2 Kings 4:17

_AND HE SAID, WHAT THEN IS TO BE DONE FOR HER? AND GEHAZI ANSWERED, VERILY SHE HATH NO CHILD, AND HER HUSBAND IS OLD._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

8-17 Elisha was well thought of by the king of Israel for his late services; a good man can take as much pleasure in serving others, as in raising himself. But the Shunammite needed not any good offices of this kind. It is a happiness to dwell among our own people, that love and respect us, and to whom we are able to do good. It would be well with many, if they did but know when they are really well off. The Lord sees the secret wish which is suppressed in obedience to his will, and he will hear the prayers of his servants in behalf of their benefactors, by sending unasked-for and unexpected mercies; nor must the professions of men of God be supposed to be delusive like those of men of the world....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 4:1 TYPICAL MIRACLES WROUGHT BY ELISHA. General _introduction_._ _The miracles of this chapter are all of them miracles of mercy. The first and last consist in the multiplying of food, and thus belong to the same class as our Lord's feeding the four and the five thousands, and Elijah's increasing the meal and oil of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:10). It serves no useful purpose to ask how miracles of this class were wrought. The inspired writers have not told us; and our own thoughts upon the subject can at the best be mere unfounded conjectures. The rationalistic attempts which have been made to solve the mystery exhibit a weakness and feeblen

AND THE WOMAN CONCEIVED, AND BARE A SON AT THE SEASON THAT ELISHA SAID UNTO HER,.... Quickly after this she conceived, and became pregnant, and by that time the year came round, she was brought to bed of a son: ACCORDING TO THE TIME OF LIFE: when she had gone her full time to have a son born alive, and live....

3. THE MIRACLES CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The widow's oil multiplied (2 Kings 4:1)_ 2. The Shunammite and her reward (2 Kings 4:8) 3. The son of the Shunammite raised from the dead (2 Kings 4:18) 4. The deadly pottage healed (2 Kings 4:38) 5. The multitude fed (2 Kings 4:42) In the previous chapter Elisha appeared as the saviour of Israel, and now he acts in behalf of the widow of one of the sons of the prophets. His name is not given. Elisha had known him as one who feared the Lord. And now the widow deeply in

ELISHA AND THE SHUNAMMITE WOMAN. This gives one of the most delightful pictures of rural life in ancient Israel. It describes the kindly hospitality of the great lady of Shunem, the accommodation provided a chamber with walls (_mg._) and furniture no makeshift arrangement, but such as befitted an honoured guest; the description of the boy's death, her drive from Shunem to Carmel to the prophet, Elisha's behaviour, as revealing his naturally considerate demeanour, is vividly portrayed. More than one expression recalls the Elijah story (_cf._ 1 Kings 18:26 with 2 Kings 4:31, and 1 Kings 18:42 with 2 Kings 4:33). Shunem ...

OF LIFE, OR OF SPRING. Read "that season about the time of spring of which Klisha had said unto her". The sixth miracle. Compare 2 Kings 2:15....

Here by rendering as in the previous verse the R.V. involves a change of order in the English but conforms thereby more nearly to the Hebrew order. -And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said unto her"....

B. PREDICTIONS REGARDING THE SHUNAMMITE 4:8-17 TRANSLATION (8) And it came to pass one day that Elisha passed over unto Shunem, and there was a great lady who constrained him to eat bread. And it came to pass whenever he passed through, he turned aside there to eat bread. (9) And she said unto her husband, Behold now I know that the one who passes by us continually is a holy man of God. (10) Let us make, I pray you, a small chamber on the wall, and let us put there a bed, table, chair and lamp, and it shall come to pass when he comes unto us, he may turn in there. (11) And it came to pass on the day that he came there, that he turned aside unto the chamber and lay down there. (12) And he said unto Gehazi his servant, Call to this Shunammite. And he called to her, and she stood before him. (13) And he said unto him, Say, I pray you, unto her, Behold you have cared for us with all this ca...

VARIOUS MIRACLES OF ELISHA The miracles related of Elisha in this and the following Chapter s resemble many of those previously recounted of Elijah. Thus both prophets multiplied the sustenance of a woman in need (2 Kings 4:1; 1 Kings 17:8); both restored a dead child to life (2 Kings 4:8; 1 Kings 17:17); both came into conflict with their king on the occasion of a famine (2 Kings 6:24; 1 Kings 18;...