2 Kings 4
OGCCHAPTER SEVENTEEN
PRIVATE MIRACLES IN THE MINISTRY OF ELISHA
Elisha was truly God’s wonder worker among the Old Testament prophets. His ministry was undergirded by a large number and wide variety of miracles. In 2 Kings 4:1 to 2 Kings 6:7 eight of his miraculous works have been collected. All eight have to do with individuals or small groups of disciples. All save one were beneficent in character. Classification of these wondrous works is difficult, but perhaps the following breakdown will be useful: (1) miracles on behalf of two faithful women (2 Kings 4:1-37); (2) miracles on behalf of the sons of the prophets (2 Kings 4:38-44); (3) a miracle on behalf of an Aramean general (2 Kings 5:1-19); (4) a judicial miracle (2 Kings 5:20-27); and (5) a levitation miracle (2 Kings 6:1-7).
REVIEW OF CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I. FACTS TO MASTER
A. Important names to identify in relation to chapter seven teen:
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Elisha
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Naaman
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Gehazi
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Rimmon
B. Important places to identify in relation to this chapter:
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Shunem
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Abanah and Pharpar
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Mt. Carmel
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Damascus
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Baal-shalishah
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Jordan
C. Words and phrases which should bring to remembrance key events in this chapter:
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creditor
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a letter
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jar of oil
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two mule loads of earth
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upper chamber
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an axhead
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staff
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a stick
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wild gourds
D. Who said?
Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.
Truly she has no son and her husband is old.
My head, my head!
Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath.
There is death in the pot!
Am I God, to kill and to make alive. ?
Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me
Alas, my master for it was borrowed!
E. Important Numbers 1.
The amount of gold, silver and changes of raiment Naaman took to Israel
Number of times Naaman was told to dip in Jordan
Number of talents and changes Gehazi received from Naaman
Number of times a dead boy sneezed as he revived
Number of barley loaves brought to Elisha at Gilgal
Number of prophets fed with the few loaves
II. QUESTIONS TO PONDER
What parallels are there between the miracles wrought by Elisha and those previously performed by Elijah?
Who were the sons of the prophets?
What did the meal have to do with the healing of the noxious pottage at Gilgal?
Why did Elisha send Gehazi on ahead to Shunem when he learned of the lad’s death?
Why did Elisha stretch out on top of the body of the dead Shunammite boy?
What spiritual lessons can be derived from the account of the multiplication of the widow’s oil? The multiplication of the loaves?
As Naaman sought cleansing from leprosy, he made several mistakes. The same mistakes are often made by those who want cleansing from sin. What are some of these mistakes?
Who is the unsung hero of the Naaman story? In what way does this person challenge our lives?
What kind of relations existed between Israel and Damascus during the time of Naaman?
Why did Elisha not go out to greet the Aramean dignitary who came to call on him?
What was there in the waters of Jordan that brought cleansing to Naaman? In this case, would one river have been just as good as another?
For what purpose did Naaman wish to take two mule burdens of earth back to Damascus?
To what degree was Naaman converted by his healing experience?
In what sense was the miracle of Naaman’s healing per formed for the benefit of the Israelites as well as the Arameans?
What motivated Gehazi to follow Naaman and request a reward? Why the lie? How did Elisha know what Gehazi had been up to? Of what does Gehazi warn us?
Why was the prophetic student so concerned about the axhead he had lost? What purpose did the stick serve in the recovery of the axhead? What spiritual lessons are there in this story?
2 Kings 4:1-7
I. MIRACLES ON BEHALF OF TWO FAITHFUL WOMEN 4:1-37
Elisha performed three miracles for two faithful female disciples. For a destitute widow he performed a miracle of multiplication of oil so that she might have the wherewithal to pay her bills (2 Kings 4:1-7). For the wealthy woman of Shunem he made a wondrous prediction (2 Kings 4:8-17). Later for the same woman he performed what surely must have been his most stupendous miracle: the resurrection of a child (2 Kings 4:18-37).
