2 Kings 4:27

to the hill Elisha had been standing on a height which enabled him to command a view of the road for some distance.

she caught him by the feet She fell down, and clung to his feet in the attitude of humblest supplication. Cf. Matthew 18:29, where the servant adopts this suppliant posture when appealing to his fellow for mercy.

Gehazi came near to thrust her away The word in other places indicates a considerable degree of force. The servant thought that the dignity of his master was not sufficiently regarded by the Shunammite, and would have taken her away.

The Lord hath hidit from me We need not conclude from these words that the prophet expected to be warned supernaturally concerning those who were likely to come to seek his help. We know from other instances that the prophets were in many cases no more enlightened than others. In 2 Samuel 7:3, Nathan bids David do all that is in his heart for the Lord is with him. But presently he is sent to inform the king that God will not give him leave to build the temple, as he wished. The family at Shunem had been made by the prophet a subject of intercession with the Lord. It is therefore not unnatural that Elisha should consider that their misfortunes might be specially announced. We must suppose that, after her grief had spent somewhat of its force, she opens it to Elisha, and follows her narration with the words of the next verse.