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2 Kings Chapter
Four
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 4
This
chapter treats of the miracles of Elisha, of his multiplying a poor widow's pot
of oil for the payment of her husband's debts, 2 Kings 4:1 of
obtaining a son for a Shunamitish woman, who had been very hospitable to him, 2 Kings 4:8, of his
raising up her son to life when dead, 2 Kings 4:18, of
his curing the deadly pottage made of wild gourds, 2 Kings 4:38, and
of his feeding one hundred men with twenty barley loaves, 2 Kings 4:42.
2 Kings 4:1 A
certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha,
saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared
the Lord.
And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”
YLT
1And a certain woman of the
wives of the sons of the prophets hath cried unto Elisha, saying, `Thy servant,
my husband, is dead, and thou hast known that thy servant was fearing Jehovah,
and the lender hath come to take my two children to him for servants.'
Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the
prophets unto Elisha,.... This, according to the Targum, was the wife of Obadiah, who
had hid the prophets by fifty in a cave in the times of Ahab; and so JosephusF17Antiqu.
l. 9. c. 4. sect. 2. , and it is the commonly received notion of the Jewish
writers; though it does not appear that he was a prophet, or the son of a
prophet, but the governor or steward of Ahab's house; she was more likely to be
the wife of a meaner person; and from hence it is clear that the prophets and
their disciples married:
saying, thy servant my husband is dead; which is the
lot of prophets, as well as others, Zechariah 1:5.
and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord; her husband
was well known to the prophet, and known to be a good man, one of the 7000 who
bowed not the knee to Baal, for the truth of which she appeals to Elisha; and
this character she gives of her husband, lest it should be thought that his
poverty, and leaving her in debt, were owing to any ill practices of his:
and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be
bondmen; which it seems were allowed of when men became poor and
insolvent, and died so, to which the allusion is in Isaiah 1:1; see
Gill on Matthew 18:25.
JosephusF18Ibid. suggests, that the insolvency of this man was owing
to his borrowing money to feed the prophets hid in the cave; and it is a common
notion of the Jews that this creditor was Jehoram the son of Ahab; and in later
times it was a law with the AtheniansF19Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier.
l. 6. c. 10. , that if a father had not paid what he was fined in court, the
son was obliged to pay it, and in the mean while to lie in bonds, as was the
case of CimonF20Cornel. Nep. in Vita Cimon. l. 5. c. 1. , and
others.
2 Kings 4:2 2 So Elisha said to her,
“What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she
said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
YLT
2And Elisha saith unto her,
`What do I do for thee? declare to me, what hast thou in the house?' and she
saith, `Thy maid-servant hath nothing in the house except a pot of oil.'
And Elisha said unto her, what shall I do for thee?.... Or can I
do, being poor himself, and unable to relieve her out of his substance, and not
knowing where to get anything for her; and so what could she expect from him?
signifying, that he pitied her case, but all that he could do was to give her
his best advice, and pray for her:
tell me what thou hast in thy house? that she could part with
and dispose of, in order to pay her debt; and satisfy her creditor:
and she said, thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save
a pot of oil; that is, nothing of any value; she might have some things, some
sort of household goods, though perhaps she had parted with most of them in her
poverty; this was the most valuable thing she had.
2 Kings 4:3 3 Then he said, “Go, borrow
vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather
just a few.
YLT
3And he saith, `Go, ask for
thee vessels from without, from all thy neighbours -- empty vessels -- let
[them] not be few;
Then he said, go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours,.... For he
perceived that she had none:
even empty vessels; which they might more readily lend her:
borrow not a few; but as many as she could get; the prophet,
under a divine impulse, was directed to say this to her, foreseeing, by a
spirit of prophecy, that a large quantity of oil would be given her.
2 Kings 4:4 4 And when you have come in,
you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those
vessels, and set aside the full ones.”
YLT
4and thou hast entered, and
shut the door upon thee, and upon thy sons, and hast poured out into all these
vessels, and the full ones thou dost remove.'
And when thou art come in,.... Into her house:
thou shall shut the door upon thee, and upon thy sons; that they
might be alone in the house while the miracle was working; that they might not
be interrupted in what they were to do, by the creditor coming in upon them, or
by neighbours, who would be for getting the oil from them in the vessels they
had lent them: and that the miracle might appear the plainer, no oil being
brought into the house by any:
and shalt pour out into all these vessels; out of the
single pot of oil into all they borrowed:
and thou shalt set aside that which is full; by itself,
and fill the rest of the empty ones.