A. THE MIRACULOUS INCREASE OF OIL 4:1-7
**TRANSLATION
(1) Now a woman, one of the wives of the sons of the prophets, cried out unto Elisha, saying, Your servant, my husband died, and you yourself know that your servant was a God-fearing man; but the creditor came to take my two children for himself for slaves. (2) And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for you? Tell me what you have in the house. And she said. Your handmaiden has nothing at all in the house except an anointing of oil. (3) And he said, Go and ask for yourself vessels from the outside from all your neighbors, empty vessels not a few. (4) Then come and shut the door on yourself and on your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and remove the full ones. (5) So she went from him, and shut the door on herself and on her sons, who brought the vessels unto her; and she poured out, (6) And it came to pass when the vessels were full, she said unto her sons, Bring unto me another vessel. And he said unto her, There are no more vessels. And the oil ceased. (7) And she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go sell the oil, and pay your creditor, and you and your sons shall live on that which remains.
COMMENTS**
In the first paragraph of chapter 4, Elisha comes to the rescue of a destitute widow. She did not hesitate to ask the prophet for assistance because (1) her husband had been a member of that prophetic order over which Elisha presided; and (2) because he had been a God-fearins man. When her prophet-husband had died, the creditor had demanded immediate payment of some debt which the family owed. Since the widow could not pay off the loan, the creditor took her two sons into slavery in lieu of the loan[524] (2 Kings 4:1). Elisha immediately recognized his obligation to help the poor woman.[525] He first inquired whether or not she had anything in her house that he might sell in order to pay off the debt. As it turned out she had only an anointing of oil, i.e., as much oil as would suffice for one anointing of her body (2 Kings 4:2). Elisha then instructed the woman to secure from all her neighbors empty vessels of every size and description (2 Kings 4:3). This not only would test the faith of the woman, but would undergird the eternal principle that God helps him who helps himself. The woman is further instructed to take those empty vessels into the privacy of her home and pour into them the small amount of oil which she possessed. As each vessel became full it was to be set aside and replaced by another empty vessel in order that the pouring might be continuous (2 Kings 4:4). The miracle was to be performed inconspicuously lest the prophet be overwhelmed with applications for similar aid to others.
[524] In primitive communities, men borrowed upon their personal credit, and the primary security for debt was regarded as being their own persons, the value of their labor, and that of their dependents.
[525] The Mosaic law often commands care for the widows and fatherless: Exodus 22:22-24; Deuteronomy 14:29; Deuteronomy 24:17; Deuteronomy 24:19; Deuteronomy 26:12 etc.
The widow obeyed precisely the instructions of the prophet with regard to the secrecy. Her sons would bring her the empty vessels she had collected, and she would pour the oil into them (2 Kings 4:5). When every last vessel in the house was filled, the oil ceased flowing (2 Kings 4:6). God will not permit waste. Had the oil continued to flow, it would have spilled upon the floor and been useless for any purpose. The woman did not feel entitled to make use of the oil without further instructions from the man of God, i.e., Elisha. The prophet directed her then to sell the oil and pay off the debt. After satisfying the claims of her creditor with part of the money, she would be able to support herself and her sons on the remainder (2 Kings 4:7).
2 Kings 4:8-17
B. PREDICTIONS REGARDING THE SHUNAMMITE 4:8-17
**TRANSLATION
(8) And it came to pass one day that Elisha passed over unto Shunem, and there was a great lady who constrained him to eat bread. And it came to pass whenever he passed through, he turned aside there to eat bread. (9) And she said unto her husband, Behold now I know that the one who passes by us continually is a holy man of God. (10) Let us make, I pray you, a small chamber on the wall, and let us put there a bed, table, chair and lamp, and it shall come to pass when he comes unto us, he may turn in there. (11) And it came to pass on the day that he came there, that he turned aside unto the chamber and lay down there. (12) And he said unto Gehazi his servant, Call to this Shunammite. And he called to her, and she stood before him. (13) And he said unto him, Say, I pray you, unto her, Behold you have cared for us with all this care. What is to be done for you? Do you have a matter pertaining to the king or to the captain of the host? And she said, In the midst of my people I continue to dwell. (14) And he said, Then what may be done for her? And Gehazi said, Truly she has no son and her husband is old. (15) And he said, Call to her. And he called to her, and she stood in the entrance. (16) At this season when the time comes around you will be embracing a son. And she said, No, my lord, O man of God, do not deceive your handmaid. (17) And the woman conceived and bore a son at that season when the time came around as Elisha had spoken to her.
