2 Kings 4

Chap. IV. Ver. 1—44. The widow’s oil multiplied. A rich woman entertains Elisha: her son dies suddenly, and is restored to life again.—It is very clear that the prophets did not live in a state of constrained celibacy, as some have pretended; for here is the widow of a prophet in great distress through her husband having died insolvent, and the creditor demands her two sons as bondmen till the debt is paid. In cases of extreme himself and children, and from this it was inferred, that the creditor had a right to demand them: and thus the law was acted upon, not only in this period, but also in the time of our Lord’s incarnation, though it is not clear the law itself justified such demand. (See (Exodus 21:7). (Leviticus 25:39, 47-52). (Isaiah 50:1). (Matthew 18:25).) Instead, however, of disputing the right, the prophet, by miracle, so multiplies the widow’s pot (or cruise) of oil, that she is enabled to pay her debts, with a surplus to subsist both herself and children. Elisha going one day to Shunem, calls in at the house of a pious and wealthy Israelite, whose wife invites him not only to take some present refreshment, but to call there whenever he might pass that way. He does so; and her husband being like minded, they build for himself and servant a little chamber on the wall, where he might enjoy the greater solitude, with, probably, a pleasing prospect of the country; and furnish this chamber with all the necessary accommodations.

Wishing to make some grateful return, and finding the pious couple wanted neither riches nor honours, but only an heir to their possessions, he promises her a son. This son is born, and growing field, is suddenly taken ill, and dies the same — The pious Shunammite lays him on the prophet’s bed, and having procured from her husband an ass to ride on, hastens to mount Carmel, to the prophet. Elisha seeing her at a distance, sends his servant to meet her, with the most friendly inquiries respecting herself and des to all which he only receives for answer, ‘‘It is well.’’ She hastened into the prophet’s presence, and casting herself at his feet, began the narrative of her misfortunes; but before she could get through it, the prophet, perceiving her case, sends his servant forward to lay his staff upon the corpse, meaning, probably, himself to stop at home, and pray for the resuscitation of the child.

Her importunity, however, prevails with him to accompany her, and he ceases not to pray over the boy until he is restored to life, and given back into [the] mother’s hands. The faith of this good woman has been justly admired, and is sufficiently evident in her application to the prophet, which probably arose from her conviction that Elisha was so well beloved of God, that his request would in no case be refused; and having, like Sarah, conceived when past the usual time of life (her husband, like Abraham, being old also,) she, like the patriarch, also received her child a second time from the dead. ((Hebrews 11:17-19).) The whole of this history strongly reminds us of the miracles wrought by Elijah for the widow of Zarephath.

((1 Kings 17:17).) __ Two other miracles occur in the close of this chapter. In the one case, the sons of the prophet, sitting before Elisha at Gee, and it being a time of dearth, one went out into the field, to gather herbage for their food, and gathered poisonous herbs; but the prophet having thrown a handful of meal into the pot, neutralized the poison. In another instance, some friend having sent them twenty barley loaves and a few ears of corn, Elisha blessed the food, and feasted a hundred men.

Notes on the verses

Ver. 11. Poured water on the hands of Elijah.—i.e. was his constant and confidential servant. Hanway, speaking of a Persian supper, says, “Supper being now brought in, a servant presented a basin of water, and a napkin hung over his shoulders; he went to every one in the company, and poured water on their hands to wash.” —Bagster.

Ver. 15. Minstrel.—{This was evidently intended to soothe and tranquilize the prophet’s mind, which had been agitated and discomposed with holy indignation by the presence of the idolatrous king, and the recollection of his abomination. The soothing influence of music is generally acknowledged in every civilized nation. Cicero, in his Tusculan Questions, says, that “the Pythagoreans were accustomed to calm their minds, and soothe their passions, by singing and playing on the harp.”}—Bagster.

Ver. 17. Neither see wind nor rain.—Rain in the East is often attended with such whirlwinds of sand, as to obscure and darken the air.—Harmer.

Ver. 19. Mar.—This is metaphorical; the meaning is, filled with stones.

Ver. 20. In the morning, when the meat-offering was offered.—That is, soon after sunrise. [This supply was altogether miraculous; for there was neither wind nor rain, nor any other natural means to furnish it.]—Bagster.