2 Kings 4:5 5 So she went from him and
shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her;
and she poured it out.
YLT
5And she goeth from him, and
shutteth the door upon her, and upon her sons; they are bringing nigh unto her,
and she is pouring out,
So she went from him,.... And did as he
advised her, borrowed many empty vessels of her neighbours, having faith in
what the prophet had said to her:
and shut the door upon her, and upon her sons; and then went
to work as she was directed, with her sons:
who brought the vessels to her; the empty ones she had
borrowed: and she poured out; the oil out of her pot into them.
2 Kings 4:6 6 Now it came to pass, when
the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And
he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased.
YLT
6and it cometh to pass, at
the filling of the vessels, that she saith unto her son, `Bring nigh unto me a
vessel more,' and he saith unto her, `There is not a vessel more;' and the oil
stayeth.
And it came to pass when the vessels were full,.... For the
oil being miraculously increased as it was poured forth, there was enough to
fill all the vessels; Ben Gersom and Abarbinel say, that when the pot was
emptied, all the air that entered it was turned into oil:
that she said to her son, bring me yet a vessel; as she had
two sons, one it is probable was employed in setting aside the full vessels, as
she poured into them, and the other in bringing to her the empty vessels, and
to whom she thus speaks:
and he said unto her, there is not a vessel more; not an empty
one, they were all filled:
and the oil stayed; it ran no longer, it was no more
multiplied; there was no necessity of continuing the miracle: this oil may be
an emblem of the grace that flows from the fulness of it in Christ, to which it
is compared, which will be always flowing, as long as there is a vessel of
salvation, or faith in any to receive it; see Matthew 25:3 1 John 2:20.
2 Kings 4:7 7 Then she came and told the
man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and
your sons live on the rest.”
YLT
7And she cometh and
declareth to the man of God, and he saith, `Go, sell the oil, and repay thy
loan; and thou [and] thy sons do live of the rest.'
Then she came and told the man of God,.... Elisha
the prophet, what had been done, what a quantity of oil she had, and advised
with him what was to be done with it:
and he said, go, sell thy oil, and pay thy debt; what was thus
miraculously produced was no doubt very good and excellent, and would fetch a
good price; and she is therefore bid to turn it into money, and pay her debts
with it; she was not to keep it all for her own use, and indulge to luxury with
it, but first pay her just debt, as everyone ought to do that is able:
and live thou and thy children of the rest; so that it
seems there was enough to pay her debt with it, rid her of her troubles, and
somewhat remaining for the support of herself and children.
2 Kings 4:8 8 Now it happened one day
that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she
persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would
turn in there to eat some food.
YLT
8And the day cometh that
Elisha passeth over unto Shunem, and there [is] a great woman, and she layeth
hold on him to eat bread, and it cometh to pass, at the time of his passing
over, he turneth aside thither to eat bread,
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 sayF21T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol.
57. 2. 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 her invitation, which he did:
and so it was, that, as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither
to eat bread; being made very welcome, and encouraged by the free and kind
entertainment he met with, as often as he had occasion to come that way, he
called and took a meal with her; and this it seems was pretty often, for Shunem
was not far from Carmel, which he frequented, and lay in the way to Samaria,
Bethel, and Jericho, places he often visited, the schools of the prophets being
there.
2 Kings 4:9 9 And she said to her
husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by
us regularly.
YLT
9and she saith unto her
husband, `Lo, I pray thee, I have known that a holy man of God he is, passing
over by us continually;
And she said unto her husband,.... Not being willing to
do any thing without his leave and consent:
behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God which
passeth by us continually: and calls here frequently: this she
perceived by his discourse and conversation; and by his carriage and behaviour
he appeared to be a prophet, and one very eminent for holiness and religion.
2 Kings 4:10 10 Please, let us make a
small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table
and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can
turn in there.”
YLT
10let us make, I pray thee, a
little upper chamber of the wall, and we set for him there a bed, and a table,
and a high seat, and a candlestick; and it hath been, in his coming in unto us,
he doth turn aside thither.'
Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall,.... Either of
the city, to which their house might join, or of their garden, a little
distance from the house; though the Jewish writers commonly understand it of a
little edifice built up of walls of stone or bricks, and not one with reeds, or
stud and mud:
let us set for him there a bed; that he may stay all
night when he pleases:
and a table; not only to eat his food, but to write on, and lay his books on
he reads. Of the table of a scholar of the wise men, in later times, we are
toldF20Pirke Eliezer, c. 33. , that two thirds of it were covered
with a cloth, and the other third was uncovered, on which stood the plates and
the herbs:
and a stool; to sit upon at table:
and a candlestick; with a candle in it, to light him in the
night to read by, and the like:
and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in
thither; where he would be free from the noise of the house, and be more
retired for prayer, reading, meditation, and study, and not be disturbed with
the servants of the family, and be mixed with them; all this she contrived,
both for his honour, and for his quietness and peace.
2 Kings 4:11 11 And it happened one day
that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there.
YLT
11And the day cometh, that he
cometh in thither, and turneth aside unto the upper chamber, and lieth there,
And it fell on a day that he came thither,.... As he had
been wont to do:
and he turned into the chamber; built for him, and to
which he was directed:
and lay there; all night, and which no doubt was
frequently repeated by him, he accepting of the kindness of his host.
2 Kings 4:12 12 Then he said to Gehazi his
servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before
him.
YLT
12and he saith unto Gehazi
his young man, `Call for this Shunammite;' and he calleth for her, and she
standeth before him.
And he said to Gehazi his servant,.... Who attended him
wherever he went, and ministered to him, and lay very probably in the same
chamber with him; he might be one of the sons of the prophets:
call this Shunammite; tell her I desire to
speak with her:
and when he had called her, she stood before him; at the door
of the chamber, in great reverence of him, and with much humility, waiting to
hear what he had to say to her: this must be understood after what had further
passed between Elisha and Gehazi, and between Gehazi and the woman, who
returned to his master, and acquainted him with what she had said to him, upon
which he was sent to call her, and she came.
2 Kings 4:13 13 And he said to him, “Say
now to her, ‘Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can
I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the
commander of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”
YLT
13And he saith to him, `Say,
I pray thee, unto her, Lo, thou hast troubled thyself concerning us with all
this trouble; what -- to do for thee? is it to speak for thee unto the king, or
unto the head of the host?' and she saith, `In the midst of my people I am
dwelling.'
And he said unto him,...., To Gehazi, before
he went to call her:
say now unto her, behold, thou hast been careful for us with all
this care; in building a chamber, and furnishing it with proper household
goods, and providing food for them from time to time:
what is to be done for thee? can anything be thought
of by thee that will be acceptable, and in my masters power to do for thee, or
thy husband?
wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the
host? that her husband might be promoted to some post in the court, or
in the camp; intimating, that if either of these was agreeable, Elisha would
speak on his behalf, having interest in both through his services in Edom:
and she answered, I will dwell among my own people she was
content and satisfied with her present state of life, and the situation she was
in, and with her friends and neighbours she lived among, and did not care to
remove, though it was to a higher rank of life, and to greater dignity and
honour; and she had no suit to make to the king or general, nothing to complain
of; and she had friends enough to speak for her, should she want any
assistance.
2 Kings 4:14 14 So he said, “What then is
to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her
husband is old.”
YLT
14And he saith, `And what --
to do for her?' and Gehazi saith, `Verily she hath no son, and her husband [is]
aged.'
And he said,.... That is, Elisha to Gehazi, when he returned to him, and told
him what the Shunammite said:
what then is to be done for her? something he thought
should be done in gratitude, the favours they had received, and advises with
his servant what could be thought of, he being one about the house:
and Gehazi answered, verily she hath no child, and her husband is
old; and so not likely to have any by him; as children were always
very desirable by women, and especially in those days, the servant suggests,
that no doubt to have one would be very acceptable to her.
2 Kings 4:15 15 So he said, “Call her.”
When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.
YLT
15And he saith, `Call for
her;' and he calleth for her, and she standeth at the opening,
And he said, call her,.... Perhaps finding an
impulse on his own mind, from the Spirit of God, that this was the thing to be
done for her:
and when he had called her, she stood in the door; of his
chamber: See Gill on 2 Kings 4:12.
2 Kings 4:16 16 Then he said, “About this
time next year you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord. Man of
God, do not lie to your maidservant!”
