2 Kings 4:27

_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._ NO JFB COMMENTARY ON THESE VERSES....

18-37 Here is the sudden death of the child. All the mother's tenderness cannot keep alive a child of promise, a child of prayer, one given in love. But how admirably does the prudent, pious mother, guard her lips under this sudden affliction! Not one peevish word escapes from her. Such confidence had she of God's goodness, that she was ready to believe that he would restore what he had now taken away. O woman, great is thy faith! He that wrought it, would not disappoint it. The sorrowful mother begged leave of her husband to go to the prophet at once. She had not thought it enough to have Elisha's help sometimes in her own family, but, though a woman of rank, attended on public worship. It well becomes the men of God, to inquire about the welfare of their friends and their families. The answer was, It is well. All well, and yet the child dead in the house! Yes! All is well that God doe...

Verse 27. _THE LORD HATH HID_ IT _FROM ME, AND HATH NOT TOLD ME._] In reference to this point he had not now the _discernment of_ _spirits_. This, and the _gift of prophecy_, were influences which God gave and suspended as his infinite wisdom saw good....

SHE CAUGHT HIM BY THE FEET - To lay hold of the knees or feet has always been thought in the East to add force to supplication, and is practiced even at the present day. Compare Matthew 18:29; John 11:32....

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 WHEN SHE CAME TO THE MAN OF GOD TO THE HILL,.... To the top of it: SHE CAUGHT HIM BY THE FEET; in reverence to him, and as a supplicant, she prostrated herself at his feet, and, out of affection to him, caught hold on them, and held them fast, and determined not to leave him until he had promised to go with her, see Matthew 28:9. It was usual with the Jews to lay hold on and kiss the feet or knees of those to whom they did homage, or made supplication, see Matthew 28:9. Luke 7:38, and so with the Greeks, as may be observed in various passages in Homer y and others: BUT GEHAZI CAME NEAR TO THRUST HER AWAY; as being troublesome and disagreeable to his master, and not for her ho

VEXED Hebrew, "bitter." (1 Samuel 1:10)....

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 ...

HER SOUL. herself. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13. VEXED. bitter....