2 Kings 4

The Widow's Oil Multiplied

1 One of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant, my husband, has died. You know that your servant feared the Lord. Now the creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves."^[a]

2 Elisha asked her, "What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" She said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."

3 Then he said, "Go and borrow empty containers from everyone-from all your neighbors. Do not get just a few.

4 Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these containers. Set the full ones to one side."

5 So she left. After she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing her [containers], and she kept pouring.

6 When they were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another container." But he replied, "There aren't any more." Then the oil stopped.

7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go sell the oil and pay your debt; you and your sons can live on the rest."^[b]

The Shunammite Woman's Hospitality

8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. A prominent woman who [lived] there persuaded him to eat some food. So whenever he passed by, he stopped there to eat.^[c]

9 Then she said to her husband, "I know that the one who often passes by here is a holy man of God,

10 so let's make a small room upstairs and put a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp there for him. Whenever he comes, he can stay there."

The Shunammite Woman's Son

11 One day he came there and stopped and went to the room upstairs to lie down.

12 He ordered his attendant Gehazi, "Call this Shunammite woman." So he called her and she stood before him.

13 Then he said to Gehazi, "Say to her, 'Look, you've gone to all this trouble for us. What can [we] do for you? Can [we] speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?' " She answered, "I am living among my own people."

14 So he asked, "Then what should be done for her?" Gehazi answered, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old."

15 "Call her," Elisha said. So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway.

16 Elisha said, "At this time next year you will have a son in your arms."^[d] Then she said, "No, my lord. Man of God, do not deceive your servant."

17 The woman conceived and gave birth to a son at the same time the following year, as Elisha had promised her.

The Shunammite's Son Raised

18 The child grew and one day went out to his father and the harvesters.

19 [Suddenly], he complained to his father, "My head! My head!" His father told his servant, "Carry him to his mother."

20 So he picked him up and took him to his mother. The child sat on her lap until noon and then died.

21 Then she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut him in, and left.

22 She summoned her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so I can hurry to the man of God and then come back."

23 But he said, "Why go to him today? It's neither New Moon or Sabbath."^[e] She replied, "Everything is all right."^[f]

24 Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Hurry, don't slow the pace for me unless I tell you."

25 So she set out and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to his attendant Gehazi, "Look, there's the Shunammite woman.

26 Run out to meet her and ask, 'Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your son all right?' " And she answered, "Everything's all right."

27 When she came up to the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone-she is in severe anguish,^[g] and the Lord has hidden it from me. He hasn't told me."

28 Then she said, "Did I ask my lord for a son? Didn't I say, 'Do not deceive me?' "

29 So Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your mantle under your belt, take my staff with you, and go. If you meet anyone, don't [stop to] greet him, and if a man greets you, don't answer him. Then place my staff on the boy's face."

30 The boy's mother said [to Elisha], "As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her.

31 Gehazi went ahead of them and placed the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or sign of life,^[h] so he went back to meet Elisha and told him, "The boy didn't wake up."

32 When Elisha got to the house, he discovered the boy lying dead on his bed.

33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.

34 Then he went up and lay on the boy: he put mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand. While he bent down over him, the boy's flesh became warm.

35 Elisha got up, went into the house, and paced back and forth. Then he went up and bent down over him again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

36 Elisha called Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite woman." He called her and she came. Then Elisha said, "Pick up your son."

37 She came, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; she picked up her son and left.

The Deadly Stew

38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. The sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet.^[i] He said to his attendant, "Put on the large pot and make stew for the sons of the prophets."

39 One went out to the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment would hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, but they were unaware [of what they were].

40 They served some for the men to eat, but when they ate the stew they cried out, "There's death in the pot, man of God!" And they were unable to eat it.

41 Then Elisha said, "Get some meal." He threw it into the pot and said, "Serve it for the people to eat." And there was nothing bad in the pot.

The Multiplied Bread

42 A man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with his sack full of 20 loaves of barley bread from the first bread of the harvest. Elisha said, "Give it to the people to eat."

43 But Elisha's attendant asked, "What? Am I to set 20 loaves before 100 men?"^[j] "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said, "for this is what the Lord says: 'They will eat, and they will have some left over.' "

44 So he gave it to them, and as the Lord had promised, they ate and had some left over.^[k]

2 Kings 4 Commentary

Chapter 4

Elisha multiplies the widow's oil. (1-7) The Shunammite obtains a son. (8-17) The Shunammite's son restored to life. (18-37) The miracle of healing the pottage, and of feeding the sons of the prophets. (38-44)