YLT
16and he saith, `At this
season, according to the time of life, thou art embracing a son;' and she
saith, `Nay, my lord, O man of God, do not lie unto thy maid-servant.'
And he said, about this season,.... In the next year:
according to the time of life; the usual time women go
with child:
thou shalt embrace a son; in thine arms, that
shall be born of thee, which she should have in her lap, and in her bosom:
and she said, nay, my lord, do not lie unto thine handmaid; or speak unto
her what was not truth; it was so great, and so unaccountable, how it could be
in her circumstances, that she could not believe it to be true, though she
wished it might; or do not deceive me with vain and false words, or flatter me,
jest with me, which would be unbecoming his character as a man of God, and
prophet of the Lord; according to the Targum, she wished it might prove true,
and she not deceived; see 2 Kings 4:28.
2 Kings 4:17 17 But the woman conceived,
and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.
YLT
17And the woman conceiveth
and beareth a son, at this season, according to the time of life, that Elisha
spake of unto her.
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.
2 Kings 4:18 18 And the child grew. Now it
happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers.
YLT
18And the lad groweth, and
the day cometh that he goeth out unto his father, unto the reapers,
And when the child was grown,.... Perhaps was six or
seven years of age, or more:
it fell on a day that he went out to his father to the reapers; it was
harvest time, and the men were reaping the corn in the fields; and his father,
though a wealthy man, was with them to direct them, and see they did their
business well, as Boaz formerly; and the child went out from the house to the
field, to see his father and the reapers, for his recreation and diversion.
2 Kings 4:19 19 And he said to his father,
“My head, my head!” So he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”
YLT
19and he saith unto his
father, `My head, my head;' and he saith unto the young man, `Bear him unto his
mother;'
And he said unto his father, my head, my head,.... After he
had been some time with him, he complained of a pain in his head, which might
be owing, as Abarbinel thinks, to the sun's beating upon it, being harvest
time, and hot weather; and the pain being exceeding great and vehement, he
repeated his complaint, see Jeremiah 4:19.
and he said to a lad, carry him home to his mother; his father
gave orders to a lad that attended the reapers to have him home to his mother,
that she might give him something to ease him of his pain.
2 Kings 4:20 20 When he had taken him and
brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
YLT
20and he beareth him, and
bringeth him in unto his mother, and he sitteth on her knees till the noon, and
dieth.
And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother,.... The lad
led him home, and delivered him to his mother:
he sat on her knees till noon, and then died; out of her
great affection, she took him on her knees, and laid his head in her bosom to
sooth the pain, and in this posture he continued until the middle of the day,
and then expired; by which it appears it was in the morning when he went into
the field, and when the sun was pretty high, and beat strongly on him; which,
it may be, produced a fever, and which issued in his death.
2 Kings 4:21 21 And she went up and laid
him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out.
YLT
21And she goeth up, and
layeth him on the bed of the man of God, and shutteth [the door] upon him, and
goeth out,
And she went up,.... Into the little chamber built for the
prophet:
and laid him on the bed of the man of God; not from any
imagination of any virtue in it to bring her child to life; though she might
think of the prophet, and have faith that he could raise it to life, as Elijah
raised the widow of Zarephath's son laid on his bed, of which she might have
heard; but this being a private room, and into which none went, she laid it
here to conceal its death from her husband and family, and to prevent grief,
and that they might not bury it until she returned:
and shut the door upon him; that no creature might
enter, and, do any damage to his corpse:
and went out; not out of the chamber, that she did before
she shut the door, but out of the house.
2 Kings 4:22 22 Then she called to her
husband, and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys,
that I may run to the man of God and come back.”
YLT
22and calleth unto her
husband, and saith, `Send, I pray thee, to me, one of the young men, and one of
the asses, and I run unto the man of God, and return.'
And she called unto her husband,.... In the field, who
might be within call, or by a messenger she sent to him:
and said, send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of
the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again; intimating
that she should not be long gone, but should return again presently; saying not
a word of the death of the child, or of the occasion of her going.
2 Kings 4:23 23 So he said, “Why are you
going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.” And she
said, “It is well.”
YLT
23And he saith, `Wherefore
art thou going unto him to-day? -- neither new moon nor sabbath!' and she
saith, `Peace [to thee]!'
