CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
2 Kings 4
Chapter 4 of 25
Chapter Overview
What happens in 2 Kings 4
This chapter is packed with Elisha's miracles. He helps a widow pay her debts with oil that never runs out, promises a wealthy woman a son, raises that same son from the dead, purifies a pot of poisonous stew, and feeds a hundred men with just twenty small loaves of bread.
Scripture
2 Kings 4
The Widow's Oil
Study note
A widow of one of the prophets came to Elisha in despair. Her husband had died, and a creditor was about to take her two sons as slaves to pay off the debt. In the ancient world, a person who could not pay a debt could be forced into slavery. Elisha told her to collect as many empty jars as she could from her neighbors, then pour her small jar of oil into them. The oil kept flowing until every jar was full, giving her enough to sell and pay off all her debts.
1 A woman whose husband had been one of the prophets came to Elisha, begging for help. She cried, "My husband who served you is dead! You know he was devoted to the Lord. But now a man he owed money to is threatening to take my two boys and make them his slaves!" Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
2 Elisha asked, "How can I help? Tell me, what do you have at home?" She answered, "All I have is one small jar of olive oil." And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
3 Elisha told her, "Go knock on your neighbors' doors and borrow as many empty jars as you can find. Get many them." Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
4 "After that, go home with your sons, close the door, and start pouring your oil into every jar. When each one is full, set it aside." And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
5 She left and did exactly that. Behind closed doors, her sons kept handing her jars and she kept pouring oil. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
6 When every last jar was full, she told one of her sons, "Hand me another one." But he said, "There are none left." At that moment, the oil stopped flowing. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
7 She hurried back to tell Elisha what had happened. He said, "Go sell all that oil and pay off your debt. You and your sons can live on whatever money is left." Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
Elisha and the Woman of Shunem
Study note
A wealthy woman in the town of Shunem regularly invited Elisha to eat at her home. She even had a small room built on her roof for him to stay in when he passed through. To repay her kindness, Elisha asked what he could do for her. His servant Gehazi noticed that she had no son and her husband was old. Elisha promised she would have a son by the next year, and just as he said, she gave birth to a boy.
8 One day Elisha visited the town of Shunem. A well-off woman who lived there insisted he stay and eat a meal. From then on, every time Elisha traveled through town, he stopped at her home to eat. And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
9 She told her husband, "I am sure this man who visits us regularly is someone set apart to serve God." And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
10 "Let us add a small room for him on our roof with a bed, table, chair, and lamp. That way he will have his own place whenever he visits." Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
11 On one of his visits, Elisha went upstairs to his room to rest. And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
12 He told his servant Gehazi, "Ask the woman from Shunem to come here." Gehazi called her, and she came to speak with Elisha. And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
13 Elisha told Gehazi, "Say to her, 'You have been so kind and taken such good care of us. Is there anything we can do for you? Should I put in a good word with the king or the army commander for you?'" She replied, "No, I am content here with my own people." And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
14 After she left, Elisha asked Gehazi, "What could we possibly do for her?" Gehazi pointed out, "Well, she does not have a son, and her husband is getting old." And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
15 Elisha said, "Ask her to come back." Gehazi called her, and she came and stood in the doorway. And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
16 Elisha told her, "By this time next year, you will be holding a baby boy." She protested, "Please, man of God, do not make a promise like that if it is not true." And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
17 But sure enough, the woman became pregnant and had a baby boy the next year, right when Elisha had said she would. And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
The Boy Dies and Is Raised to Life
Study note
Years later, the boy was out in the fields with his father when he suddenly cried out with a terrible headache, possibly from sunstroke. He was carried to his mother and died on her lap. The woman laid him on Elisha's bed and rode urgently to find the prophet at Mount Carmel. Elisha sent his servant Gehazi ahead with his staff, but it did not help. When Elisha arrived, he went in alone, prayed, and lay on the child. The boy sneezed seven times and came back to life.
18 The child grew bigger. One day he went out to the field where his father was working with the harvesters. And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.
19 Suddenly the boy grabbed his head and cried, "My head! Oh, my head hurts!" His father told one of the workers, "Pick him up and take him to his mother." And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
20 The worker carried the boy to his mother. She held him on her lap, but by noon he was dead. And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
21 She took him upstairs and laid him on the bed in the prophet's room. Then she closed the door and left. 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 She called out to her husband, "Please send a servant and a donkey right away so I can ride to the man of God and come back." And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.
