35 Then he returned, H7725 and walked H3212 in the house H1004 to H259 H2008 and fro; H259 H2008 and went up, H5927 and stretched H1457 himself upon him: and the child H5288 sneezed H2237 seven H7651 times, H6471 and the child H5288 opened H6491 his eyes. H5869
And it came to pass, as he was telling H5608 the king H4428 how he had restored H2421 a dead body H4191 to life, H2421 that, behold, the woman, H802 whose son H1121 he had restored to life, H2421 cried H6817 to the king H4428 for her house H1004 and for her land. H7704 And Gehazi H1522 said, H559 My lord, H113 O king, H4428 this is the woman, H802 and this is her son, H1121 whom Elisha H477 restored to life. H2421
And the LORD H3068 heard H8085 the voice H6963 of Elijah; H452 and the soul H5315 of the child H3206 came H7725 into him H7130 again, H7725 and he revived. H2421
Then spake H1696 Elisha H477 unto the woman, H802 whose son H1121 he had restored to life, H2421 saying, H559 Arise, H6965 and go H3212 thou and thine household, H1004 and sojourn H1481 wheresoever H834 thou canst sojourn: H1481 for the LORD H3068 hath called H7121 for a famine; H7458 and it shall also come H935 upon the land H776 seven H7651 years. H8141
And it came to pass, as they were burying H6912 a man, H376 that, behold, they spied H7200 a band H1416 of men; and they cast H7993 the man H376 into the sepulchre H6913 of Elisha: H477 and when the man H376 was let down, H3212 and touched H5060 the bones H6106 of Elisha, H477 he revived, H2421 and stood up H6965 on his feet. H7272
And G2532 he came G4334 and touched G680 the bier: G4673 and G1161 they that bare G941 him stood still. G2476 And G2532 he said, G2036 Young man, G3495 I say G3004 unto thee, G4671 Arise. G1453 And G2532 he that was dead G3498 sat up, G339 and G2532 began G756 to speak. G2980 And G2532 he delivered G1325 him G846 to his G846 mother. G3384
And G2532 when he thus G5023 had spoken, G2036 he cried G2905 with a loud G3173 voice, G5456 Lazarus, G2976 come G1204 forth. G1854 And G2532 he that was dead G2348 came forth, G1831 bound G1210 hand G5495 and G2532 foot G4228 with graveclothes: G2750 and G2532 his G846 face G3799 was bound about G4019 with a napkin. G4676 Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto them, G846 Loose G3089 him, G846 and G2532 let him G863 go. G5217
But G1161 Peter G4074 put G1544 them all G3956 forth, G1854 and kneeled down, G5087 G1119 and prayed; G4336 and G2532 turning G1994 him to G4314 the body G4983 said, G2036 Tabitha, G5000 arise. G450 And G1161 she opened G455 her G846 eyes: G3788 and G2532 when she saw G1492 Peter, G4074 she sat up. G339
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Kings 4
Commentary on 2 Kings 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
Great service Elisha had done, in the foregoing chapter, for the three kings: to his prayers and prophecies they owed their lives and triumphs. One would have expected that the next chapter would tell us what honours and what dignities were conferred on Elisha for this, that he should immediately be preferred at court, and made prime-minister of state, that Jehoshaphat should take him home with him, and advance him in his kingdom. No, the wise man delivered the army, but no man remembered the wise man, Eccl. 9:15. Or, if he had preferment offered him, he declined it: he preferred the honour of doing good in the schools of the prophets before that of being great in the courts of princes. God magnified him, and that sufficed him-magnified him indeed, for we have him here employed in working no fewer than five miracles.
2Ki 4:1-7
Elisha's miracles were for use, not for show; this recorded here was an act of real charity. Such also were the miracles of Christ, not only great wonders, but great favours to those for whom they were wrought. God magnifies his goodness with his power.
2Ki 4:8-17
The giving of a son to such as were old, and had been long childless, was an ancient instance of the divine power and favour, in the case of Abraham, and Isaac, and Manoah, and Elkanah; we find it here among the wonders wrought by Elisha. This was wrought in recompence for the kind entertainment which a good woman gave him, as the promise of a son was given to Abraham when he entertained angels. Observe here,
2Ki 4:18-37
We may well suppose that, after the birth of this son, the prophet was doubly welcome to the good Shunammite. He had thought himself indebted to her, but henceforth, as long as she lives, she will think herself in his debt, and that she can never do too much for him. We may also suppose that the child was very dear to the prophet, as the son of his prayers, and very dear to the parents, as the son of their old age. But here is,
2Ki 4:38-44
We have here Elisha in his place, in his element, among the sons of the prophets, teaching them, and, as a father, providing for them; and happy it was for them that they had one over them who naturally cared for their state, under whom they were well fed and well taught. There was a dearth in the land, for the wickedness of those that dwelt therein, the same that we read of, ch. 8:1. It continued seven years, just as long again as that in Elijah's time. A famine of bread there was, but not of hearing the word of God, for Elisha had the sons of the prophets sitting before him, to hear his wisdom, who were taught, that they might teach others. Two instances we have here of the care he took about their meat. Christ twice fed those to whom he preached. Elisha was in the more care about it now because of the dearth, that the sons of the prophets might not be ashamed in this evil time, but, even in the days of famine, might be satisfied, Ps. 37:19.