And he said, wherefore wilt thou go to him today?.... What
reason is there for it? what is the meaning of it?
it is neither new moon nor sabbath; neither the first day of
the month, nor the seventh day of the week, times which were religiously
observed; so with the Heathens the new moon and the seventh of the week, and so
the fourth, were sacredF21Hesiod. Opera & Dies, l. 2. ; which
notions they borrowed from the Jews; see Gill on 1 Samuel 20:5 and
when, it seems, it was usual to frequent the house of the prophet, to hear the
word of God read and explained, and other religious exercises performed, as
praying and singing praise, and receiving some good instructions and advice.
Joseph Kimchi gives a different sense of these words:"there is not a month
past, no, not a week, since thou sawest him;'why therefore shouldest thou be in
such haste to go to him? so the words for new moon and sabbath may signify:
and she said, it shall be well; it was right for her to
go, and it would be well for him and her, and the family; or, "peace"F23שלום "pax", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. , be easy
and quiet, farewell: it is much he had no mistrust of the death of the child,
or that it was worse, since it went from him ill.
2 Kings 4:24 24 Then she saddled a donkey,
and said to her servant, “Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me
unless I tell you.”
YLT
24And she saddleth the ass,
and saith unto her young man, `Lead, and go, do not restrain riding for me,
except I have said [so] to thee.'
Then she saddled an ass,.... Her servant did it
by her order:
and said to her servant, drive, and go forward; make all the
haste he could:
slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee; do not be
afraid of riding too fast for me; if thou dost, I will tell thee; till then,
keep on a good pace: Abarbinel says she walked afoot all the way, and ordered
the man not to slacken his pace in riding for her, unless she called to him;
and the Targum seems to favour this sense,"do not press me to ride unless
I call to thee;'so that the ass was for Elijah to ride on; but one would think,
that, as she was in haste, quicker dispatch would be made by her riding than by
walking, see 2 Kings 4:22.
2 Kings 4:25 25 And so she departed, and
went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of God saw her
afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, the Shunammite woman!
YLT
25And she goeth, and cometh
in unto the man of God, unto the hill of Carmel, and it cometh to pass, at the
man of God's seeing her from over-against, that he saith unto Gehazi his young
man, `Lo, this Shunammite;
So she went and came unto the man of God at Mount Carmel,.... Where
Elijah used to be, and where, perhaps, was a school of the prophets; this,
according to BuntingF24Travels, &c. p. 207. , was sixteen miles
from Shunem:
and it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off; as he might
from the eminence of the mountain:
that he said to Gehazi his servant, behold, yonder is that
Shunammite; that has so often and so hospitably entertained us at her house.
2 Kings 4:26 26 Please run now to meet
her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your
husband? Is it well with the child?’” And she answered, “It is
well.”
YLT
26now, run, I pray thee, to
meet her, and say to her, Is there peace to thee? is there peace to thy
husband? is there peace to the lad?' and she saith, `Peace.'
Run now, I pray thee, to meet her,.... In respect to her,
and to know the occasion of her coming; something is the cause of it:
and say unto her, is it well with thee? is it well with thy
husband? is it well with the child? has any disaster
befallen thee, thy husband, or the child? are all in good health? or does any
disorder attend any of them?
and she answered, it is well; as in general they were,
the greatest part, she and her husband; and though the child was dead, yet, if
gone to heaven, as she might hope, it was well too; and it is right to judge
and say, that all that the Lord does is well: she gives a short answer to the
servant, not being willing to be detained, and being desirous of telling her
case to the prophet himself.
2 Kings 4:27 27 Now when she came to the
man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to
push her away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone; for her soul is
in deep distress, and the Lord has hidden it from
me, and has not told me.”
YLT
27And she cometh in unto the
man of God, unto the hill, and layeth hold on his feet, and Gehazi cometh nigh
to thrust her away, and the man of God saith, `Let her alone, for her soul [is]
bitter to her, and Jehovah hath hidden [it] from me, and hath not declared [it]
to me.'
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. See
Gill on Luke 7:38, and so
with the Greeks, as may be observed in various passages in HomerF25Vid.
