2 Kings 4

2Ki 4:1-7.

ELISHA

AUGMENTS THE

WIDOW'S

OIL.

1. there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the

prophets--They were allowed to marry as well as the priests and

Levites. Her husband, not enjoying the lucrative profits of business,

had nothing but a professional income, which, in that irreligious age,

would be precarious and very scanty, so that he was not in a condition

to provide for his family.

the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen--By

the enactment of the law, a creditor was entitled to claim the person

and children of the insolvent debtor, and compel them to serve him as

bondmen till the year of jubilee should set them free.

2-4. a pot--or cruet of oil. This comprising her whole stock of

domestic utensils, he directs her to borrow empty vessels not a few;

then, secluding herself with her children, [the widow] was to pour oil

from her cruse into the borrowed vessels, and, selling the oil,

discharge the debt, and then maintain herself and family with the

remainder.

6. the oil stayed--that is, ceased to multiply; the benevolent object

for which the miracle had been wrought having been accomplished.

2Ki 4:8-17.

PROMISES A

SON TO THE

SHUNAMMITE.

8. Elisha passed to Shunem--now Sulam, in the plain of Esdraelon, at

the southwestern base of Little Hermon. The prophet, in his journey,

was often entertained here by one of its pious and opulent inhabitants.

10. Let us make a little chamber--not build, but prepare it. She meant

a room in the oleah, the porch, or gateway

(2Sa 18:33;

1Ki 17:19),

attached to the front of the house, leading into the court and inner

apartments. The front of the house, excepting the door, is a dead wall,

and hence this room is called a chamber in the wall. It is usually

appropriated to the use of strangers, or lodgers for a night, and, from

its seclusion, convenient for study or retirement.

13-16. what is to be done for thee?--Wishing to testify his gratitude

for the hospitable attentions of this family, he announced to her the

birth of a son "about this time next year." The interest and importance

of such an intelligence can only be estimated by considering that

Oriental women, and Jewish in particular, connect ideas of disgrace

with barrenness, and cherish a more ardent desire for children than

women in any other part of the world

(Ge 18:10-15).

2Ki 4:18-37.

RAISES

HER

DEAD

SON.

19. My head, my head!--The cries of the boy, the part affected, and

the season of the year, make it probable that he had been overtaken by

a stroke of the sun. Pain, stupor, and inflammatory fever are the

symptoms of the disease, which is often fatal.

22. she called unto her husband--Her heroic concealment of the death

from her husband is not the least interesting feature of the story.

24. Drive, and go forward--It is usual for women to ride on asses,

accompanied by a servant, who walks behind and drives the beast with

his stick, goading the animal at the speed required by his mistress.

The Shunammite had to ride a journey of five or six hours to the top of

Carmel.

26-28. And she answered, It is well--Her answer was purposely brief

and vague to Gehazi, for she reserved a full disclosure of her loss for

the ear of the prophet himself. She had met Gehazi at the foot of the

hill, and she stopped not in her ascent till she had disburdened her

heavy-laden spirit at Elisha's feet. The violent paroxysm of grief into

which she fell on approaching him, appeared to Gehazi an act of

disrespect to his master; he was preparing to remove her when the

prophet's observant eye perceived that she was overwhelmed with some

unknown cause of distress. How great is a mother's love! how wondrous

are the works of Providence! The Shunammite had not sought a son from

the prophet--her child was, in every respect, the free gift of God. Was

she then allowed to rejoice in the possession for a little, only to be

pierced with sorrow by seeing the corpse of the cherished boy? Perish,

doubt and unbelief! This event happened that "the works of God should

be made manifest" in His prophet, "and for the glory of God."

29-31. take my staff . . . and lay . . . upon the face of the

child--The staff was probably an official rod of a certain form and

size. Necromancers used to send their staff with orders to the

messengers to let it come in contact with nothing by the way that might

dissipate or destroy the virtue imparted to it. Some have thought that

Elisha himself entertained similar ideas, and was under an impression

that the actual application of his staff would serve as well as the

touch of his hand. But this is an imputation dishonorable to the

character of the prophet. He wished to teach the Shunammite, who

obviously placed too great dependence upon him, a memorable lesson to

look to God. By sending his servant forward to lay his staff on the

child, he raised [the Shunammite's] expectations, but, at the same

time, taught her that his own help was unavailing--"there was neither

voice, nor hearing." The command, to salute no man by the way, showed the

urgency of the mission, not simply as requiring the avoidance of the

tedious and unnecessary greetings so common in the East

(Lu 10:1),

but the exercise of faith and prayer. The act of Gehazi was allowed to

fail, in order to free the Shunammite, and the people of Israel at

large, of the superstitious notion of supposing a miraculous virtue

resided in any person, or in any rod, and to prove that

it was only through earnest prayer and faith in the power of God and

for His glory that this and every miracle was to be performed.

34. lay upon the child, &c.--(see

1Ki 17:21;

Ac 20:10).

Although this contact with a dead body would communicate ceremonial

uncleanness, yet, in performing the great moral duties of piety and

benevolence, positive laws were sometimes dispensed with, particularly

35. the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes--These

were the first acts of restored respiration, and they are described as

successive steps. Miracles were for the most part performed

instantaneously; but sometimes, also, they were advanced progressively

towards completion

(1Ki 18:44, 45;

Mr 8:24, 25).

2Ki 4:38-41.

PURIFIES

DEADLY

POTTAGE.

38. there was a dearth in the

land--(see on

2Ki 8:1).

the sons of the prophets were sitting before him--When receiving

instruction, the scholars sat under their masters. This refers to their

being domiciled under the same roof (compare

2Ki 6:1).

Set on the great pot--As it is most likely that the Jewish would

resemble the Egyptian "great pot," it is seen by the monumental

paintings to have been a large goblet, with two long legs, which stood

over the fire on the floor. The seethed pottage consisted of meat cut

into small pieces, mixed with rice or meal and vegetables.

39. went out into the field to gather herbs--Wild herbs are very

extensively used by the people in the East, even by those who possess

their own vegetable gardens. The fields are daily searched for mallow,

asparagus, and other wild plants.

wild vine--literally, "the vine of the field," supposed to be the

colocynth, a cucumber, which, in its leaves, tendrils, and fruit,

bears a strong resemblance to the wild vine. The "gourds," or fruit,

are of the color and size of an orange bitter to the taste, causing

colic, and exciting the nerves, eaten freely they would occasion such a

derangement of the stomach and bowels as to be followed by death. The

meal which Elisha poured into the pot was a symbolic sign that the

noxious quality of the herbs was removed.

lap full--The hyke, or large cloak, is thrown loosely over the left

shoulder and fastened under the right arm, so as to form a lap or

apron.

2Ki 4:42-44.

SATISFIES A

HUNDRED

MEN WITH

TWENTY

LOAVES.

43. They shall eat, and shall leave thereof--This was not a miracle of

Elisha, but only a prediction of one by the word of the Lord. Thus it

differed widely from those of Christ

(Mt 15:37;

Mr 8:8;

Lu 9:17;

Joh 6:12).