The Meaning of 2 Kings 8:1 Explained

2 Kings 8:1

KJV: Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

YLT: And Elisha spake unto the woman whose son he had revived, saying, 'Rise and go, thou and thy household, and sojourn where thou dost sojourn, for Jehovah hath called for a famine, and also, it is coming unto the land seven years.'

Darby: And Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, Rise up and go, thou and thy household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn; for Jehovah has called for a famine, and it shall also come upon the land for seven years.

ASV: Now Elisha had spoken unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thy household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for Jehovah hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then spake  Elisha  unto the woman,  whose son  he had restored to life,  saying,  Arise,  and go  thou and thine household,  and sojourn  wheresoever  thou canst sojourn:  for the LORD  hath called  for a famine;  and it shall also come  upon the land  seven  years. 

What does 2 Kings 8:1 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 8:1-15 - The Power Behind The Throne
Nothing happens in our life or in the world apart from the divine appointment or permission. Behind every event and incident there is a divine providence. The Shunammite who had done so much for Elisha was remembered and cared for, years afterward. The King has a wonderful memory for those who fed him when he was hungry, and ministered to him when he was in need. "When saw we thee"¦? Inasmuch as"¦," Matthew 25:37. This conversation between the king and Gehazi might have seemed an accident, but it was a providence. If we abide in the will of God, life will be sown with divine coincidences.
Here is another instance: Elisha comes to Damascus, evidently at God's bidding, just when Benhadad is sick. That sickness would not be mortal, but he would die prematurely from another cause. Would that men of God today had more of this gift of weeping over sinners and their destiny! No one resented hearing D.L. Moody talk of hell, because his voice always faltered. The prophet read Hazael's destiny from the Book of God-not from his set face-and how astounding it was! Ah, what depths of wickedness there are of which we are capable! "Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins." [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 8

1  The Shunammite, having left her country seven years, to avoid the famine,
5  for Elisha's miracle's sake has her land restored by the king
7  Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad and succeeds him
16  Jehoram's wicked reign in Judah
20  Edom and Libnah revolt
23  Ahaziah succeeds Jehoram
25  Ahaziah's wicked reign
28  He visits Joram, being wounded, at Jezreel

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 8:1 mean?

And Elisha spoke to the woman whose he had restored to life - son saying Arise and go you you and your household and stay wherever you can for has called Yahweh for a famine and furthermore it will come upon the land for seven years
וֶאֱלִישָׁ֡ע דִּבֶּ֣ר אֶל־ הָאִשָּׁה֩ אֲשֶׁר־ הֶחֱיָ֨ה אֶת־ בְּנָ֜הּ לֵאמֹ֗ר ק֤וּמִי וּלְכִי֙ [אתי] (אַ֣תְּ) וּבֵיתֵ֔ךְ וְג֖וּרִי בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּג֑וּרִי כִּֽי־ קָרָ֤א יְהוָה֙ לָֽרָעָ֔ב וְגַם־ בָּ֥א אֶל־ הָאָ֖רֶץ שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִֽים

וֶאֱלִישָׁ֡ע  And  Elisha 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִישָׁע  
Sense: the great prophet who succeeded Elijah.
דִּבֶּ֣ר  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
הָאִשָּׁה֩  the  woman 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אֲשֶׁר־  whose 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הֶחֱיָ֨ה  he  had  restored  to  life 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּנָ֜הּ  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
לֵאמֹ֗ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ק֤וּמִי  Arise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וּלְכִי֙  and  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וּבֵיתֵ֔ךְ  and  your  household 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וְג֖וּרִי  and  stay 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: גּוּר 
Sense: to sojourn, abide, dwell in, dwell with, remain, inhabit, be a stranger, be continuing, surely.
בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר  wherever 
Parse: Preposition-b, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תָּג֑וּרִי  you  can 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: גּוּר 
Sense: to sojourn, abide, dwell in, dwell with, remain, inhabit, be a stranger, be continuing, surely.
קָרָ֤א  has  called 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לָֽרָעָ֔ב  for  a  famine 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: famine, hunger.
וְגַם־  and  furthermore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
בָּ֥א  it  will  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָאָ֖רֶץ  the  land  for 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
שֶׁ֥בַע  seven 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
שָׁנִֽים  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.