Barthium ad Claudian. de Raptu Proserpin. l. 1. ver. 50. and others:
but Gehazi came near to thrust her away; as being
troublesome and disagreeable to his master, and not for her honour and credit:
and the man of God said, let her alone, for her soul is vexed
within her; or "is bitter"F26מרה
"amara", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. , full of trouble and distress,
and knows not what to do, nor very well what she does:
and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me: what is the
cause of this her trouble; for prophets did not know things of themselves, nor
had they the vision of prophecy at their will and pleasure, but according to the
will of God.
2 Kings 4:28 28 So she said, “Did I ask a
son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”
YLT
28And she saith, `Did I ask a
son from my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?'
Then she said, did I
desire a son of my lord?.... It was not at her request she had one, at least the first
motion was not from her; the prophet first told her, and assured her she should
have one, without her asking for it; she might be pleased with it, and desire
the promise might be fulfilled; but it was not an inordinate, importunate,
desire of one, in which she had exceeded, that so the taking it away from her
might be a correction of her for it:
did I not say, do not deceive me; by giving hopes of a
child, and yet have none; and now it was equally the same, or worse, to have
one, and then to have it taken away again as soon as had almost; so the
Targum,"did I not say unto thee, if a child is given me, let it live, if
not, do not trouble or grieve me;'and then, no doubt, she told him plainly the
child was dead, and where she had laid it, though not recorded.
2 Kings 4:29 29 Then he said to Gehazi,
“Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you
meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but
lay my staff on the face of the child.”
YLT
29And he saith to Gehazi,
`Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go; when thou dost meet
a man, thou dost not salute him; and when a man doth salute thee, thou dost not
answer him; and thou hast laid my staff on the face of the youth.'
Then he said to Gehazi,
gird up thy loins,.... His loose and long garments about him, that he might make
quicker dispatch in travelling:
and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way; not for the
sake of travelling with it, but for an end after mentioned:
if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee,
answer him not again; that so no time may be lost:
and lay my staff upon the face of the child; he not
intending when he said this to go himself, but at the time, as near as he
could, when this action was performed, would pray to God to restore life to the
child; for he could not imagine that by this bare action it could be done.
2 Kings 4:30 30 And the mother of the
child said, “As the Lord lives, and as your
soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her.
YLT
30And the mother of the youth
saith, `Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth -- if I leave thee;' and he riseth
and goeth after her.
And the mother of the
child said,.... Having no faith in what the servant was to do, or could do:
as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee; signifying
she would not go with his servant, but insisted upon it that he himself went
with her, or she would not depart:
and he arose, and followed her; influenced by her
importunity, and a sense of favours he had received from her, and more
especially by the Spirit of God.
2 Kings 4:31 31 Now Gehazi went on ahead
of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was
neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him,
saying, “The child has not awakened.”
YLT
31And Gehazi hath passed on
before them, and layeth the staff on the face of the youth, and there is no
voice, and there is no attention, and he turneth back to meet him, and
declareth to him, saying, `The youth hath not awaked.'
And Gehazi passed on
before them,.... The prophet and the Shunammite:
and laid the staff upon the face of the child; as he was
ordered:
but there was neither voice nor hearing: it seems as
if he spoke when he laid the staff on the child, but it heard and answered him
not, so that there was no sign of life in it:
wherefore he went again to meet him; upon the road between
Carmel and Shunem:
and told him, saying, the child is not awaked; by which he
expresses its being dead; or, if he knew nothing of its death, he supposed it
fast asleep, which was the reason of its not hearing and answering, though the
former seems best.
2 Kings 4:32 32 When Elisha came into the
house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed.
YLT
32And Elisha cometh in to the
house, and lo, the youth is dead, laid on his bed,
And when Elisha was come
into the house,.... Of the Shunamite, and into the chamber built for him:
behold, the child was dead, and laid upon the bed; upon his bed,
and where he found it really dead.
2 Kings 4:33 33 He went in therefore, shut
the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.
YLT
33and he goeth in and
shutteth the door upon them both, and prayeth unto Jehovah.
He went in therefore, and
shut the door upon them twain,.... Himself and the dead child; that nobody
might come in and interrupt him in his prayers for the restoration of it to
life, nor see the motions and gestures he used, and the postures he put himself
in:
and prayed unto the Lord; that he would restore
the child to life.
2 Kings 4:34 34 And he went up and lay on
the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands
on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the
child became warm.
