20](/1_samuel/1-10 "Hannah's Prayer and Samuel's Birth")
* [Luke 1:7](/luke/1-7 "Zechariah and Elizabeth's Barrenness")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The exchange in 2 Kings 4:14 serves as a profound reminder that God is intimately acquainted with our deepest needs, even those we may not articulate or perhaps have resigned ourselves to. The Shunammite woman, content in her community, had seemingly accepted her childless state. Yet, God, through His prophet, sought to address this unspoken sorrow. This invites us to consider what hidden longings or perceived impossibilities we carry. It encourages us to cultivate a spirit of spiritual discernment, both in our own lives and as we seek to serve others. Are we truly listening to the unspoken cues, observing the deeper needs, and allowing God to work through us to bring His miraculous provision? This verse calls us to trust in God's power to transcend natural limitations and to believe that His compassion extends to every area of our lives, even where human solutions are exhausted.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What unspoken or long-held desires might God be seeking to address in your life, even if you've resigned yourself to their impossibility?**
* **How can you cultivate greater spiritual discernment to perceive the hidden needs of those around you, beyond their expressed requests or material circumstances?**
* **In what areas of your life do you need to trust God to work beyond natural limitations, believing in His power to bring forth life or breakthrough where there seems to be none?**

### FAQ
**Why didn't Elisha know about her childlessness immediately, and why did Gehazi have to tell him?**

Answer: While Elisha was a prophet of God, his knowledge was not always exhaustive or automatic; it was often revealed by God as needed. In this instance, Elisha's initial offer to intercede with the king or army commander suggests he was looking for a more "public" or "worldly" need. The Shunammite woman's response that she was "content living among her own people" ([2 Kings 4:13](/2_kings/4-13 "2 Kings 4:13 - The Shunammite Woman's Contentment")) indicated no such outward need. Elisha then turned to Gehazi, his observant servant, who was likely more intimately familiar with the household's daily life and common knowledge within the community. God often uses human observation and insight, even from servants, to bring about His divine purposes, demonstrating that His work is not solely through direct supernatural revelation but also through the natural channels of human interaction and discernment. This highlights Gehazi's role as a keen observer and Elisha's reliance on his insight, which God then used as the catalyst for the miracle.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The narrative of the Shunammite woman's barrenness and God's miraculous intervention through Elisha finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment. Just as the prophet discerned and addressed an unspoken, seemingly impossible need, Jesus Christ perfectly embodies divine discernment and compassion. He consistently saw beyond the surface, perceiving the deepest spiritual and physical needs of those He encountered, from the woman with the issue of blood ([Mark 5:25-34](/mark/5-25 "Mark 5:25-34 - The Woman with the Issue of Blood")) to the Samaritan woman at the well ([John 4:7-26](/john/4-7 "John 4:7-26 - Jesus and the Samaritan Woman")). The miraculous birth of the Shunammite's son foreshadows the ultimate miracle of the **new birth** that Christ offers, where spiritual barrenness is overcome by the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit ([John 3:3-8](/john/3-3 "John 3:3-8 - You Must Be Born Again")). Furthermore, Christ's coming addresses humanity's deepest and most universal "barrenness"—our inability to produce spiritual fruit or attain righteousness on our own ([Romans 3:23](/romans/3-23 "Romans 3:23 - All Have Sinned")). He is the one who brings life from death, hope from despair, and fulfills every longing of the human heart, ultimately offering adoption into God's family and an eternal inheritance that far surpasses any earthly blessing ([Ephesians 1:5](/ephesians/1-5 "Ephesians 1:5 - Adoption as Sons") and [Romans 8:15](/romans/8-15 "Romans 8:15 - Spirit of Adoption")). In Christ, our greatest "old age" (our spiritual death) is overcome, and we are made new creations ([2 Corinthians 5:17](/2_corinthians/5-17 "2 Corinthians 5:17 - New Creation in Christ")), receiving the ultimate Son, Jesus, who grants us abundant and eternal life ([John 10:10](/john/10-10 "John 10:10 - Abundant Life")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Luke 1:7

And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were [now] well stricken in years.

Genesis 15:2

¶ And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house [is] this Eliezer of Damascus?

Genesis 15:3

And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

1 Samuel 1:8

Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? [am] not I better to thee than ten sons?

Genesis 18:10

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.

Genesis 18:14

Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Judges 13:2

And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name [was] Manoah; and his wife [was] barren, and bare not.