2 Kings 4

1 Now the wife [a woman, one of the wives] of one of the sons [descendants, prophets in training] of the prophets cried out [with a loud voice, in distress] to Elisha, “Your servant [one who serves, a bondservant], my husband [my man, my lord], is dead [has passed away, ceased to be], and you know [are aware, have knowledge] that your servant [one who fears and obeys] feared [revered, stood in awe of] the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]. And now his creditor [lender, one to whom debt is owed] is coming [approaching, drawing near] to take [to seize, to claim] my two [a pair, a duo] children [youth, young ones] as his slaves [servants, bondmen, those bound to serve]!” word study 2 “How can I help you [what shall I do for thee]?” asked Elisha [the prophet, God’s messenger]. “Tell me [declare to me], what do you have [what hast thou] in the house [thy dwelling place]?” She answered, “Your servant [Thy handmaid, a female slave] has nothing [not any thing] in the house but [save, except] a jar [a pot, a container] of oil [olive oil].” word study 3 “Go [walk, proceed],” said Elisha, “borrow [ask for, request] jars [vessels, utensils], even empty [worthless, vacant] ones, from all [every, the whole of] your neighbors [fellow citizens, those living nearby]. Do not gather [collect, bring together] just a few [a small number, a limited amount]. word study 4 Then go inside [into your house, privately], shut the door [close it securely] behind you and your sons [your children, descendants], and pour oil [olive oil] into all these jars [vessels, containers], setting the full ones [those that are completely filled] aside [to one side, removing them].” word study 5 So she left [went away from] him, and after she had shut [closed] the door [entrance] behind her and her sons [children, descendants], they kept bringing [approaching with] jars [vessels] to her, and she kept pouring [releasing, emptying]. word study 6 When all the jars [vessels, containers] were full, she said to her son [a descendant, a child], “Bring me another [one more, yet another].” But he replied, “There are no more [none, not one] jars [utensils, vessels].” Then the oil [olive oil] stopped flowing [stood still, ceased]. word study 7 She went and told the man of God [the prophet, Elijah], and he said, “Go [walk, proceed], sell the oil [olive oil], and pay your debt [financial obligation, something owed]. Then you [as an individual, personally] and your sons [descendants, children] can live [have life, thrive] on the remainder [what is left, the surplus].” word study 8 One day [at a certain time, on a specific occasion] Elisha [God is salvation, a prophet] went to Shunem [a double resting place, a city in Issachar], and a prominent [great, wealthy, influential] woman who lived there [in that place, at that location] persuaded [constrained, urged] him to have a meal [to eat bread, to partake of food]. So whenever he would pass by [cross over, travel through], he would stop [turn in, turn aside] there [in that place, at that location] to eat [to devour, to partake of food]. word study 9 Then the woman said to her husband, “Behold [look, see], now I know [perceive, am aware] that the one who often comes our way is a holy [set apart, sacred] man of God [Elohim, the supreme Being]. word study 10 Please [I pray thee] let us make [construct, build] a small [little, insignificant] room [chamber, upper room] upstairs [on the wall, on the roof] and put [set, place] in it a bed [couch, place for resting], a table [place for eating], a chair [throne, seat], and a lamp [candlestick, light source] for him. Then when he comes [enters, arrives] to us, he can stay [turn aside, rest] there [in that place, at that time].” word study 11 One day [on a certain day, at a specific time] Elisha came [approached, entered] to visit [to see, to pay a call] and went [turned aside, departed] to his upper room [the lofty chamber, the room above] to lie down [to rest, to sleep, to recline]. word study 12 And he said [to speak, command] to Gehazi [attendant] his servant, “Call [to summon, invite] the Shunammite [from Shunem, a woman of faith] woman [the Shunammitess, a specific individual].” And when he had called [summoned, invited] her, she stood [to stand, be present] before him [in his presence, face to face], word study 13 and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, ‘Look [behold, see], you have gone to all this trouble [care, concern] for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak [intercede, plead] on your behalf [as your advocate] to the king [ruler, monarch] or the commander [captain, leader] of the army [military, host]?’” “I have a home [dwelling, abode] among my own people [family, relatives],” she replied. word study 14 So he asked, “Then what [is to be done, how can we help] should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son [child, descendant],” Gehazi replied, “and her husband [man, male companion] is old [aged, advanced in years].” word study 15 “Call [to summon, invite] her,” said Elisha [the prophet, God’s messenger]. So Gehazi called [invited, summoned] her, and she stood [took her position, remained] in the doorway [entrance, threshold] [of the house, at the opening]. word study 16 And Elisha declared [prophesied, spoke as a man of