Verses 1-7 Elisha's miracles were acts of real charity: Christ's were so; not only great wonders, but great favours to those for whom they were wrought. God magnifies his goodness with his power. Elisha readily received a poor widow's complaint. Those that leave their families under a load of debt, know not what trouble they cause. It is the duty of all who profess to follow the Lord, while they trust to God for daily bread, not to tempt him by carelessness or extravagance, nor to contract debts; for nothing tends more to bring reproach upon the gospel, or distresses their families more when they are gone. Elisha put the widow in a way to pay her debt, and to maintain herself and her family. This was done by miracle, but so as to show what is the best method to assist those who are in distress, which is, to help them to improve by their own industry what little they have. The oil, sent by miracle, continued flowing as long as she had empty vessels to receive it. We are never straitened in God, or in the riches of his grace; all our straitness is in ourselves. It is our faith that fails, not his promise. He gives more than we ask: were there more vessels, there is enough in God to fill them; enough for all, enough for each; and the Redeemer's all-sufficiency will only be stayed from the supplying the wants of sinners and saving their souls, when no more apply to him for salvation. The widow must pay her debt with the money she received for her oil. Though her creditors were too hard with her, yet they must be paid, even before she made any provision for her children. It is one of the main laws of the Christian religion, that we pay every just debt, and give every one his own, though we leave ever so little for ourselves; and this, not of constraint, but for conscience' sake. Those who bear an honest mind, cannot with pleasure eat their daily bread, unless it be their own bread. She and her children must live upon the rest; that is, upon the money received for the oil, with which they must put themselves into a way to get an honest livelihood. We cannot now expect miracles, yet we may expect mercies, if we wait on God, and seek to him. Let widows in particular depend upon him. He that has all hearts in his hand, can, without a miracle, send as effectual a supply.

Verses 8-17 Elisha was well thought of by the king of Israel for his late services; a good man can take as much pleasure in serving others, as in raising himself. But the Shunammite needed not any good offices of this kind. It is a happiness to dwell among our own people, that love and respect us, and to whom we are able to do good. It would be well with many, if they did but know when they are really well off. The Lord sees the secret wish which is suppressed in obedience to his will, and he will hear the prayers of his servants in behalf of their benefactors, by sending unasked-for and unexpected mercies; nor must the professions of men of God be supposed to be delusive like those of men of the world.

Verses 18-37 Here is the sudden death of the child. All the mother's tenderness cannot keep alive a child of promise, a child of prayer, one given in love. But how admirably does the prudent, pious mother, guard her lips under this sudden affliction! Not one peevish word escapes from her. Such confidence had she of God's goodness, that she was ready to believe that he would restore what he had now taken away. O woman, great is thy faith! He that wrought it, would not disappoint it. The sorrowful mother begged leave of her husband to go to the prophet at once. She had not thought it enough to have Elisha's help sometimes in her own family, but, though a woman of rank, attended on public worship. It well becomes the men of God, to inquire about the welfare of their friends and their families. The answer was, It is well. All well, and yet the child dead in the house! Yes! All is well that God does; all is well with them that are gone, if they are gone to heaven; and all well with us that stay behind, if, by the affliction, we are furthered in our way thither. When any creature-comfort is taken from us, it is well if we can say, through grace, that we did not set our hearts too much upon it; for if we did, we have reason to fear it was given in anger, and taken away in wrath. Elisha cried unto God in faith; and the beloved son was restored alive to his mother. Those who would convey spiritual life to dead souls, must feel deeply for their case, and labour fervently in prayer for them. Though the minister cannot give Divine life to his fellow-sinners, he must use every means, with as much earnestness as if he could do so.

Verses 38-44 There was a famine of bread, but not of hearing the word of God, for Elisha had the sons of the prophets sitting before him, to hear his wisdom. Elisha made hurtful food to become safe and wholesome. If a mess of pottage be all our dinner, remember that this great prophet had no better for himself and his guests. The table often becomes a snare, and that which should be for our welfare, proves a trap: this is a good reason why we should not feed ourselves without fear. When we are receiving the supports and comforts of life, we must keep up an expectation of death, and a fear of sin. We must acknowledge God's goodness in making our food wholesome and nourishing; I am the Lord that healeth thee. Elisha also made a little food go a great way. Having freely received, he freely gave. God has promised his church, that he will abundantly bless her provision, and satisfy her poor with bread, ( Psalms 132:15 ) ; whom he feeds, he fills; and what he blesses, comes to much. Christ's feeding his hearers was a miracle far beyond this, but both teach us that those who wait upon God in the way of duty, may hope to be supplied by Divine Providence.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lv 25:39-41
• [b]. 1 Kg 17:10-16
• [c]. Mt 10:40-42; 3 Jn 5-8
• [d]. Gn 18:9-15; Jdg 13:2-3; Lk 1:7-13
• [e]. Nm 28:9-15
• [f]. 2 Sm 18:28
• [g]. Ru 1:19-21; 1 Sm 30:6; Zch 12:10
• [h]. 1 Kg 18:29
• [i]. Lit sitting before him
• [j]. Lk 9:13-14; Jn 6:9
• [k]. Lk 9:17; Jn 6:12-13

Chapter Summary

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, 2Ki 4:1-7 of obtaining a son for a Shunamitish woman, who had been very hospitable to him, 2Ki 4:8-17, of his raising up her son to life when dead, 2Ki 4:18-37, of his curing the deadly pottage made of wild gourds, 2Ki 4:38-41, and of his feeding one hundred men with twenty barley loaves, 2Ki 4:42-44.