8 And it fell on a day, H3117 that Elisha H477 passed H5674 to Shunem, H7766 where was a great H1419 woman; H802 and she constrained H2388 him to eat H398 bread. H3899 And so it was, that as oft H1767 as he passed by, H5674 he turned H5493 in thither to eat H398 bread. H3899
And their border H1366 was toward Jezreel, H3157 and Chesulloth, H3694 and Shunem, H7766
And the old H2205 man H376 said, H559 Peace H7965 be with thee; howsoever H7535 let all thy wants H4270 lie upon me; only lodge H3885 not in the street. H7339
And it fell on a day, H3117 that he came H935 thither, and he turned H5493 into the chamber, H5944 and lay H7901 there. And he said H559 to Gehazi H1522 his servant, H5288 Call H7121 this Shunammite. H7767 And when he had called H7121 her, she stood H5975 before H6440 him.
And when the child H3206 was grown, H1431 it fell on a day, H3117 that he went out H3318 to his father H1 to the reapers. H7114
His substance H4735 also was seven H7651 thousand H505 sheep, H6629 and three H7969 thousand H505 camels, H1581 and five H2568 hundred H3967 yoke H6776 of oxen, H1241 and five H2568 hundred H3967 she asses, H860 and a very H3966 great H7227 household; H5657 so that this man H376 was the greatest H1419 of all the men H1121 of the east. H6924
Great men H7227 are not always wise: H2449 neither do the aged H2205 understand H995 judgment. H4941
With her much H7230 fair speech H3948 she caused him to yield, H5186 with the flattering H2506 of her lips H8193 she forced H5080 him.
For G1063 he shall be G2071 great G3173 in the sight G1799 of the Lord, G2962 and G2532 shall drink G4095 neither G3364 wine G3631 nor G2532 strong drink; G4608 and G2532 he shall be filled G4130 with the Holy G40 Ghost, G4151 even G2089 from G1537 his G846 mother's G3384 womb. G2836
And G2532 the lord G2962 said G2036 unto G4314 the servant, G1401 Go out G1831 into G1519 the highways G3598 and G2532 hedges, G5418 and G2532 compel G315 them to come in, G1525 that G2443 my G3450 house G3624 may be filled. G1072
But G2532 they constrained G3849 him, G846 saying, G3004 Abide G3306 with G3326 us: G2257 for G3754 it is G2076 toward G4314 evening, G2073 and G2532 the day G2250 is far spent. G2827 And G2532 he went in G1525 to tarry G3306 with G4862 them. G846
And G1161 when G5613 she was baptized, G907 and G2532 her G846 household, G3624 she besought G3870 us, saying, G3004 If G1487 ye have judged G2919 me G3165 to be G1511 faithful G4103 to the Lord, G2962 come G1525 into G1519 my G3450 house, G3624 and abide G3306 there. And G2532 she constrained G3849 us. G2248
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.