God], “At this time [season, appointed hour] next year, you will hold [embrace, clasp tightly] a son [male child, descendant] in your arms [lovingly, with affection].” “No [not, by no means], my lord [master, ruler],” she said. “Do not [refrain from] lie [deceive, speak falsely] to your maidservant [female servant, handmaid], O man of God [prophet, messenger of God].” word study 17 But the woman [became pregnant, conceived a child] did conceive, and at that time [the same season, according to the time of life] the next year she gave birth [bore a son, brought forth] to a son [a male child, a descendant], just as [in accordance with] Elisha [God is salvation, the prophet] had told [spoken to, promised] her. word study 18 And the child [youth, young person] grew [to magnify, became great], and one day [a certain day, a specific time] he went out [to come out, leave] to his father [parent, guardian], who was with [toward, in the company of] the harvesters [reapers, those gathering grain]. word study 19 “My head [aching, hurting severely]! My head [afflicted, in pain]!” he complained [cried out, expressed distress] to his father [parent, caregiver]. So his father told [instructed, commanded] a servant [young man, attendant, or lad, youth], “Carry [lift, bear] him to his mother [female parent, nurturer].” word study 20 After the servant had [lifted, to raise] picked him up and [brought, to carry] carried him to his mother [female parent], the boy sat [to dwell, remain] on her [knee, a sign of respect] lap until [till, as far as] noon [midday, when the sun is highest], and then he died [to cease living]. word study 21 And she went up [to ascend, rose] and laid him on the bed [couch, place of rest] of the man [male person, individual] of God [Elohim, the supreme Being]. Then she shut [closed, locked] the door [barrier, entrance] and went out [departed, left the room]. word study 22 And the woman called [to summon, invoke] her husband and said, “Please [I pray, if you will] send me one of the servants [young men, attendants] and one of the donkeys [she-asses, female donkeys], that I may go quickly [run, hurry] to the man of God and return [come back, turn back].” word study 23 “Why [for what reason, seeking to understand] would you go to him today [at this present time, on this particular day]?” he replied [said in response]. “It is not [neither, nor] a New Moon [a time of celebration, a new beginning] or a Sabbath [a day of rest, a day of worship].” “Everything [all things, the situation] is all right [will be well, it shall be well],” she said [replied, spoke in response]. word study 24 Then she saddled [tied firmly, prepared] the donkey [she-ass, a female donkey] and told [commanded, spoke to] her servant [young person, youth], “Drive onward [go forward, lead]; do not slow [restrain, hold back] the pace [riding, journey] for me unless [if, except when] I tell [say, command] you.” word study 25 So she set out [to walk, to journey] and went to the man [a male person, an individual] of God [Elohim, the supreme God] at Mount [a hill] Carmel [a fruitful and plentiful field]. When the man of God saw her at a distance [from afar, over against him], he said to his servant [young man, attendant] Gehazi [valley of vision], “Look [behold, see], there is the Shunammite [a woman from Shunem, a place in Issachar] woman [the Shunammites, a female from the city of Shunem]. word study 26 Please [I pray] run out now [at this time] to meet her and ask, ‘Are you [is it well with thee] all right [in health, at peace]? Is your husband [man, male person] all right [in health, at peace]? Is your child [youth, young one] all right [in health, at peace]?’” And she answered, “Everything [all] is all right [well, in peace].” word study 27 When she reached the man of God [Elisha, the prophet] at the mountain [a hill], she clung to his feet [in desperation and reverence]. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul [the essence of her being, her inner self] is in deep distress [bitter and troubled, vexed within her], and the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] has hidden it from me and has not told me [kept it secret, not revealed it to me].” word study 28 Then she said [in response to the situation], “Did I ask [request or inquire of] you for a son [a child, a descendant], my lord [master, ruler]? Didn’t I say [previously, with emphasis], ‘Do not deceive me [mislead or neglect me, leading to error]?’” word study 29 So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up [gird, prepare] your garment, take my staff [support, walking stick] in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone [a man, an individual], do not greet him [salute, bless], and if anyone greets you [salute, acknowledge], do not answer him [respond, reply]. Then lay my staff on the boy’s [youth, young one] face [presence, person].” word study 30 And the mother [female parent, caregiver] of the boy [youth, young one] said, “As surely as the LORD [Yehovah] lives [is alive, has eternal life] and as you yourself live [have physical and spiritual life], I will not leave [forsake, abandon] you.” So he got up [rose, stood] and followed [walked after, accompanied] her. word study 31 Gehazi [Elisha’s servant, a man of vision] went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s [youth, a young person] face, but there was no sound [voice, utterance] or response [attentiveness, hearing]. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy [youth, a young person] has not awakened [to wake up, to be revived].” word study 32 When Elisha [the prophet of God] reached the house [the dwelling place], there was the boy [youth, a young person] lying [stretched out, resting] dead [lifeless, having ceased to breathe] on his bed [the place of rest, the couch]. word study 33 So he went in [entered the room, came inside], closed the door [shut the entrance, sealed the opening] behind the two [both, them twain] of them, and prayed [interceded, made petition] to the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God]. word study 34 Then Elisha got on the bed and lay [stretched himself out, rested] on the boy, mouth [lip, edge] to mouth, eye [source] to eye, and hand [palm, open hand] to hand. As he [prostrated himself, bent down] stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body [flesh, living being] became warm [heated, restored to life]. word study 35 Elisha turned away [to and fro, walking back and forth] and paced [walked in the house once] back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed [stretched himself out] and stretched himself out [bent down, prostrated himself] over the boy [youth, a young person] again, and the boy [youth] sneezed [suddenly and powerfully] seven times [seven occurrences, a complete cycle] and opened [to be observant and aware] his eyes [the source of sight and understanding]. word study 36 Elisha summoned [called to his presence] Gehazi and said, “Call [to come, invite] the Shunammite woman [a woman from the city of Shunem].” So he called [invited] her and she came [approached, drew near]. Then Elisha said, “Pick up [lift, raise] your son [child, offspring].” word study 37 She came in [went inside, entered the house], fell [prostrated herself, bowed down] at his feet [in reverence, as a sign of respect], and bowed [to bow down, worshiped] to the ground [the earth, the land]. Then she picked up [lifted, took up] her son [child, descendant] and went out [left, departed, came out]. word study 38 When Elisha [a prophet of God] returned [to a previous place, came back] to Gilgal [a region in Palestine], there was a [severe, widespread] famine [a lack of food, hunger] in the land [the earth, a country]. As the sons [descendants, followers] of the prophets [those who speak for God] were sitting [dwelling, remaining] at his feet, he said to his attendant [young servant, helper], “Put on the large [great, big] pot and boil [cook, prepare] some stew [pottage, a simple meal] for the sons [disciples, students] of the prophets [God’s messengers].” word study 39 One of them went out [into the countryside] to the field [a flat area of land used for cultivation] to gather [pick up, collect] herbs [plants, green things], and he found [discovered, came across] a wild vine [a type of vine that grows in the field] from which he gathered [collected, picked] as many wild gourds [a type of wild gourd or cucumber] as his garment [clothing, robe] could hold [contain, have room for]. Then he came back [returned, went back] and cut them up [sliced, chopped] into the pot [a container for cooking] of stew [a type of boiled food, pottage], though no one knew [was aware of, recognized] what they were [their nature, identity]. word study 40 And they poured [served, gave to eat] it out for the men [male persons, individuals] to eat, but when they tasted [partook of, ate from] the stew [pottage, boiled food] they cried out [shouted, gave a loud cry], “There is [exists, is present] death [end of life, eternal separation] in the pot [container, vessel], O man of God [prophet, servant of Elohim]!” And they could [were able, had power] not eat [consume, devour] it. word study 41 Then Elisha said, “Get some [meal or flour, a type of grain] flour [used for baking].” He threw [cast or tossed] it into the pot [a vessel for cooking] and said, “Pour [to serve or distribute] it out for the people [a nation or group] to eat [consume or devour].” And there was nothing [no harm or evil] harmful [bad or evil] in the pot [a container for food]. word study 42 Now a man [from the town of Baal-shalishah, a place of abundance] from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God [Elisha, a prophet of the Lord] with a sack [a container, a bag] of twenty loaves of barley bread [freshly harvested] from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people [the crowd, the congregation] to eat,” said Elisha [the prophet, the man of God]. word study 43 But his servant [minister, one who serves] asked, “How [in what way, by what means] am I to set twenty loaves [bread, food] before a hundred men [people, individuals]?” “Give [offer, provide] it to the people [nation, crowd] to eat [consume, devour],” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] says: ‘They will eat [partake, feed] and have some left over [remain, abound].’” word study 44 So he set [put, placed, or served] it before them [in their presence, face to face], and they ate [devoured, consumed] and had some left over [more than enough, an abundance], according to the word [thing, matter, or affair] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study