2 Kings 4

This chapter highlights several miracles performed by the prophet Elisha. These include the provision of oil for a widow in financial distress, the promise of a son to a Shunammite woman, the miraculous restoration of that son’s life, and Elisha’s ability to purify a pot of stew and multiply bread. Each miracle demonstrates God's power to provide, heal, and protect through Elisha's ministry.

2 Kings 4:1-5 (NKJV)
1 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”
2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few.
4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”
5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out.

The widow, a wife of one of the prophets, was in desperate need as her creditors were threatening to take her sons as slaves to repay her debts. Elisha instructed her to use what little she had—just a jar of oil—and to borrow many vessels. The miraculous multiplication of the oil, which would occur in private, would meet her needs. Elisha's directions required faith and obedience, which resulted in a blessing far greater than her original resources.

2 Kings 4:6-7 (NKJV)
6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased.
7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

The miracle continued as long as the widow had vessels to fill. When there were no more, the oil stopped flowing. This abundance provided more than just enough to pay off her debt; it also allowed her and her sons to live off the surplus. The miracle showcases God's provision for those who trust in Him and act in faith, even when their resources seem insufficient.

2 Kings 4:8-10 (NKJV)
8 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.
9 And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly.
10 Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.”

The Shunammite woman is described as notable, meaning she was likely wealthy and influential. Recognizing Elisha as a man of God, she and her husband showed hospitality by providing a room for him whenever he passed by. This generosity and discernment set the stage for the miracles that would later occur in her life. Her willingness to bless Elisha without asking for anything in return is an example of faithful service.

2 Kings 4:11-13 (NKJV)
11 And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there.
12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him.
13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”

Elisha, appreciative of the Shunammite woman's kindness, offered to repay her with influence or favor from the king or commander. However, she declined, indicating contentment and a lack of need for anything in return. This shows her humility and satisfaction in life, qualities that contrasted with the urgency of others who sought Elisha’s help.

2 Kings 4:14-17 (NKJV)
14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.”
15 So he said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.
16 Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!”
17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.

Elisha, after learning that the woman was childless, promised her a son. Though she initially reacted with disbelief, fearing the pain of unfulfilled hope, God’s word through Elisha came to pass, and she gave birth to a son. This miracle emphasizes God's power over human limitations, as the woman’s husband was old, and it reflects God's compassion toward those who have faithfully served Him.

2 Kings 4:18-20 (NKJV)
18 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers.
19 And he said to his father, “My head, my head!” So he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”
20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

The boy, now a young child, suddenly fell ill while out with his father. His father sent him to his mother, but despite her care, the boy died in her arms. This tragic event introduces a test of the Shunammite woman’s faith and trust in God's promise. Despite her earlier joy, she now faces an immense personal loss.

2 Kings 4:21-23 (NKJV)
21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out.
22 Then she called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back.”
23 So he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.” And she said, “It is well.”

In the face of this tragedy, the Shunammite woman did not prepare for her son's burial but instead placed him on Elisha’s bed. She acted decisively and with faith, immediately seeking Elisha’s help. Her calm and resolute response to her husband’s question suggests her determination to pursue God’s intervention without sharing the boy’s death.

2 Kings 4:24-26 (NKJV)
24 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, “Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.”
25 And so she departed and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, the Shunammite woman!
26 Please run now 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 answered, “It is well.”

The woman’s urgency in traveling to Elisha shows her determination and faith that he alone could help her. Upon arriving at Mount Carmel, her calm response to Gehazi, “It is well,” may reflect her deep belief that Elisha, as God's servant, held the key to reversing her son's death.

2 Kings 4:27-30 (NKJV)
27 Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me, and has not told me.”
28 So she said, “Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”
29 Then he said to Gehazi, “Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.”
30 And the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her.

The Shunammite woman’s distress becomes clear as she clings to Elisha, expressing the deep pain of her situation. She reminds Elisha of her initial hesitation in receiving the promise of a son, which makes her current grief even more poignant. Elisha, sensing the urgency, sends Gehazi with his staff to attempt a healing, but the woman insists that Elisha himself come with her. Her unwavering faith in Elisha’s presence shows her dependence on God’s power working through him.

2 Kings 4:31-35 (NKJV)
31 Now Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, “The child has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed.
33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.
34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.
35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

Gehazi's attempt to revive the child with Elisha's staff proves unsuccessful, signifying that the miracle required Elisha's direct involvement and the power of prayer. When Elisha arrives, he closes the door and prays fervently, relying on God’s intervention. His physical actions demonstrate persistence and compassion, symbolizing life being transferred back into the child. After a brief delay, the child miraculously sneezes seven times, signifying full restoration of life.

2 Kings 4:36-37 (NKJV)
36 And he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.”
37 So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.

Elisha, after the miracle, instructs the woman to retrieve her son. Her response—falling at his feet in gratitude—shows her deep thankfulness for what God had done through Elisha. The restoration of her son not only brought joy but also confirmed God’s faithfulness to her despite her initial doubts and sorrow.

2 Kings 4:38-41 (NKJV)
38 And Elisha returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. Now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”
39 So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were.
40 Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.
41 So he said, “Then bring some flour.” And he put it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

During a famine, Elisha’s prophetic school faced a crisis when poisonous wild gourds were mistakenly added to their stew. The men realized the danger and cried out in distress. Elisha, however, trusted in God’s power to resolve the situation. By adding flour, he neutralized the poison, making the stew safe to eat. This miracle emphasizes God’s protection and provision, even in dire situations, when His servants call upon Him.

2 Kings 4:42-44 (NKJV)
42 Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.”
43 But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the Lord: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’”
44 So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

A man from Baal Shalisha brought an offering of barley loaves and grain for Elisha. Despite the small amount of food compared to the hundred men it was meant to feed, Elisha trusted in God's word that there would be more than enough. The miracle of multiplying the food parallels later events in Scripture, demonstrating God's abundant provision and the trust that His servants must have in His promises. The men ate and even had leftovers, fulfilling God’s word exactly.