2Ki 4 | TNotes | STEP | 4:1 The widow’s husband had been a member of the group of prophets ... who served Elisha (2:3-18 ). • take my two sons as slaves: The law of Moses allowed a creditor to place a debtor and his children into slavery to work off a debt (Exod 21:2-4 ; Lev 25:10 ).

4:1 ^a The widow’s husband had been a member of the group of prophets ... who served Elisha (2:3-18 ^b).

• take my two sons as slaves: The law of Moses allowed a creditor to place a debtor and his children into slavery to work off a debt (Exod 21:2-4 ^c; Lev 25:10 ^d).
4:4 ^e shut the door: Elisha was meeting a private need; the miracle was not for public show.

• Olive oil, an important staple, had commercial value (see 1 Kgs 5:11 ^f; 2 Chr 11:11 ^g; Hos 12:1 ^h).
Summary for 2Kgs 4:5-6: 4:5-6 ⁱ Elisha was absent during the miracle so the woman and her son would recognize that the provision was by the Lord’s power.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:8-37: 4:8-37 ^j Elisha’s dealings with the woman from Shunem are presented in two parallel sections (4:8-20 ^k, 21-37 ^l). Shunem was a border town in the tribal allotment to Issachar (Josh 19:18 ^m).
Summary for 2Kgs 4:9-10: 4:9-10 ⁿ Because the Shunemite woman recognized that Elisha was a true prophet—a holy man of God—she wished to provide hospitality for him during his frequent travels (see Isa 58:7 ^o; Heb 13:2 ^p; 3 Jn 1:5 ^q).

• A small room ... on the roof, reached by an outside stairway, assured privacy for both Elisha and his hosts.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:11-14: 4:11-14 ^r Elisha wanted to return some favor to his host.

• his servant Gehazi: Gehazi served as an apprentice, as Elisha had served with Elijah (1 Kgs 19:21 ^s). It would not be unusual for a prophet to consult with his attendant.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:15-16: 4:15-16 ^t Cp. similar promises and responses at Gen 18:9-15 ^u; Luke 1:6-20 ^v.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:18-20: 4:18-20 ^w “My head hurts!” The boy probably suffered a brain aneurysm. The woman’s faith and character were put to the test with the sudden death of her son on her lap.
4:21 ^x laid him on the bed of the man of God: The woman’s action kept her son’s death a secret from others and demonstrated her confidence in Elisha’s ability to do a miracle.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:24-26: 4:24-26 ^y Mount Carmel lay about twenty miles northwest of Shunem. The length of the trip and the woman’s obvious haste aroused Elisha’s suspicion that some tragedy concerning the child had occurred.

• “everything is fine”: The woman brushed off Gehazi’s inquiries; she was resolved to deal with no one but Elisha.
4:27 ^z caught hold of his feet: With this sign of deep respect and supplication, the woman poured out her heart to Elisha (see Matt 28:9 ^aa; Luke 8:41 ^ab, 47 ^ac; 17:16 ^ad; Rev 1:17 ^ae).
4:28 ^af The loss of her son undid all the joy she felt at his promised birth and seemed to make that birth a cruel deception.
4:29 ^ag Elisha instructed Gehazi not to talk to anyone along the way, indicating the seriousness and urgency of the mission. Jesus gave similar instructions when he sent out the seventy-two disciples (Luke 10:4 ^ah).

• Laying Elisha’s staff on the child’s face signified the prophet’s intention to identify with the boy and claim God’s power.
4:31 ^ai no sign of life: Elisha’s staff held no magical power; only God is the author of life (Acts 17:25-28 ^aj).
4:33 ^ak shut the door: Elisha followed the same procedure he had advised the widow to take earlier (4:4 ^al). If God were to perform the miracle, it would not be for public display. Only the mother knew of the boy’s death and only she needed to know of Elisha’s efforts to petition God for the boy’s life.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:34-35: 4:34-35 ^am lay down on the child’s body: Elisha’s actions and faith in the Lord were similar to Elijah’s (1 Kgs 17:17-24 ^an).
Summary for 2Kgs 4:36-37: 4:36-37 ^ao Again, Gehazi summoned the woman (4:12 ^ap, 15 ^aq), and again, she fell at Elisha’s feet (4:27 ^ar), this time overwhelmed with gratitude rather than anguish.
4:38 ^as Like Bethel (2:3 ^at) and Jericho (2:5 ^au, 15 ^av), Gilgal was the center for a group of prophets (2:1 ^aw). Elisha was the leader of these groups, and thus sat at the head of the table for meals.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:39-41: 4:39-41 ^ax The men immediately recognized that the young man’s wild gourds were poisonous; they did not want to be poisoned or to waste the stew during a famine, so they turned to Elisha for help. The flour was a tangible symbol of God’s miraculous provision of food.
Summary for 2Kgs 4:42-44: 4:42-44 ^ay grain ... loaves of barley ... first grain: This offering was similar to the first of the crops that were normally presented to God (Lev 23:20 ^az) and to the priests (Deut 18:4-5 ^ba) as their portion. Because of the famine, Elisha shared the offering with all the people.

• Elisha’s feeding a hundred people with a sack of fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread anticipated the miraculous ministry of Jesus (Matt 14:15-21 ^bb; 15:32-38 ^bc). Nothing is impossible for God (Matt 19:26 ^bd; Luke 1:37 ^be; 18:27 ^bf).