COMMENTS**
As he traveled about the Northern Kingdom, Elisha would frequently pass through Shunem, a village in Galilee on the edge of the plain of Esdraelon. A great woman, i.e., a woman of substance, lived there who was so zealously hospitable that she constrained the prophet to eat his meals in her home whenever he passed through the village (2 Kings 4:8). With the passing of time, the wealthy Shunammite became convinced that Elisha was truly worthy of the title he bore, man of God (2 Kings 4:9), and she wished to do more for him than she hitherto had done. She suggested to her husband that a special room be built for the prophet on the wall of their home. By this she probably means a small addition to the existing upper chamber of the housea tiny room resting partly upon the wall of the house, partly projecting beyond it much like a balcony. The woman planned to furnish this private apartment in such a way that it could serve not only as a sleeping chamber but as a study as well (2 Kings 4:10). This understanding woman knew that from time to time the busy man of God would need a retreat where he could rest, study, and perhaps write.
The prophet was overjoyed with the generous provision of his Shunammite hosts (2 Kings 4:11) and wished to reciprocate. He therefore instructed Gehazi his servanthere mentioned for the first timeto summon the Shunammite woman. It would seem that Gehazi stood in the doorway of the prophet’s private apartment and called the woman, perhaps to the foot of the stairs leading up to that chamber. The woman came and stood in his, i.e., Gehazi’S, presence (2 Kings 4:12). From his chamber the prophet directed his servant to inquire what might be done for this woman in return for her gracious hospitality. Would she desire that he use his influence with the king or commander of the army on her behalf? But this woman was no socialite or ladder climber. She was perfectly content to dwell among the people of her native village (2 Kings 4:13). The Shunammite had not acted out of selfish motivations when she had built this chamber for the man of God, but had done this as an act of devotion to God.
Elisha then addressed Gehazi. If the woman would suggest nothing herself, could Gehazi suggest anything that might be done for her? It would appear that the woman’s unselfishness increased the prophet’s desire to do something for her. Gehazi pointed out to his master that the woman was barren and her husband was old (2 Kings 4:14). Though the woman had made no complaint about this matter, Gehazi knew that to be barren was regarded by all Hebrew women as an unbearable reproach. He therefore assumed that the Shunammite must wish offspring. Elisha accepted his suggestion without a moment’s hesitation. Gehazi was then directed to summon the woman directly into the presence of the prophet. The Shunammite came and stood in the doorway of Elisha’s apartment (2 Kings 4:15). Out of modesty and respect she would advance no farther. The prophet announced to her that about this season when the time comes around (lit., revives), i.e., about this time a year hence, she would be embracing a son.
The Shunammite, like Sarah before her, was incredulous in the face of this shocking announcement. She feared that the prophet was toying with her, arousing hopes which were only doomed to disappointment. She begged Elisha not to deceive her (2 Kings 4:16). Nevertheless, at that very season a year later the woman gave birth to a son just as the prophet had predicted (2 Kings 4:17).
2 Kings 4:18-37
C. RESURRECTION OF THE SHUNAMMITE’S Song of Solomon 4:18-37
**TRANSLATION
(18) And the child grew, and it came to pass one day that he went unto his father to the reapers. (19) And he said unto his father, My head, my head! And he said unto the lad, Carry him unto his mother. (20) And he carried him, and brought him unto his mother, and he sat upon her knees unto noon and died. (21) And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. (22) And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray you, one of the servants, and one of the donkeys that I may hasten unto the man of God, and come again. (23) And he said, Why are you going unto him? Today is not the new moon or sabbath. And she said, it will be well. (24) And she saddled the donkey and said unto her servant, Drive, and go forward, Do not slacken for my sake the riding unless I command you. (25) And she went, and came unto the man of God unto Mt. Carmel. And it came to pass when the man of God saw her from afar, that he said unto Gehazi his servant, Behold that is the Shunammite! (26) Now run, I pray you, to meet her, and say to her, Is it well with you, Is it well with your husband, Is it well with the child? And she said, It is well. (27) And she came unto the man of God unto the mount and grasped his feet. And Gehazi drew **near to thrust her away, but the man of God said, Leave her alone; for her soul is troubled, and the LORD has hidden it from me, and has not declared it to me. (28) And she said, Did I ask a son from my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me? (29) And he said to Gehazi, Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go. If you find a man, do not bless him, and if he bless you do not answer him, and you shall place my staff upon the face of the lad. (30) And the mother of the lad said, As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I surely will not leave you. And he arose, and went after her. (31) And Gehazi passed over before them, and put the staff upon the face of the lad, but there was no voice nor hearing. And he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The lad was not aroused. (32) And Elisha came to the house, and behold the lad was dead, and laid upon his bed. (33) And he came and shut the door upon the two of them, and prayed unto the LORD. (34) And he got up, and lay upon the child, and put his face upon his face, his eyes upon his eyes, his hands upon his hands, and he stretched himself upon him; and he warmed the flesh of the child. (35) Then he turned and walked in the house once to and fro; and he went up and stretched himself upon him, and the lad sneezed seven times; and the lad opened his eyes. (36) And he called unto Gehazi and said, Call unto this Shunammite. And he called her and she came unto him. And he said, Take up your son. (37) And she came and fell upon his feet, and bowed to the ground. And she took up her son and went out.