23 Her husband was confused. "Why go see him today? It is not a holy day or the Sabbath." She just said, "Everything will be fine." And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
24 She saddled the donkey and told the servant, "Ride as fast as possible. Do not slow down for anything unless I say so." Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
25 She rode straight to Mount Carmel where Elisha was. When Elisha spotted her approaching from far off, he told Gehazi, "That woman from Shunem is coming!" So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:
26 "Go meet her quickly. Ask if she is well, if her husband is well, and if her child is well." When Gehazi asked, she answered, "Yes, everything is fine." Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.
27 But the moment she reached Elisha on the hilltop, she dropped down and grabbed hold of his feet. Gehazi tried to pull her away, but Elisha said, "Leave her alone. Something is very wrong, and the Lord has not told me what it is." And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
28 She said, "Did I ask you for a son? Did I not say, 'Do not get my hopes up for nothing'?" Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?
29 Elisha immediately told Gehazi, "Tuck in your robe, grab my walking staff, and run. If you see anyone on the road, do not stop to chat. Go straight to the boy and lay my staff on his face." Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
30 But the boy's mother declared, "I swear by the living Lord and by your life, I am not going home without you." So Elisha got up and went with her. And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.
31 Gehazi had gone on ahead and placed the staff on the boy's face, but nothing happened -- no sound, no sign of life at all. He went back to meet Elisha and reported, "The boy did not wake up." And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
32 When Elisha got to the house, the boy was lying dead on the bed. And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
33 Elisha went in alone, closed the door, and prayed to the Lord. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
34 Then he got on the bed and lay on top of the boy, placing his mouth over the boy's mouth, his eyes over the boy's eyes, and his hands over the boy's hands. He stretched his whole body over the child, and the boy's skin began to feel warm. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
35 Elisha stood up and paced around the room. Then he got back on the bed and stretched out over the boy one more time. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
36 Elisha called Gehazi and said, "Bring the Shunammite woman." When she arrived, Elisha told her, "Here -- take your son." And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.
37 She rushed in, fell at Elisha's feet, and bowed down in deep gratitude. Then she scooped up her son and carried him out. Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.
Miracles with Food
Study note
During a time of famine, Elisha performed two food-related miracles. First, when someone accidentally put poisonous wild gourds into a pot of stew, Elisha made the stew safe to eat by adding flour. Second, when a man brought twenty loaves of barley bread and some fresh grain, Elisha told him to feed a hundred men with it. The servant thought it was impossible, but the food was more than enough for everyone, much like Jesus feeding the five thousand centuries later.
38 Elisha went back to Gilgal during a time when food was very scarce. While a group of prophets sat listening to him, he told his servant, "Put the big cooking pot on the fire and make some stew for everyone." And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.
39 One of the men went to the field to gather plants and found a wild vine. He picked as many wild gourds as his robe could hold, came back, and sliced them into the pot -- not realizing they were poisonous. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.
40 They dished up the stew, but as soon as the men started eating, they yelled, "Man of God, this stew is deadly!" Nobody could eat it. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
41 Elisha said, "Get me some flour." He tossed it into the pot and said, "Serve it now." Everyone ate it, and there was nothing wrong with it at all. But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.
42 A man arrived from Baal-shalishah with a gift for Elisha: twenty small loaves of barley bread made from the first grain harvested that year, plus some fresh grain. Elisha said, "Pass it around to everyone and let them eat." And there came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
43 His servant objected, "How am I supposed to feed a hundred people with this little bit of food?" Elisha insisted, "Hand it out to the people. The Lord promises there will be enough food and even some left over." And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
44 So the servant set the food in front of them. They all ate until they were full, and sure enough there was food left over -- exactly as the Lord had promised. So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.
Key Themes
Themes in 2 Kings 4
God's provision multiplied through faith and obedienceCompassion for widows, the poor, and the vulnerableThe power of God over death itselfMiracles that meet everyday practical needs
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
2 Kings 42-44 Matthew 14:15-21
Elisha feeding a hundred men with twenty loaves of bread, with food left over, directly foreshadows Jesus feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fish, with twelve baskets remaining. Both miracles demonstrate God's abundant provision through His chosen servants.
2 Kings 32-37 Luke 7:11-15
Elisha raising the Shunammite woman's son from the dead prefigures Jesus raising the widow of Nain's son, showing Christ as the ultimate life-giver who fulfills what the prophets foreshadowed.
Apply This Today
Living 2 Kings 4
Elisha's miracles addressed real, ordinary needs: debt, childlessness, death, poisoned food, and hunger. God cares about the practical details of our daily lives, not just grand spiritual matters. When we bring our everyday struggles to Him in faith, He can multiply whatever little we have.
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