Ver. 21. They gathered all.—i.e. assembled by proclamation.—All that were able.—See note on (1 Kings 20:11).

Ver. 22. Red as blood.—This might have been an optical deception. (I says Dr. Clarke) have seen the like sight when there was no reason to suspect supernatural agency. But might not the water have acquired this colour by passing through a red clay soil?

Ver. 25. Only in Kir-haraseth, or Kir-haraseth only the stone (walls) thereof,” strong, (Isaiah 16:7).

Ver. 27. His eldest son.—All the heathen nations on great occasions offered human sacrifices; even our ancestors in England. Sanchoniathon asserts, that among the Phenicians “it was customary, in great and public calamities, for princes and magistrates to offer up in sacrifice to the avenging demons, the dearest of their offspring.” —Upon the wall.—Sol. Jarchi says, chamah pro- &c.—See margin. Or, ‘Until he left’ which are mentioned as very early signifies “‘the sun,” who was the god of Moab, and renders the phrase, ‘ce the sun;” but Dr. Clarke, who cites this remark, says, it is ‘‘not very

Chap. IV. Ver. 1. The creditor is come.—[(Children, according to the Hebrew laws, were considered the property of their parents, who had a right to dispose of them for the payment of their debts. The Romans, Athenians, and Asiatics, in general, had the same authority over their children: they sold them in time of poverty; and their creditors seized them as they would sheep or slaves or household goods. The same laws still exist among the Georgians.)]

Ver. 8. Shunem.—[This city was situated in the tribe of Issachar, five miles south from mount Tabor, according to Eusebius; and is probably the place which he calls Sanim, in Acrabatene, in the neighbourhood of Samaria or Sebaste.] —Bagster.

Ver. 10. A little chamber on the wall.—Jutting out above the wall, which rooms, in the East, are called Oleah, or Olee, the very term here used. See note on (Judges 3:30).—A candlestick.—Rather, a lamp; for as candles were not invented for many ages afterwards, it seems improper to speak of Candlesticks. See note on (Exodus 25:31).

Ver. 20. He sat on her knees till noon, and then died.—The heat in Eastern countries is often so excessive as to prove fatal. The child of the Shunammite here spoken of, had gone to the reapers in the field, (ver. 18.) where he suddenly complained of head-ache, (ver. 19.) and soon after died. Probably he had a sun stroke, which is very common in the great heat which prevails in those countries at harvest time.

[During the Crusades, the army of King Baldwin IV. suffered considerably by this circumstance near Tiberias; and Egmont and Heyman, in the 18th century, found the air about Jericho extremely hot; and say that the year before they were there it destroyed many persons.] —B. Monconys, speaking of himself, says, ‘‘Towards evening, the sun had struck with such force on my head, that I was seized with a violent fever, and obliged to go to bed.”

Ver. 23. Wherefore… to day?—This implies she had been accustomed to go to the prophet on the Sabbath and festival days.—It shall be well.—Wishing to stop all inquiries for the present, and confident all would be peace at last.

Ver. 26. Is it well? &c.—The Hebrew, in every instance in this verse is Salem, “‘peace,”’ the usual salutation among the Hebrews, and still general in the East. She wished to enter into no particulars with the servant, but hurried in to his master, and falling at his feet, seized the bottom of his garment, to secure his attention. Gehazi, thinking this too great a liberty, would have thrust her away, but his more considerate master checked him.

Ver. 39. Wild gourds.—Generally thought to be the Colocynthida, the fruit of a wild vine, about the size of an orange, and a bitter poison.—Taylor’s Script. Index.

Ver. 42. Twenty loaves.—[Probably parched corn, or corn to be parched; full ears, before they are ripe, parched on the fire; a very frequent food in the East.

The loaves were probably extremely small, as their loaves of bread still are in Eastern countries. But small as this may appear, it would be a considerable present in the time of famine; though very inadequate to the number of persons. Baal-shalisha, of which the person who made this seasonable present was an inhabitant, was situated, according to Eusebius and Jerome, 15 miles north of Diospolis, or Lydda.] —Bagster.