2 Kings 4
Living Bible
4 One day the wife of one of the seminary students came to Elisha to tell him of her husband’s death. He was a man who had loved God, she said. But he had owed some money when he died, and now the creditor was demanding it back. If she didn’t pay, he said he would take her two sons as his slaves.
2 “What shall I do?” Elisha asked. “How much food do you have in the house?”
“Nothing at all, except a jar of olive oil,” she replied.
3 “Then borrow many pots and pans from your friends and neighbors!” he instructed. 4 “Go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Then pour olive oil from your jar into the pots and pans, setting them aside as they are filled!”
5 So she did. Her sons brought the pots and pans to her, and she filled one after another! 6 Soon every container was full to the brim!
“Bring me another jar,” she said to her sons.
“There aren’t any more!” they told her. And then the oil stopped flowing!
7 When she told the prophet what had happened, he said to her, “Go and sell the oil and pay your debt, and there will be enough money left for you and your sons to live on!”
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. A prominent woman of the city invited him in to eat, and afterwards, whenever he passed that way, he stopped for dinner.
9 She said to her husband, “I’m sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy prophet. 10 Let’s make a little room for him on the roof; we can put in a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, and he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by.”
11-12 Once when he was resting in the room he said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman I want to speak to her.”
When she came, 13 he said to Gehazi, “Tell her that we appreciate her kindness to us. Now ask her what we can do for her. Does she want me to put in a good word for her to the king or to the general of the army?”
“No,” she replied, “I am perfectly content.”
14 “What can we do for her?” he asked Gehazi afterwards.
He suggested, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”
15-16 “Call her back again,” Elisha told him.
When she returned, he talked to her as she stood in the doorway. “Next year at about this time you shall have a son!”
“O man of God,” she exclaimed, “don’t lie to me like that!”
17 But it was true; the woman soon conceived and had a baby boy the following year, just as Elisha had predicted.
18 One day when her child was older, he went out to visit his father, who was working with the reapers. 19 He complained about a headache and soon was moaning in pain. His father said to one of the servants, “Carry him home to his mother.”
20 So he took him home, and his mother held him on her lap; but around noontime he died. 21 She carried him up to the bed of the prophet and shut the door; 22 then she sent a message to her husband: “Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the prophet and come right back.”
23 “Why today?” he asked. “This isn’t a religious holiday.”
But she said, “It’s important. I must go.”
24 So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, “Hurry! Don’t slow down for my comfort unless I tell you to.”
25 As she approached Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her in the distance and said to Gehazi, “Look, that woman from Shunem is coming. 26 Run and meet her and ask her what the trouble is. See if her husband is all right and if the child is well.”
“Yes,” she told Gehazi, “everything is fine.”
27 But when she came to Elisha at the mountain she fell to the ground before him and caught hold of his feet. Gehazi began to push her away, but the prophet said, “Leave her alone; something is deeply troubling her and the Lord hasn’t told me what it is.”
28 Then she said, “It was you who said I’d have a son. And I begged you not to lie to me!”
29 Then he said to Gehazi, “Quick, take my staff! Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Hurry! Lay the staff upon the child’s face.”
30 But the boy’s mother said, “I swear to God that I won’t go home without you.” So Elisha returned with her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff upon the child’s face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and told him, “The child is still dead.”
32 When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there upon the prophet’s bed. 33 He went in and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he lay upon the child’s body, placing his mouth upon the child’s mouth, and his eyes upon the child’s eyes, and his hands upon the child’s hands. And the child’s body began to grow warm again! 35 Then the prophet went down and walked back and forth in the house a few times; returning upstairs, he stretched himself again upon the child. This time the little boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!
36 Then the prophet summoned Gehazi. “Call her!” he said. And when she came in, he said, “Here’s your son!”
37 She fell to the floor at his feet and then picked up her son and went out.
38 Elisha now returned to Gilgal, but there was a famine in the land. One day as he was teaching the young prophets, he said to Gehazi, “Make some stew for supper for these men.”
39 One of the young men went out into the field to gather vegetables and came back with some wild gourds. He shredded them and put them into a kettle without realizing that they were poisonous. 40 But after the men had eaten a bite or two they cried out, “Oh, sir, there’s poison in this stew!”