YLT
34And he goeth up, and lieth
down on the lad, and putteth his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes,
and his hands on his hands, and stretcheth himself upon him, and the flesh of
the lad becometh warm;
And he went up,.... To the
bed, which was on an ascent in the chamber; see Gill on 2 Kings 1:4 and lay
upon the child; as Elijah did on the widow's son of Zarephath, 1 Kings 17:21.
and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and
his hands upon his hands, and stretched himself upon the child; that is, he
did each of these one after another, since the disproportion of their bodies
would not admit of their being done together:
and the flesh of the child waxed warm; not from any
virtue imparted to it by these motions and actions of the prophet, but from
life being infused into it by the Lord, which caused an heat in the several
parts of the body.
2 Kings 4:35 35 He returned and walked
back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on
him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
YLT
35and he turneth back and
walketh in the house, once hither and once thither, and goeth up and stretcheth
himself upon him, and the youth sneezeth till seven times, and the youth
openeth his eyes.
Then he returned and
walked in the house to and fro,.... Left the chamber, and came down to the
house where the family chiefly resided, and walked to and fro in deep thought
and meditation, and, no doubt, in fervent ejaculations for the wished for blessing
to be completed:
and went up; to the chamber again, and up to the bed in it:
and stretched himself upon him; as before:
and the child sneezed seven times; which was a sign of
life, and even of health; and hereby his head was cleared, as some observe, of
those humours that had caused the pains in itF1Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist.
l. 28. c. 6. Aristot. Problem. sect. 33. qu. 9. , and had issued in death:
and the child opened his eyes; upon the prophet,
another sign of life.
2 Kings 4:36 36 And he called Gehazi and
said, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her. And when she came in to
him, he said, “Pick up your son.”
YLT
36And he calleth unto Gehazi,
and saith, `Call unto this Shunammite;' and he calleth her, and she cometh in
unto him, and he saith, `Lift up thy son.'
And he called Gehazi, and
said, call this Shunammite,.... To come up to the chamber to him:
so he called her: and when she was come in unto him, he said, take
up thy son; from off the bed, alive, safe, and sound.
2 Kings 4:37 37 So she went in, fell at
his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.
YLT
37And she goeth in, and
falleth at his feet, and boweth herself to the earth, and lifteth up her son,
and goeth out.
Then she went in, and fell
at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground,.... In reverence of him,
and with the most profound gratitude and thankfulness for the mercy received:
and took up her son, and went out; of the chamber into her
house, with great joy and gladness.
2 Kings 4:38 38 And Elisha returned to
Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. Now the sons of the prophets
were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Put on the large
pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”
YLT
38And Elisha hath turned back
to Gilgal, and the famine [is] in the land, and the sons of the prophets are
sitting before him, and he saith to his young man, `Set on the great pot, and
boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.'
And Elisha came again to
Gilgal,.... Where he was with Elijah a little before his assumption to
heaven, 2 Kings 2:1 and
whither he went, there being a school of the prophets, as he did to all places
where there were any, and where he had been before with Elijah; partly to
instruct, encourage, and strengthen them, and partly to confirm his office as a
prophet by miracles, which he did in several places he came to:
and there was a dearth in the land; a famine through drought:
and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: as disciples
before their master, see Acts 22:3.
and he said unto his servant; very probably Gehazi:
set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the
prophets; who seemed to have lived together in one house or college, and
to be to the number of one hundred, see 2 Kings 4:43 and
therefore required to have a large pot set on to boil pottage for them all.
2 Kings 4:39 39 So one went out into the
field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of
wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they
did not know what they were.
YLT
39And one goeth out unto the
field to gather herbs, and findeth a vine of the field, and gathereth of it
gourds of the field -- the fulness of his garment -- and cometh in and
splitteth [them] into the pot of pottage, for they knew [them] not;
And one went out into the
fields to gather herbs,.... To put into the pottage, the gardens affording none in this
time of dearth; or, however, being scarce, were at too great a price for the
sons of the prophets to purchase them; and therefore one of them went out into
the field to gather what common herbs he could:
and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap
full; thought to be the same with coloquintida, the leaves of which
are very like to a vine, of a very bitter taste, and a very violent purgative,
which, if not remedied, will produce ulcerations in the bowels, and issue in
death; some think the white brier or white vine is meant, the colour of whose
berries is very inviting to look at, but very bitter and ungrateful, and it
vehemently purgesF2Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 3. p.