COMMENTS
A four or five year time gap exists between 2 Kings 4:17-18, and the Shunammite’s infant has become a young lad. The child delighted in accompanying his father to the grain fields to watch the harvest operation. On one such day (2 Kings 4:18), tragedy struck. In the heat of the morning sun, the lad became the victim of a sunstroke. The father ordered a servant boy to take the child to his mother, indoors and out of the heat (2 Kings 4:19). The mother held the boy on her lap doing what she could for him until noon when he finally expired (2 Kings 4:20).
The Shunammite took the limp body of her son up into the apartment of Elisha and laid it on the prophet’s bed, and shut the door behind her (2 Kings 4:21). It seems that the woman wished to conceal the death of the child until she had seen what Elisha could do for her. She was not ignorant of the story of how Elijah had once resurrected a lad from the dead, and she had hope that a similar miracle might be performed on her behalf. But fearing that her husband might not share her faith, and that he might refuse to supply her with an animal for transportation, the Shunammite did not tell her husband what had become of the lad.
The woman called to her husband from the house, without calling him into the house. She expressed her desire to visit Elisha, but did not state the object of her visit. The nearest part of Mt. Carmel being some fifteen miles away, she asked for the necessary riding animal and escort. She needed the donkey so that she might hasten to the prophet and come again, i.e., return home before nightfall (2 Kings 4:22). The husband demurred; he could see no reason to divert a work animal from the harvest work so that his wife might make such a trip. After all, it was not new moon or sabbath, occasions when the pious in the Northern Kingdom assembled to study the word of God at the feet of a prophet. The husband had no idea that his son was dead. He probably had not even realized that the child was in danger, and now in the light of his wife’s somewhat unexpected request he must have assumed that the child had recovered. The Shunammite responded to her husband’s reluctance with a single word in the originalthe word shalom, literally, peace (2 Kings 4:23). Shalom would be equivalent in English to saying, all right and indicates a refusal to argue a point. Not wishing to offend his wife, the husband did not press her for an explanation. The donkey and the servant were placed at her disposal without further comment. The Shunammite saddled the donkey and ordered the servant to get the animal moving, and not to slacken the pace except at her instruction (2 Kings 4:24).
As the woman approached Mt. Carmel, Elisha spotted her from afar (lit., over against him). Since it would appear that the Shunammite was a regular attender at the special prophetic holy day gatherings (cf. 2 Kings 4:23), Elisha had probably seen this stately woman approaching his residence at Carmel on numerous occasions (2 Kings 4:25). He sensed something must be wrong, both from the unexpected nature of the visit and from the obvious haste in which the woman was making her way in his direction. His anxiety aroused, Elisha ordered Gehazi to run forward to meet the woman and to inquire as to her well-being and that of her household. To Gehazi’s urgent queries the Shunammite gave the same ambiguous and non-committal answer she had earlier given to her husband.[526] She could not unburden her heart to any save Elisha himself.
[526] The Shunammite’s greeting to Gehazi might have been an expression of her faithall is going to be well.
When she reached the prophet she embraced his feet in a posture of supplication. For the moment she said nothing. Regarding this action as one unduly familiar or unduly importunate, Gehazi stepped forward to thrust the woman away from his master. Elisha saw that the woman was deeply distressed and would not permit his servant to disturb her even though her action may have violated the etiquette of that time. The Lord had not seen fit to reveal to the mind of the prophet the circumstances which would cause such obvious agony on the part of his dear friend, and so Elisha simply had to wait until the woman gained enough composure to relate the matter to him (2 Kings 4:27).
Through her sobs the woman was finally able to begin her story. Two rhetorical questions are all she needs to speak (2 Kings 4:28). She had not complained of her childlessness, nor had she requested that the prophet give her a son. At the initial announcement to her, the Shunammite had begged that the prophet not deceive her, not make her the victim of a cruel joke. Her words suggested that something worse than that had now happened. It is greater misery to have a child and lose him than not to have had one at all.