41 “Bring me some meal,” Elisha said. He threw it into the kettle and said, “Now it’s all right! Go ahead and eat!” And then it didn’t harm them.
42 One day a man from Baal-shalishah brought Elisha a sack of fresh corn[a] and twenty individual loaves of barley bread made from the first grain of his harvest. Elisha told Gehazi to use it to feed the young prophets.
43 “What?” Gehazi exclaimed. “Feed one hundred men with only this?”
But Elisha said, “Go ahead, for the Lord says there will be plenty for all, and some will even be left over!”
44 And sure enough, there was, just as the Lord had said!
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 4:42 fresh corn, literally, “fresh grain.”
2 Kings 4
New English Translation
Elisha Helps a Widow and Her Sons
4 Now a wife of one of the prophets[a] appealed[b] to Elisha for help, saying, “Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the Lord.[c] Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.” 2 Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a small jar of olive oil.” 3 He said, “Go and ask all your neighbors for empty containers.[d] Get as many as you can.[e] 4 Go and close the door behind you and your sons. Pour the olive oil into all the containers;[f] set aside each one when you have filled it.” 5 So she left him and closed the door behind her and her sons. As they were bringing the containers to her, she was pouring the olive oil. 6 When the containers were full, she said to one of her sons,[g] “Bring me another container.” But he answered her, “There are no more.” Then the olive oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the prophet.[h] He said, “Go, sell the olive oil. Repay your creditor, and then you and your sons can live off the rest of the profit.”
Elisha Gives Life to a Boy
8 One day Elisha traveled to Shunem, where a prominent[i] woman lived. She insisted that he stop for a meal.[j] So whenever he was passing through, he would stop in there for a meal.[k] 9 She said to her husband, “Look, I’m sure[l] that the man who regularly passes through here is a very special prophet.[m] 10 Let’s make a small, private upper room[n] and furnish it with[o] a bed, table, chair, and lamp. When he visits us, he can stay there.”
11 One day Elisha[p] came for a visit; he went[q] into the upper room and rested.[r] 12 He told his servant Gehazi, “Ask the Shunammite woman to come here.”[s] So he did so and she came to him.[t] 13 Elisha said to Gehazi,[u] “Tell her, ‘Look, you have treated us with such great respect.[v] What can I do for you? Can I put in a good word for you with the king or the commander of the army?’” She replied, “I’m quite secure.”[w] 14 So he asked Gehazi,[x] “What can I do for her?” Gehazi replied, “She has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 Elisha told him, “Ask her to come here.”[y] So he did so[z] and she came and stood in the doorway.[aa] 16 He said, “About this time next year[ab] you will be holding a son.” She said, “No, my master! O prophet, do not lie to your servant!” 17 The woman did conceive, and at the specified time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
18 The boy grew and one day he went out to see his father who was with the harvest workers.[ac] 19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!” His father[ad] told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 So he picked him up and took him to his mother. He sat on her lap[ae] until noon and then died. 21 She went up and laid him down on the prophet’s[af] bed. She shut the door behind her and left. 22 She called to her husband, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so I can go see the prophet quickly and then return.” 23 He said, “Why do you want to go see him today? It is not the new moon[ag] or the Sabbath.” She said, “Everything’s fine.”[ah] 24 She saddled the donkey and told her servant, “Lead on.[ai] Do not stop unless I say so.”[aj]
25 So she went to visit[ak] the prophet at Mount Carmel. When he[al] saw her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, it’s the Shunammite woman. 26 Now, run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you well? Are your husband and the boy well?’” She told Gehazi,[am] “Everything’s fine.” 27 But when she reached the prophet on the mountain, she grabbed hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to push her away, but the prophet said, “Leave her alone, for she is very upset.[an] The Lord has kept the matter hidden from me; he didn’t tell me about it.” 28 She said, “Did I ask my master for a son? Didn’t I say, ‘Don’t mislead me?’” 29 Elisha[ao] told Gehazi, “Tuck your robes into your belt, take my staff,[ap] and go! Don’t stop to exchange greetings with anyone![aq] Place my staff on the child’s face.” 30 The mother of the child said, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So Elisha[ar] got up and followed her back.
