2 Kings 4:8-37

2 Kings 4:8-37

[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.  [9] And she said  unto her husband,  Behold now, I perceive  that this is an holy  man  of God,  which passeth  by us continually.  [10] Let us make  a little  chamber,  I pray thee, on the wall;  and let us set  for him there a bed,  and a table,  and a stool,  and a candlestick:  and it shall be, when he cometh  to us, that he shall turn  in thither. [11] And it fell on a day,  that he came  thither, and he turned  into the chamber,  and lay  [12] And he said  to Gehazi  his servant,  Call  this Shunammite.  And when he had called  her, she stood  before  him. [13] And he said  now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful  for us with all this care;  what is to be done  for thee? wouldest  thou be spoken  for to the king,  or to the captain  of the host?  And she answered,  I dwell  among  mine own people.  [14] And he said,  What then is to be done  for her? And Gehazi  answered,  Verily  she hath no child,  and her husband  is old.  [15] And he said,  Call  her, she stood  in the door.  [16] And he said,  About this season,  according to the time  of life,  thou shalt embrace  a son.  And she said,  Nay, my lord,  thou man  of God,  do not lie  unto thine handmaid.  [17] And the woman  conceived,  and bare  a son  at that season  that Elisha  had said  unto her, according to the time  of life.  [18] And when the child  was grown,  it fell on a day,  that he went out  to his father  to the reapers.  [19] And he said  unto his father,  My head,  And he said  to a lad,  Carry  him to his mother.  [20] And when he had taken  him, and brought  him to his mother,  he sat  on her knees  till noon,  and then died.  [21] And she went up,  and laid  him on the bed  of the man  of God,  and shut  the door upon him, and went out.  [22] And she called  unto her husband,  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.  [23] And he said,  Wherefore wilt thou go  to him to day?  it is neither new moon,  nor sabbath.  And she said,  It shall be well.  [24] Then she saddled  an ass,  and said  to her servant,  Drive,  slack  not thy riding  for me, except I bid  thee. [25] and came  unto the man  of God  to mount  Carmel.  And it came to pass, when the man  of God  saw her afar off,  that he said  to Gehazi  his servant,  Behold, yonder is that  Shunammite:  [26] Run  now, I pray thee, to meet  her, and say  unto her, Is it well  with thy husband?  is it well  with the child?  And she answered,  It is well.  [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  hath hid  it from me, and hath not told  me. [28] Then she said,  Did I desire  a son  of my lord?  did I not say,  Do not deceive  [29] Then he said  to Gehazi,  Gird up  thy loins,  and take  my staff  in thine hand,  if thou meet  any man,  salute  him not; and if any  salute  thee, answer him not again:  and lay  my staff  upon the face  of the child.  [30] And the mother  of the child  said,  As the LORD  liveth,  and as thy soul  liveth,  I will not leave  thee. And he arose,  [31] And Gehazi  passed on  before  them, and laid  the staff  upon the face  of the child;  but there was neither voice,  nor hearing.  Wherefore he went again  to meet  him, and told  him, saying,  The child  is not awaked.  [32] And when Elisha  was come  into the house,  behold, the child  was dead,  and laid  upon his bed.  [33] He went in  therefore, and shut  the door  upon them twain,  and prayed  unto the LORD.  [34] And he went up,  and lay  upon the child,  and put  his mouth  and his eyes  and his hands  and he stretched  himself upon the child; and the flesh  of the child  waxed warm.  [35] Then he returned,  in the house  to  and went up,  and stretched  himself upon him: and the child  sneezed  seven  times,  and the child  opened  his eyes.  [36] And he called  Gehazi,  and said,  Call  this Shunammite.  So he called  her. And when she was come in  unto him, he said,  Take up  thy son.  [37] Then she went in,  and fell  at his feet,  and bowed  herself to the ground,  and took up  her son,  and went out. 

What does 2 Kings 4:8-37 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

In contrast to the incident above, this one shows God"s blessing on a wealthy woman. She was not the marriage partner of a prophet but a simple faithful believer in Yahweh (cf. 2 Kings 4:8-10; 2 Kings 4:16; 2 Kings 4:21-22; 2 Kings 4:24-25; 2 Kings 4:27; 2 Kings 4:30; 2 Kings 4:37). She was living among unbelievers in Israel (cf. Rahab, Ruth , et al.). Her husband appears to have been only a formal participant in Yahweh worship rather than thoroughly dedicated to Him ( 2 Kings 4:19; 2 Kings 4:23). His words may imply that he expected Elisha to be available only on holy days, but he showed genuine concern for his son"s health. [1]
The story illustrates the great blessing (fertility) that God will bring on those who award Him the place He deserves (cf. Hannah). He went as far as giving this infertile woman ( 2 Kings 4:14) a son and then restoring him to life when he died. Her respect for Yahweh is clear from her respect for His prophet ( 2 Kings 4:9-10; 2 Kings 4:13; 2 Kings 4:30; 2 Kings 4:37).
Shunem stood in the Jezreel Valley. Gehazi ( 2 Kings 4:12) had become Elisha"s servant as Elisha had been Elijah"s. As such he was the potential successor to his ministry. "I live among my own people" ( 2 Kings 4:13) translates an idiom that meant, "I am content." At first the woman found it hard to believe that God would reward her with a child ( 2 Kings 4:16; cf. Sarah).
Evidently the woman concluded that it was better if her husband did not know about their son"s death for some reason that the writer did not state ( 2 Kings 4:22-23). Though she had respect for Gehazi ( 2 Kings 4:26), she had much more confidence in Elisha"s ability to help her.
"Disciples can be an obstacle to the needy reaching the master ( Matthew 19:13-14)." [2]
Grasping his feet ( 2 Kings 4:27) showed her desperate dependence on his power, her humility, and her veneration for Elisha (cf. Matthew 28:9). Perhaps Elisha told Gehazi to go and heal the lad to test the woman"s faith ( 2 Kings 4:29). The staff was a symbol of his power. However, she said in the strongest terms that her confidence was in Yahweh and in Elisha ( 2 Kings 4:30). The phrase "As the Lord lives" occurs seven times in1Kings and seven times in2Kings. It is always the testimony of true faith in Yahweh. Elisha probably intended that Gehazi"s failure would teach him this lesson: God works in response to fervent, dependent prayer, not in response to some fetish or some formal act ( 2 Kings 4:31; cf. Matthew 7:14-21).
Only God"s power made active by petition could restore the boy"s life ( 2 Kings 4:33). Elisha"s physical contact with him connected the power of God through the prophet and the miracle unmistakably ( 2 Kings 4:34; cf. 1 Kings 17:21-23). Seven sneezes, not more or less, would have signified an act of God to ancient Near Easterners (cf. Genesis 1; 2 Kings 5:14).
"In our pericope Elisha acts as a sort of intermediary for childbirth, analogous to Baal"s role in the Ugaritic tablets. YHWH, not Baal, not Elisha for that matter, grants the Shunammite a child. The child dies, bringing to mind the story of Elijah in1Kings17. Prayer raises the child to life, illustrating not only that YHWH gives children, but that he can take them to himself or restore them to life." [3]
If God could create new life and then revive it, as He did here, He could also give Israel life (at the Exodus) and revive it (in Elisha"s day). This story, as many others in Kings, is another powerful polemic against Baal and for Yahweh.
"This scene also shows that prophets not only are preachers of sin and repentance; they also are agents of God"s healing mercy and kind compassion." [4]