The woman needed say no more. Elisha issued orders for Gehazi to hasten immediately to the Shunammite’s home. He should take no time out for lengthy greetings or pleasantries en route. When he reached the child, Gehazi was to lay Elisha’s staff [527] upon the lad’s face (2 Kings 4:29). This action was designed to comfort and cheer the mother and to raise in her a firm expectation of the resurrection which the prophet anticipated being allowed to perform. The Shunammite misinterpreted Elisha’s instructions to Gehazi. She thought that Elisha intended to do nothing more than trust the child’s recovery to such power as might reside in his walking staff. She was not about to return to her home without the prophet, and so Elisha arose and went with her as, no doubt, he had intended to do from the first (2 Kings 4:30).
[527] Cf. Luke 10:4. The staff was the symbol of a man’s power and prestige (Genesis 38:18). In the case of Moses, the staff was the external vehicle through which miracles were wrought (cf. Exodus 4:1-4; Exodus 17:8-13).
Gehazi carried out his master’s orders, but the staff produced no results as far as the child was concerned. The boy remained still and silent. Gehazi then retraced his steps to meet Elisha who by this time was well on his way to Shunem, and reported to his master that the child had not revived (2 Kings 4:31). From this it is clear that Gehazi had expected the staff to effect an awakening; but there is nothing to show that Elisha himself had so expected. While on occasion in Bible history God condescended to allow miracles to be wrought by the instrumentality of inanimate objects,[528] yet such instances are comparatively rare, and form exceptions to what may be called the usual divine economy of miracles. Miracles are, as a rule, attached in Scripture to intense unwavering faithfaith, sometimes within those that are the objects of them, almost always in those who are the workers of them. Elisha had a benevolent objective in sending Gehazi ahead with the staff, but that objective was not the resurrection of the lad.
[528] Elisha’s bones once revived a dead man (2 Kings 13:21); an infirm woman once was healed by touching the hem of Jesus garment (Mark 5:25-34); handkerchiefs or aprons from the body of Paul were brought to the sick and their diseases left them (Acts 19:12).
Elisha came to the house and found the dead child lying on the bed in his private apartment (2 Kings 4:32). The prophet shut the door of the chamber in order that he might not be disturbed during his efforts to revive the boy. Falling to his knees, the inarticulate prayer that had been upon his heart from the moment he left Carmel was verbalized (2 Kings 4:33). Following the example of his master Elijah (cf. 1 Kings 17:21), Elisha stretched himself upon the lad and brought his flesh as close as he could to the flesh of the child. The idea in this seems to have been to prepare the body for rein-habitation of the soul or spirit by restoring warmth to it. Aside from this practical purpose, the act would also demonstrate the faith of the prophet that God would permit this great miracle to take place. Elisha’s efforts accomplished their purpose; the child’s body was actually warmed (2 Kings 4:34). Yet no signs of life appeared. The prophet, somewhat perplexed, got up from his prone position and paced in the room, doubtlessly analyzing the situation and praying as he did so.[529] Then he again stretched himself upon the child, and shortly the child sneezed seven timesshowing the recovery of his suspended respirationand opened his eyes (2 Kings 4:35). The Shunammite was summoned, no doubt from the lower story of the house, and bidden to take up her restored child (2 Kings 4:36). As anxious as the woman was to once again embrace her son, she first bowed before the prophet in humble gratitude; then she took up her son and went out to spend those precious first moments alone with the lad (2 Kings 4:37).
[529] Perhaps the walking about was an act of relaxation after the intense physical and spiritual concentration.
2 Kings 4:38-41
II. MIRACLES ON BEHALF OF THE SONS OF THE PROPHETS 4:38-44
As the spiritual head of the sons of the prophets, Elisha frequently was called upon apparently to use his powers for the benefit of the group. On two occasions he rescued these men from serious sickness and possible death. In the closing verses of chapter 4 the author narrates (1) the healing of the noxious pottage (2 Kings 4:38-41); and (2) the multiplication of the loaves (2 Kings 4:42-44).
A. HEALING OF THE NOXIOUS POTTAGE 4:38-41
**TRANSLATION
(38) And Elisha returned to Gilgal. Now famine was in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. And he said to his lad, Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets. (39) And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and he found a vine of the field, and gathered from it a garment full of gourds of the field, and he came and sliced them into the pot of pottage; but they knew it not. (40) And they poured out to the men to eat, and it came to pass as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out and said, Death In the pot, O man of God. And they were not able to eat it. (41) And he said, Take meal and throw it in the pot. And he said, Pour out to the people that they may eat. And there was no evil thing in the pot.