605,859. ; the Arabs call a sort of mushroom that is white and soft by this
nameF3Golius, Colossians 1817. , but
cannot be meant here, because it has no likeness to a wild vine:
and came and shred them into the pot of pottage; cut or
chopped them small, and put them into the pot:
for they knew them not; what they were, the
nature and virtue of them, being unskilful in botany.
2 Kings 4:40 40 Then they served it to the
men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out
and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not
eat it.
YLT
40and they pour out for the
men to eat, and it cometh to pass at their eating of the pottage, that they
have cried out, and say, `Death [is] in the pot, O man of God!' and they have
not been able to eat.
So they poured out for the
men to eat,.... When the pottage was boiled, they poured it out into dishes
or basins, for the sons of the prophets to eat:
and it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they
cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot; poison, the
cause of death; the pottage was so exceeding bitter, that they concluded there
must be some poisonous herb in it; and coloquintida is so bitter, that it is
called "the gall of the earth":
and they could not eat thereof: they stopped eating, it
being so very disagreeable, and, as they supposed, dangerous.
2 Kings 4:41 41 So he said, “Then bring
some flour.” And he put it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to
the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
YLT
41And he saith, `Then bring
ye meal;' and he casteth into the pot, and saith, `Pour out for the people, and
they eat;' and there was no evil thing in the pot.
But he said, then bring
meal: and he cast it into the pot,.... And stirred it about
in it:
and he said, pour out for the people, that they may eat; as they now
might freely, and without any danger, as he intimated:
and there was no harm in the pot; or anything that could
do any harm or mischief to the health of men: this was not owing to the natural
virtue of meal, but to a miraculous power attending it, whereby the pottage was
cured of its malignity, as the bad waters of Jericho were by salt, in a
preceding miracle.
2 Kings 4:42 42 Then a man came from Baal
Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of
barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it
to the people, that they may eat.”
YLT
42And a man hath come from
Baal-Shalishah, and bringeth in to the man of God bread of first-fruits, twenty
loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in its husk, and he saith, `Give to the
people, and they eat.'
And there came a man from
Baalshalisha,.... Of which place See Gill on 1 Samuel 9:4, the
Targum is, from the south country:
and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves
of barley; so that it was now barley harvest, and this the first fruits of
it, which, according to the law, Leviticus 23:10,
was to be brought to the priest; but being forbid in the land of Israel going
up to Jerusalem, religious men brought their firstfruits to the prophets, and
here to Elisha, the father of them; believing it would be dispensed with, and
acceptable, since they were not allowed to carry them to the proper person; and
in this time of famine was very agreeable to the man of God, supposing it only
a present:
and full ears of corn in the husk thereof; these were
green ears of corn, which they used to parch; but might not be eaten until the
firstfruits were offered, and then they might, Leviticus 23:14,
the Targum renders it, "in his garment", in the skirt of his clothes;
and to the same purpose are the Syriac and Arabic versions; and so Jarchi
interprets it; and Ben Gersom says, it signifies some vessel in which he
brought them:
and he said, give unto the people, that they may eat; Elisha did
not reserve this offering or present for himself, but, as he had freely
received, he freely gave.
2 Kings 4:43 43 But his servant said,
“What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the
people, that they may eat; for thus says the Lord: ‘They shall
eat and have some left over.’”
YLT
43And his minister saith,
`What -- do I give this before a hundred men?' and he saith, `Give to the
people, and they eat, for thus said Jehovah, Eat and leave;'
And his servitor said,.... His
servant Gehazi very probably:
what, should I set this before one hundred men? for so many,
it seems, the sons of the prophets were in this place; and these loaves being
very small, no more, it is thought by some, than one man could eat, and the ears
of corn but few, the servant suggests they would be nothing comparatively to
such a company of men:
he said again, give the people, that they may eat; he insisted
upon it that his orders should be obeyed:
for thus saith the Lord, they shall eat, and shall leave thereof; it was
suggested to him by a spirit of prophecy, there would be enough for them, and
to spare.
2 Kings 4:44 44 So he set it before
them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.
YLT
44and he giveth before them,
and they eat and leave, according to the word of Jehovah.
So he set it before them,.... The
twenty barley loaves, and the full ears of corn:
and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the
Lord; as the disciples did at the miracle of the loaves and fishes;
though that must be allowed to be a greater miracle than this, Matthew 14:17.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》