2 Kings 4:8

_AND IT FELL ON A DAY, THAT ELISHA PASSED TO SHUNEM, WHERE WAS A GREAT WOMAN; AND SHE CONSTRAINED HIM TO EAT BREAD. AND SO IT WAS, THAT AS OFT AS HE PASSED BY, HE TURNED IN THITHER TO EAT BREAD._ Elisha passed to Shunem - now Sulam, in the plain of Esdraelon at the southwestern base of Little Hemon. The prophet in his journey was often entertained here by one of its pious and opulent inhabitants....

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....

Verse 2 Kings 4:8. _ELISHA PASSED TO SHUNEM_] This city was in the tribe of Issachar, to the south of the brook Kishon, and at the foot of Mount Tabor. _WHERE_ WAS _A GREAT WOMAN_] In _Pirkey Rab. Eliezer_, this woman is said to have been the sister of Abishag, the Shunammite, well known in the history of David. Instead of _great woman_, the Chaldee has, _a woman fearing sin_; the Arabic, _a woman eminent for piety before God_. This made her truly _great_....

AND IT FELL ON A DAY - The original of the expression here used, which occurs three times in the present narrative 2 Kings 4:11, 2 Kings 4:18, is also found in Job 1:6, Job 1:13; Job 2:1. The character of the expression perhaps supports the view that the author of Kings has collected from various sources his account of the miracles of Elisha, and has kept in each case the words of the original writer. A GREAT WOMAN - That is, “a rich woman.” Compare...

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 IT FELL ON A DAY,.... Or so it was at a certain time: THAT ELISHA PASSED TO SHUNEM; a city in the tribe of Issachar; of which see Joshua 19:18, WHERE WAS A GREAT WOMAN; of great wealth and riches, of great benevolence and hospitality, and of great grace and piety; that feared sin, as the Targum paraphrases it; a woman of great credit and reputation on all accounts. The Jews say u she was the sister of Abishag the Shunammite, and the mother of Iddo the prophet: AND SHE CONSTRAINED HIM TO EAT BREAD; she had observed him at all times pass that way, and guessed by his habit and deportment that he was a religious man, and therefore took an opportunity to invite him into her house, and take a dinner with her; but he being modest and shy, she was obliged to use some pressing language, and be importunate with him, that he would accept of

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 ...

SHUNEM. In the plain of Esdraelon. The native place of Abishag (1 Kings 1:3). GREAT. wealthy, or. person of position (2 Samuel 19:32)....

Elisha promises a son to the hospitable Shunammite (Not in Chronicles) 8. _And it fell on a day_ From its use elsewhere the Hebrew noun, as here, with the article signifies -on that day", -at that time", and indicates a closer connexion with the preceding narrative than would be gathered from the A.V. But see below, verses 11 and 18. _Elisha passed to Shunem_ In Joshua 19:18, Shunem is among the places allotted to the tribe of Issachar. It is also mentioned as the place where the Philistines encamped before the battle of Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:4). It has been identified with _Solam_, a village situate on the little Hermon about 3 miles north of Jezreel. When Elisha was travelling either from Samaria or Jezreel to Carmel, Shunem lay on his road. The place is mentioned as being the home