31 Now Gehazi went on ahead of them. He placed the staff on the child’s face, but there was no sound or response. When he came back to Elisha[as] he told him, “The child did not wake up.” 32 When Elisha arrived at the house, there was[at] the child lying dead on his bed. 33 He went in by himself and closed the door.[au] Then he prayed to the Lord. 34 He got up on the bed and spread his body out over[av] the boy; he put his mouth on the boy’s[aw] mouth, his eyes over the boy’s eyes, and the palms of his hands against the boy’s palms. As he bent down across him, the boy’s skin[ax] grew warm. 35 Elisha[ay] went back and walked around in the house.[az] Then he got up on the bed again[ba] and bent down over him. The child sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. 36 Elisha[bb] called to Gehazi and said, “Get the Shunammite woman.” So he did so[bc] and she came to him. He said to her, “Take your son.” 37 She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed down. Then she picked up her son and left.
Elisha Makes a Meal Edible
38 Now Elisha went back to Gilgal, while there was a famine in the land. Some of the prophets were visiting him[bd] and he told his servant, “Put the big pot on the fire[be] and boil some stew for the prophets.”[bf] 39 Someone went out to the field to gather some herbs and found a wild vine.[bg] He picked some of its fruit,[bh] enough to fill up the fold of his robe. He came back, cut it up, and threw the slices[bi] into the stew pot, not knowing they were harmful.[bj] 40 The stew was poured out[bk] for the men to eat. When they ate some of the stew, they cried out, “Death is in the pot, O prophet!” They could not eat it. 41 He said, “Get some flour.” Then he threw it into the pot and said, “Now pour some out for the men so they may eat.”[bl] There was no longer anything harmful in the pot.
Elisha Miraculously Feeds a Hundred People
42 Now a man from Baal Shalisha brought some food for the prophet[bm]—twenty loaves of bread made from the firstfruits of the barley harvest, as well as fresh ears of grain.[bn] Elisha[bo] said, “Set it before the people so they may eat.” 43 But his attendant said, “How can I feed a hundred men with this?”[bp] He replied, “Set it before the people so they may eat, for this is what the Lord has said, ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”[bq] 44 So he set it before them; they ate and had some left over, just as in the Lord’s message.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 4:1 tn Heb “a wife from among the wives of the sons of the prophets.”
- 2 Kings 4:1 tn Or “cried out.”
- 2 Kings 4:1 tn Heb “your servant feared the Lord.” “Fear” refers here to obedience and allegiance, the products of healthy respect for the Lord’s authority.
- 2 Kings 4:3 tn Heb “Go, ask for containers from outside, from all your neighbors, empty containers.”
- 2 Kings 4:3 tn Heb “Do not borrow just a few.”
- 2 Kings 4:4 tn Heb “all these vessels.”
- 2 Kings 4:6 tn Heb “to her son.”
- 2 Kings 4:7 tn Heb “man of God” (also in vv. 16, 22, 25, 27 [twice]).
- 2 Kings 4:8 tn Heb “great,” perhaps “wealthy.”
- 2 Kings 4:8 tn Or “she urged him to eat some food.”
- 2 Kings 4:8 tn Or “he would turn aside there to eat some food.”
- 2 Kings 4:9 tn Heb “I know.”
- 2 Kings 4:9 tn Heb “holy man of God.”
- 2 Kings 4:10 tn Heb “a small upper room of a wall.” According to HALOT 832 s.v. עֲלִיָּה, this refers to “a fully walled upper room.”
- 2 Kings 4:10 tn Heb “and let’s put there for him.”
- 2 Kings 4:11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Kings 4:11 tn Heb “turned aside.”
- 2 Kings 4:11 tn Or “slept there.”
- 2 Kings 4:12 tn Heb “Call for this Shunammite woman.”
- 2 Kings 4:12 tn Heb “and he called for her and she stood before him.”
- 2 Kings 4:13 tn Heb “he said to him.”
- 2 Kings 4:13 tn Heb “you have turned trembling to us with all this trembling.” The exaggerated language is probably idiomatic. The point seems to be that she has taken great pains or gone out of her way to be kind to them. Her concern was a sign of her respect for the prophetic office.