COMMENTS**
The next miracle related of Elisha took place during a famine when the prophet was visiting the prophetic school at Gilgal on one of his regular tours of the land. During the course of his lecture, while the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, Elisha ordered that the large communal pot be put on the fire, and pottage or vegetable stew be prepared (2 Kings 4:38). The sons of the prophets fanned out in the neighborhood to look for wild fruits or vegetables which might be put into the stew. Perhaps because of the famine the men could not be as selective as they usually were. One young chap came upon some kind of wild vine, the fruit of which looked very appealing.[530] Gathering as many of these gourds as he could carry, he returned to the pot and began to skin and slice them into the pot. The prophetic students standing about were either paying no attention to what their colleague was doing, or else they failed to recognize the gourds as poisonous (2 Kings 4:39).
[530] Dalman (SSW, pp. 81ff.) attempts to identify the particular plant here involved. He points to a vine which grows in the vicinity of Jericho which produces yellow fruits like melons. These melons have powerful laxative properties and if eaten in great quantity may indeed be fatal. The technical name of the plant is citrullus colocynthus.
As the men were eating of the vegetable stew, they came to realize, either by the bitter taste of the brew or else by the nauseous effects, that they were eating unwholesome food. Jumping to the worst possible conclusion, they thought they were being poisoned, and so cried out to Elisha, O man of God, there is death in the pot! No one was able to continue eating the stew (2 Kings 4:40). Elisha took prompt action. He called for some meal and cast it into the pot. Meal, of course, has no power in and of itself to neutralize poison any more than salt has to purify bitter waters (cf. 2 Kings 2:19-21). Elisha could as easily have performed this miracle by a spoken word. But under divine direction, he was instructed to employ meal, the most wholesome food of man, to symbolize the purification of the pottage. It is possible that the meal might have modified some of the bitterness of the brew and its injurious qualities. But the primary purpose of the meal seems to have been symbolic. At any rate the pottage was served anew, and those who had faith in Elisha and continued to eat of it were harmed in no way (2 Kings 4:41).
2 Kings 4:42-44
B. MULTIPLICATION OF THE LOAVES 4:42-44
**TRANSLATION
(42) And a man came from Baal-shalisha, and he brought to the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and grain in his sack. And he said, Give it to the people, that they might eat. (43) And his minister said, How shall I place this before a hundred men? And he said, Give it to the people that they may eat, for thus says the LORD: They shall eat, and there shall be leftovers. (44) And he put it before them, and they ate, and there were leftovers according to the word of the LORD.
COMMENTS**
Gilgal seems to be the setting for the final miracle recorded in chapter 4. A man came from near-by Baal-shalisha to bring Elisha the firstfruits of his harvest. It would seem from this that the more pious among the Israelites regarded the prophets as having inherited the position of the Levitical priests whom Jeroboam had driven from the land. According to the law, the firstfruits of grain, wine and oil were to be given to the priests (Numbers 18:13; Deuteronomy 18:4-5). The man brought twenty loaves of bread, each loaf being the equivalent of what one man would eat at one meal. Along with these cakes of bread the man brought a few ripe stalks of grain which were a token of his gratitude for God’s harvest mercies (cf. Leviticus 23:10).
Upon receiving this small gift, Elisha ordered that the loaves be placed before the sons of the prophets who resided at Gilgal (2 Kings 4:42). Elisha’s servantpresumably Gehaziwas incredulous. The amount of food was scarcely sufficient to suffice for a fifth of the hundred men living at Gilgal! But in the face of this objection the prophet repeated his instructions, and added an explanation in the form of a prophetic oracle. God had revealed to him that the quantity of food would prove ample for the hundred men, and that they would show that they had had enough by leaving some of it (2 Kings 4:43). The result was as the prophet predicted (2 Kings 4:44).
It is useless to speculate how this miracle was wrought, whether by an augmentation of the quantity of the food supernaturally produced, or by a lessening of the appetites of the men. A careful study of the feeding miracles attributed to the Lord Jesus would suggest that the former explanation is the correct one. In recording this episode the writer probably had two motives in mind: (1) to demonstrate how the Lord provides for His servants; and (2) to furnish another example of the miraculous powers of Elisha, of a different kind from those previously related.