- 2 Kings 4:13 tn Heb “Among my people I am living.” This answer suggests that she has security within the context of her family.
- 2 Kings 4:14 tn Heb “and he said.”
- 2 Kings 4:15 tn Heb “Call for her.”
- 2 Kings 4:15 tn Heb “and he called her.”
- 2 Kings 4:15 tn Heb “and he called for her and she stood in the door.”
- 2 Kings 4:16 tn Heb “at this appointed time, at the time [when it is] reviving.” For a discussion of the second phrase see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 57.
- 2 Kings 4:18 tn Heb “to his father, to the harvesters.”
- 2 Kings 4:19 tn Heb “He”; the referent (the boy’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Kings 4:20 tn Heb “knees.”
- 2 Kings 4:21 tn Heb “man of God’s.”
- 2 Kings 4:23 sn The new moon was a time of sacrifice and special feasts (Num 28:14; 1 Sam 20:5). Apparently it was a convenient time to visit a prophet. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 57.
- 2 Kings 4:23 tn Heb “peace.”
- 2 Kings 4:24 tn Heb “lead [the donkey on] and go.”
- 2 Kings 4:24 tn Heb “do not restrain for me the riding unless I say to you.”
- 2 Kings 4:25 tn Heb “went and came.”
- 2 Kings 4:25 tn Heb “the man of God.” The phrase has been replaced by the relative pronoun “he” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- 2 Kings 4:26 tn Heb “she said.” The narrator streamlines the story at this point, omitting any reference to Gehazi running to meet her and asking her the questions.
- 2 Kings 4:27 tn Heb “her soul [i.e., ‘disposition’] is bitter.”
- 2 Kings 4:29 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Kings 4:29 tn Heb “take my staff in your hand.”
- 2 Kings 4:29 tn Heb “If you meet a man, do not greet him with a blessing; if a man greets you with a blessing, do not answer.”
- 2 Kings 4:30 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The referent must be Elisha here, since the following verse makes it clear that Gehazi had gone on ahead of them.
- 2 Kings 4:31 tn Heb “to meet him.”
- 2 Kings 4:32 tn Heb “look.”
- 2 Kings 4:33 tn Heb “and closed the door behind the two of them.”
- 2 Kings 4:34 tn Heb “he went up and lay down over.”
- 2 Kings 4:34 tn Heb “his” (also in the next two clauses).
- 2 Kings 4:34 tn Or perhaps, “body”; Heb “flesh.”
- 2 Kings 4:35 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Kings 4:35 tn Heb “and he returned and went into the house, once here and once there.”
- 2 Kings 4:35 tn Heb “and he went up.”
- 2 Kings 4:36 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Kings 4:36 tn Heb “and he called for her.”
- 2 Kings 4:38 tn Heb “the sons of the prophets were sitting before him.”
- 2 Kings 4:38 tn The words “the fire” are added for clarification.
- 2 Kings 4:38 tn Heb “sons of the prophets.”
- 2 Kings 4:39 tn Heb “a vine of the field.”
- 2 Kings 4:39 tn Heb “[some] of the gourds of the field.”
- 2 Kings 4:39 tn Heb “he came and cut [them up].”
- 2 Kings 4:39 tc The Hebrew text reads, “for they did not know” (יָדָעוּ, yadaʿu) but some emend the final shureq (וּ, indicating a third plural subject) to holem vav (וֹ, a third masculine singular pronominal suffix on a third singular verb) and read “for he did not know it.” Perhaps it is best to omit the final vav as dittographic (note the vav at the beginning of the next verb form) and read simply, “for he did not know.” See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 59.
- 2 Kings 4:40 tn Heb “and they poured out [the stew].” The plural subject is probably indefinite.
- 2 Kings 4:41 tn Or “and let them eat.”
- 2 Kings 4:42 tn Heb “man of God.”
- 2 Kings 4:42 tn On the meaning of the word צִקְלוֹן (tsiqlon), “ear of grain,” see HALOT 148 s.v. בָּצֵק and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 59.
- 2 Kings 4:42 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Kings 4:43 tn Heb “How can I set this before a hundred men?”
- 2 Kings 4:43 tn The verb forms are infinitives absolute (Heb “eating and leaving over”) and have to be translated in light of the context.
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